Dan received his B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Kansas (2001) and his Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota (2007). He did postdoctoral work at the University of California, Santa Cruz in the Environmental Studies Department.
Dan is an ecosystem ecologist interested in the role of aboveground-belowground interactions on carbon and nutrient cycling. His current research investigates the effects of nitrogen deposition and herbivory on plant communities and soil processes with the goal of understanding how restoration and management efforts influence ecosystems.