Research
The Department of Environmental Sciences is actively involved in applied research, linking environmental quality with management capacity and educational opportunities. Both faculty and students participate in research which can not only lead to significant discoveries, but also make teaching and learning real. In the classroom or in the field, the environment is the perfect laboratory.
Faculty Research
Dr. Jeffery Hill, Chair & Professor Research focus: human dimensions of natural resource management, particularly within coastal ecosystems. Previous Research: North Carolina Coastal Reserve Program Initiatives |
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Dr. Jamie Rotenberg, Associate Professor Painted Bunting Observer Team (PBOT) Harpy Eagle Research Project |
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Dr. Anthony Snider, Associate Professor Dr. Snider has focused on use value taxation, forest resource utilization, coastal land use change, and problems associated with deer populations in resort developments. His current research interests include sustainable agriculture and factors motivating environmentally responsible behavior. |
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Dr. Rachael Urbanek, Associate Professor Dr. Rachael Urbanek’s main research interests focus broadly on urban wildlife management, human dimensions of wildlife, and human-wildlife conflict and resolution. Her current work involves predator exclusion to protect sea turtle nests, long-term use of highway underpasses, and carnivore presence throughout New Hanover County. Read more about Dr. Urbanek's research and work with students on her faculty website. |
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Dr. B. Troy Frensley, Assistant Professor Dr. Frensley is serving as a Co-Principal Investigator on the funding program "NSF Advancing Informal Science Learning (AISL)" along with colleagues from Clemson University (Dr. Bob Powell, Principal Investigator; Dr. Ryan Gagnon, Co-PI) and Virginia Tech (Dr. Marc Stern, Co-PI) to conduct a study of environmental education (EE) programs for youth across the United States. The project titled "What leads to better outcomes in informal STEM-based environmental education programs for youth?" will examine the characteristics and outcomes of a large sample of EE programs for youth to elucidate program characteristics that most powerfully influence 21st century learning outcomes. The award amount is $1,944,846 and duration of the project will be October 1, 2019 to December 31, 2023. EE programs for youth, particularly day-long school field trip programs, are popular and reside at the intersection of formal and informal STEM education. Such field trips provide opportunities for diverse audiences to participate in shared learning experiences, but current understanding of what leads to success in these programs is limited. This large-scale study will address this gap in knowledge by investigating the linkages between program characteristics and participant outcomes for at least 800 single-day EE field trip programs for youth in grades 5-8, particularly programs for diverse and underserved audiences. This study will result in the identification of evidence-based practices that will inform future program design for a wide variety of settings, including nature centers, national parks, zoos, museums, aquaria, and other locations providing informal EE programs. |
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Dr. Monica T. Rother, Assistant Professor Dr. Rother conducts research within the broad disciplines of forest ecology, wildland fire ecology, biogeography, and dendrochronology (tree-ring science). Her current research uses tree-ring records to understand historical wildfire activity in longleaf pine ecosystems throughout the Southeastern Coastal Plain. She is also involved in studies that examine recent climate-driven changes in wildfire activity and post-wildfire forest recovery. Read more about Dr. Rother’s research, including opportunities for students on her faculty website. |