My wider interests include studying the forces that drive evolution in tropical plants and insects. More specifically, the rare transition of tropical woody plants into the temperate zone. These types of transitions shape the diversity and structure of forests around the world. I am particularly interested in the genera Cephalanthus a group of woody angiosperms with distributions from boreal to tropical zones. My research focuses on how functional plant traits associated with frost tolerance are lost and or gained, and how these traits facilitate species range expansion from their tropical origin into temperate zones.

From the Lab
Our dear friend and labmate Gabe was brutally taken from all of us on June 21st, 2023, in Sonora, Mexico. He was conducting his PhD fieldwork and visiting his ancestral land. He was a brilliant field scientist, botanist, and ecologist, weaving into his PhD research both indigenous and western science. 

Gabe was in his fourth year of an extremely creative and innovative study on the evolution and biogeography of Cephalanthus (Rubiaceae), the buttonbush. A wetland plant, it is one of the only woody plants that is found in both high latitudes and the tropics, and Gabe was figuring out the adaptations and the relative importance of frost tolerance, anti-herbivore defense, and plant-plant competition in understanding Cephanthus’ unusual geographic distribution. 

Gabe was bold, adventurous, and athletic. He loved kayaking, hiking, and exploring. He was a nurturing caretaker and a gentle soul who had a way of making those around him feel at ease with his warm heart. He was an excellent plant dad and ceramicist and even fixed his own cars. 

Gabe was always ready to greet us with a big, warm hug and his goofy lightheartedness never failed to make us laugh. He was always ready to share enthusiasm for learning about and cultivating medicinal, edible, and ecologically-intriguing species.

He was a true naturalist. Whenever you were with him in nature it felt like a big family reunion, as he saw all life beings as his extended kin. 

He was a spiritual man and a danzante Azteca. Any opportunity he had would be turned into prayer or connection to spirits. He was also really into the stars and astrology, something we chatted about in the lab. We miss your fermented drinks, tepache, agua de jamaica o sandia, and your frijoles. You always cooked the best frijoles, Gabe. We miss your ideas and inventos.

Gabriel had big goals and dreams. In all he did, he wanted to give back to the community; that was his biggest drive and what moved him. That is who he was: a family and community man. 

Rest in power Gabe. We all love you.