Assistant Director, Vice President
Administration and Finance Department
Research Scientist
Contact
ensign@stroudcenter.org
tel. 610-268-2153, ext. 223
970 Spencer Road, Avondale, PA 19311
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1490-4751
Interests and Expertise
I’m an ecosystem ecologist working to discover how plants, animals, and microbes interact within rivers and how the results of those processes influence how people and society interact with rivers. In collaboration with my colleagues, I make biogeochemical measurements, perform experiments, and interpret results using statistical models and analysis. I’m particularly interested in developing new measurement technologies for aquatic environments, exploring how sea level rise affects rivers, and implementing conservation techniques that improve both ecological conditions and the utility people derive from freshwater ecosystems.
Google Scholar | ResearchGate | CV
Education
- Ph.D., Ecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- M.S., Ecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- B.A., Environmental Science, University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Professional Experience
- Assistant Director, Stroud Water Research Center, 2018–present.
- Adjunct Assistant Professor, Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Science Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 2013–2018.
- Founder/CEO, Planktos Instruments, LLC, Morehead City, North Carolina, 2013–2018.
- Founder/Managing Partner, Aquatic Analysis and Consulting, LLC, Wilmington, North Carolina, 2004–2017.
- Research Ecologist, National Research Program, United States Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia, 2010–2011.
- Research Technician III, Institute of Marine Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, North Carolina, 2004–2005.
- Research Technician II, Institute of Marine Science, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, 1997–2002.
Publications
Light exposure along particle flowpaths in large rivers
A digital mayfly swarm is emerging
The role of the upper tidal estuary in wetland blue carbon storage and flux