Rick is a plant conservation biologist and conducts research on rare and endangered plants in Texas. He is active in faith outreach especially in the area of Christian environmental stewardship and ethics. Examples of his outreach efforts include hosting speakers at Hardin-Simmons Chapel services such as Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, an evangelical Christian climate scientist and Ben Lowe, who is the national organizer and spokesperson for Young Evangelicals for Climate Action. As part of his outreach efforts to Texas Baptists, Rick had his essay, “Divine Lessons from Biodiversity,” published in the Baptist Standard, a statewide publication for Baptists in Texas.