Caroline is a forest and fungal ecologist from middle Tennessee whose research explores plant-fungal symbioses and their role in shaping coastal forests amid climate change. Combining fieldwork, greenhouse studies, and molecular techniques, she uncovers the hidden influence of fungi—whether facilitating the movement of marine-derived nutrients from Pacific salmon into Southeast Alaska’s rainforests or shaping post-wildfire forest recovery in coastal California. Her work highlights how fungi not only support plant growth but also drive ecosystem resilience, influencing the future of forests in a changing world.
Caroline first came to Outer Coast as a visiting faculty member in 2022 and now serves as Faculty in Ecology and Director of Academic Administration and Advising. Prior to coming to Sitka, she taught interdisciplinary courses as a Lecturer in Civic, Liberal, and Global Education at Stanford University, where she earned a PhD in Ecology and Evolution with a doctoral minor in Education. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Tennessee.
In the classroom, Caroline invites students to harness their own lived experiences as they explore complex ecological questions through a lens of interconnectedness and systems thinking. When she’s not in the lab or in the classroom, Caroline is probably in the kitchen, in the ceramics studio, in the forest, or on the water.