I am a Research Associate with the U.S. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, whose research focuses on the conservation genomics and genetics of marine and aquatic fish and invertebrate communities, especially invasive species and those threatened by anthropogenic changes. I am an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) "For distinguished contributions to the fields of molecular evolutionary ecology and conservation genetics, particularly invasive and native populations, and mentorship of graduate and undergraduate students”.  I also hold a lifetime honor appointment as Distinguished Professor of Ecology at the University of Toledo. I have published over 131 scientific papers and have given >296 research presentations focusing on molecular ecology, evolutionary genomics, population genetics, biogeography, and systematics and have headed many NSF, NOAA, EPA, SeaGrant, and USDA grants. Special research interests are community and species diversity comparisons, using genomic and bioinformatic analyses for evaluating planktonic and benthic communities and environmental (e) DNA across time and space, in relation to anthropogenic and natural fluctuations in chemical, physical, and biological patterns in marine, estuarine, and freshwater habitats. I serve as associate editor for the journals Ecological Processes and for Aquatic Invasions, and am on the editorial boards of the journals DNA, Environmental DNA, and Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.