RESEARCH INTERESTS

Pollination Biology
One of my favorite areas of investigation involves the study of Galápagos Islands angiosperms (flowering plants) and their pollinators. Most recently, this work has focused on a study of nocturnal pollinators. Research on the pollen-ovule ratios and pollen size of selected Galápagos plants is also being conducted.

Plant Systematics
I have also had students involved in research dealing with the systematics of Galápagos angiosperms. Currently, I am conducting research on selected members of the genus Cordia (Boraginaceae), which is represented in the Galápagos by seven species, four of which are endemic. Cordia is one of several plant genera in the Galápagos that exhibits the classic island phenomenon known as adaptive radiation.

Flora of Rockingham County, VA
Another project in which I'm currently involved is a survey of the vascular plants of Rockingham County. During the summer of 2002, one of my research students and I began updating the list of plants indigenous to this county. The last time Rockingham was studied in detail was when I conducted a similar survey for my M.S. degree here at JMU. The information gathered will assure that our records are up to date. Interested students may contribute to this field of study by conducting similar studies on other counties in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia (Augusta, Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah, and Warren). Cataloging the plants in this historic valley is the ultimate aim. Such information will also be useful for the Flora of Virginia Project, which is now in the works.

Floristics of the Galápagos Islands
In 1999, Cornell University Press published my book Flowering Plants of the Galápagos, which is the first photographic guide to the flowering plants of these important islands. Based on several years of research, it includes descriptions, updated nomenclature, and photos of hundreds of the archipelago's plants.