His career has included basic research on the systematics of palms and Clematis, service as Director of the USF Botanical Garden, and the teaching of biological diversity and botany. His work has taken him to Papua New Guinea, Australia, South Africa and tropical America. His most recent research publications include "A systematic histological analysis of palm fruits. VIII. The Dypsidinae (Arecaceae)" (Brittonia, 2008). He currently blogs about diverse aspects of plant life at botanyprofessor.blogspot.com.