Prior to coming to ECU, Dr. Dudley taught at the University of Wisonsin-Stout, Warren Wilson College, and Santa-Barabara City College. She also participated in post-doctoral research both at the University of California, where she also served as the Greenhouse Manager, and at the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity in Santiago, Chile. Her research interests include understanding how plants cope in stressful environments, the way in which ecosystem biodiversity affects its resilience, and the way in which ecosystem function helps water resource management