The morel mushroom in your stir-fry is more than just a morsel to Associate Professor of Biology Karl McKnight. Among other things, McKnight's research aims to identify the major morphological, phenological and physiological adaptations of mushroom sporocarps to specific environmental conditions.

McKnight earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Brigham Young University and the Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. He has directed the University's Outdoor Studies program and developed its successful Adirondack Semester. In addition, McKnight has twice directed St. Lawrence's program of study in Spain.

In biology, he teaches courses in ecology, phycology and plant systematics. McKnight also regularly directs student research projects and has manuscripts in preparation with student coauthors concerning plant succession in Bryce Canyon National Park; olfactory responses to the common cold; and computer-assisted measurement of reproductive surfaces of gilled mushrooms. He is also interested in conducting research directed at understanding energy flow in natural and human-centered ecosystems with the goal of helping formulate suggestions as to how culturally different human populations can realistically achieve a sustainable energy flow.