I am currently a Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Biological Sciences at Northern Illinois, as well as Director of the Human Anatomical Sciences (HAS) Master's and PhD programs. I have a B.A. in Anthropology and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and M.S., M.Phil and Ph.D. degrees in Health Sciences and Anatomical Sciences from Stony Brook University. I have taught anatomy at Mount Holyoke College, McGill University (Canada), and the University of Queensland (Australia). I first travelled to Madagascar in 1998, and lead many different types of research there (e.g., paleontological, ecological, behavioral). My paleontological field research aims to shed light on the origin and evolutionary history of Madagascar’s modern fauna, one of the most unique and endemic on the planet.

I grew up in western Massachusetts, have a dog and two horses (an American Paint horse named Chance, and a Paint/Appaloosa mare named Zoey). In my spare time I enjoy horseback riding, hiking, gardening, biking, and yoga.