About Me
I am a vertebrate paleontologist with predominately geological training. All of my life I've lived in educational settings, growing up in Oxford, Ohio, home to Miami University, before attending Denison University (Grenvillle, Ohio) where I furthered my interest in liberal arts education with an undergraduate degree in geology. All of my graduate work (MS and PhD) was out west at the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, New Mexico). While finishing my dissertation I moved to Arizona (following Kristan to Columbia University's Biosphere 2 Center), then returned to New Mexico to work at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History before accepting an offer from Appalachian, where I am now comfortably ensconced.

• Current Positions
• • Associate Professor of Geology, Department of Geology, Appalachian State University
  •     Director, McKinney Geology Teaching Museum, Appalachian State University
  •     Research Associate, New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, Albuquerque
  •     Research Associate, North Carolina Museum of Science and Nature, Raleigh

• Education
• • Ph.D. Earth & Planetary Sciences University of New Mexico 2001 (3.99 GPA)
  • M.S. Earth & Planetary Sciences University of New Mexico 1997 (3.74 GPA)
  • B.S. Geology summa cum laude Denison University, Granville, Ohio 1993 (3.83 GPA)

• Employment (postgraduate only)
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  • Associate Professor of Geology, Department of Geology, Appalachian State University 2011-present (also Director, McKinney Geology Teaching Museum, Appalachian State University)
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  • Assistant Professor of Geology, Department of Geology, Appalachian State University, 2005-2011
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  • Geoscience Collections Manager, New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science 2002-2005
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  • Instructor, University of New Mexico (2003)
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  • Instructor, Columbia University's Biosphere 2 Center (2000-2001)
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  • Teaching Assistant, University of New Mexico (1993-2000)
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  • Teaching Asssistant (undergraduate), Physical Geology Laboratory, Denison University (1990-1993)

• Selected Scholarships, Fellowships, & Awards
• • The University of New Mexico 1993-2001:
  • • Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Predoctoral Fellowship, 2000
    • University of New Mexico Dean's Dissertation Fellowship, 2000
    • Sigma Xi Excellence in Graduate Research Award (UNM Chapter), 2000
    • Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Bryan Patterson Award, 1999
    • New Mexico Geological Society Kottlowski Fellowship, 1998
    • University of New Mexico Wengerd Traveling Fellowship, 1998
    • University of New Mexico Geology Alumni Scholarship, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000
    • Richard Vann Paleontology Scholarship, 1995 & 1997
  • Denison University 1989-1993:
  • • $60,000+ in national, state, & local awards for scientific & academic excellence, including:
    • Barry M. Goldwater scholarship
    • National Merit Scholarship
    • Ohio Academic Scholarship
    • Wells Science Scholarship
    • Anderson Scholarship
    • Robert C. Byrd Scholarship
    • Procter & Gamble Scholarship
    
    
• Grants
• • Obtained funding from Vulcan Materials Co. for "G.E.M.S. Exhibit" ($20,000 pledged)
  • Appalachian State University Foundation Fellows Grant, Spring, 2007
  • University Research Council Grant, Fall, 2005 (Highest rated proposal), Fall, 2006, Spring, 2008, 2010
  • U.S. Bureau of Land Management "Fossils-at-risk" on-line database project (2002, 2003)
  • Co-principal investigator, Petrified Forest National Park "Sonsela project" (2003-current)
  • Secured $150,000 endowment for fossil preparation at NMMNH (2002)
  • Paleobiological Fund Grant (1999)
  • Petrified Forest Museum Association Research Grants (1995, 1997, 1998, 2000; 6 total)
  • New Mexico Geological Society Student Grant (1999)
  • UNM Student Research Allocations Grants (5) and UNM Research and Project Travel Grants (3)
  • The Dinosaur Society Research Grant (1994)