About me
After training in Canada (BSc University of Guelph, Ontario, PhD University of Toronto), I joined the faculty at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1978 and retired to emeritus status in 2020. My research interests include sedges, especially systematics and evolution of the large and complex genus Carex, Michigan and Great Lakes region flora and botanical history, and phytogeography of the northeastern North American flora, concentrating on the Great Lakes region. For Michigan Flora, I still manage the Michigan Flora online website, which makes available information about the identification and distribution of Michigan plants. Interests in plant geography include plant migration and colonization and the origin and the persistence of relict plant species and communities. My interests in sedges encompass the Americas, with a special focus on Mexico at this point, as well as the Great Lakes region. I conduct numerous workshops on plant identification, especially sedges and grasses. I am also an avid gardener with varied interests including native plants and ecologically sustainable gardening.
