Louis. He has an associate degree in forestry from Paul Smith’s College, a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Cornell University, a master’s degree in ecology and botany from the University of Florida, and a Ph.D. in biological sciences from Louisiana State University. His dissertation explored community assembly theory and the maintenance of species diversity in high-diversity plant communities. In 2012 he joined the faculty in the Department of Biology after completing a postdoc at Washington University’s Tyson Research Center.