Hi! My name is Josh, and I am a vertebrate paleontologist currently based at Lake Forest College, IL.
Employment
Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Lake Forest College (2025 – Present)
Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology, Lake Forest College (2024 – 2025)
Education
MSci (Geology) – University of Birmingham (2016)
PhD (Biology) – North Carolina State University (2024)
Current Work
I received my PhD in June 2024 from NC State. Working under Dr Lindsay Zanno, my dissertation centered on the eggs and nests of oviraptorosaur dinosaurs. I was able to gain new insight into the unusual nesting behavior of oviraptorosaurs, developing new methods of high-resolution surface scanning to compare the external texture of these eggs and re-evaluate their variation. This led to a re-evaluation of mid-Cretaceous North American eggshells, comparisons with modern ground-nesting birds and closely-related dinosaurs in Asia, and new hypotheses for external eggshell ornamentation. Publications continue anew, so look out for more to come!
I started as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology at Lake Forest College near Chicago, IL in 2024. While continuing to research my PhD research questions, I am teaching classes on Evolution and Paleoecology, a core biology class on Evolution and Ecology, and an interdisciplinary introductory class called The Science of Water.
As of August 2025, I have moved to the Environmental Studies department, shift that has provided opportunity for me to integrate more geology and earth sciences into my courses. This gives students a greater appreciation and understanding of the deep time processes and natural history of the Earth.
Outside of work, I enjoy The Simpsons, a multitude of sports, science fiction cinema, and being outdoors with my girlfriend Sar and our dog, George.