My students and I investigate a broad array of questions in plant evolution and ecology. In recent years, my research has taken three main directions. First, I am working with an international team of scientists to explore how interactions between plants and insect pollinators affect the evolution of floral behavior in acacia trees and other selected plants within woodland savannah communities of Kenya. Second, I am working with colleagues at IU South Bend, Butler University, and The Nature Conservancy to study how well newly restored prairies mimic the diversity and population dynamics found in native prairies of northern Indiana. Third, I am studying the evolutionary history and population genetics of species in the legume genus Gleditsia and its near relatives, with emphasis on biogeographic connections between species on different continents, hybridization between species, and the propensity of certain species, such as the North American honeylocust (G. triacanthos), to become invasive when introduced into new habitats.
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