I am intrigued by a variety of subjects including biodiversity formation and maintenace, ecological diversification, web architectural variation, silk evolution, and affect of land use change on predator diversity. I currently work on the island of Sulawesi, a composite island located in Indonesia. This island provides an ideal system to study the interaction of historical legacy and the environment in shaping patterns of biodiversity because of its formerly isolated paleo-island regions, extensive mountain ranges and gradients of human disturbance. My research focuses upon the interplay between past diversification associated with ancient historical legacies versus current environmental factors and recent responses to human disturbance in shaping patterns of taxonomic, functional, and genetic diversity of spiders across elevational gradients on Sulawesi. Spiders are extremely diverse, easily sampled, and occupy a diversity of ecological roles. The webs of many species provide quantifiable structures which allow comparison of the ecological function of spider communities located at varying elevations, between paleo-island regions and among human modified areas. Currently, I am located in Indonesia for the year of 2020, during which I will be sampling three additional mountains upon Sulawesi and sampling in lowland regions that have undergone deforestation over various time spans. Thank you to NSF and Fulbright US Student Research Program for current funding.
