Jon Knott says that while growing up in Holland, Michigan, he was a “go-out-and-explore” kind of kid. He credits his love of the outdoors to hunting and fishing with his dad and his camping, hiking and backpacking experiences, mostly in the Midwest. Although he was interested in ecological sciences, Knott thought studying it could lead only to fieldwork with the Department of Natural Resources, while he was more research-oriented. Once his undergraduate advisors at Calvin College showed the biology major broader opportunities in the field, he changed his focus from pre-med to ecology. One mentor was a Purdue alumnus who encouraged Knott to look at the University’s PhD programs. Knott considered other places as well, but Purdue’s interdisciplinary Ecological Sciences and Engineering program held the most appeal. He arrived in fall 2015 to work in the Natural Resources Spatial Analysis Lab under Songlin Fei, associate professor of forestry and natural resources. Coming from an ecology background, Knott has been surprised to learn how traditional foresters influence ecological outcomes — and how forest ecologists in turn can influence the way traditional foresters manage forests.