I recently started a faculty position at Portland State University.

If you are interested in doing research in my lab, please contact me and we can discuss potential projects and funding opportunities.

The Strecker lab is excited to welcome new students Meredith, Jeff, and Sam.

My research interests broadly involve how patterns of biodiversity are structured by local and regional processes, such as dispersal, invasive species, and other anthropogenic stressors.  Ultimately, this work leads to the question of how ecosystem function may be affected by these processes, which have been substantially altered by human activity in the past century.

In general, I use the combined approach of field surveys, small-scale experiments (ie. 20L) and large-scale experiments (ie. 7000L), and statistical modelling to test my hypotheses.  I am often asked why I study zooplankton, and the answer is that I find them fascinating...they have a diversity of reproductive strategies, are adaptable to many extreme conditions (ie. dessication, cold, etc.), can rapidly evolve defenses against predation, toxicity, etc., are ubitquitous in aquatic habitats in vast numbers, and can be easily experimentally manipulated.  In short, they're an ideal study organism.  To the left is Eubosmina tubicen, a common zooplankter.