Education
Ph.D., University of Colorado at Boulder, 2005
M.S., North Carolina State University, 1999
B.S., University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, 1996
Postdoctoral Training
University of Washington, 2005-2008
Research Interests
Seed dispersal ecology, foraging behavior, and plant ecology
My research centers on studying interactions between plants and animals (birds mostly) that eat fruit and disperse seeds. Thus, I merge zoological and botanical approaches to formulate questions about the organization and ecology of plant communities and habitats. I strive to understand how the foraging and movement behavior of fruit-eating birds has an impact on the patterning, demography, and migration of plant populations and diversity. In my lab we use stable-isotope methods to track the fate of seeds and trophic interactions. Current projects take place in the Caribbean (Puerto Rico & Dominican Republic), Argentina, Brazil, and Pennsylvania.