Welcome the the Smith Ecology lab!
I am an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Lycoming College and a research associate in the Lycoming College Clean Water Institute. Lycoming College is a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI) in Williamsport, PA. where I teach undergraduate courses in ecology, environmental science, aquatic biology, and GIS, and perform research on aquatic and terrestrial systems.
By trade, I am an aquatic ecologist who studies streams and wetlands in natural and human-dominated systems. My research career, however, has evolved with my position at a PUI. I direct a undergraduate-focused research that examines basic and applied questions in ecology examining plants and animals in aquatic and terrestrial systems. I have the background to be a jack-of-all-trades mentor whose student research is unified by a) approaches that emphasize basic ecological principles and b) a focus on addressing conservation needs in a changing global environment due to urban development and climate change.
I am an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Lycoming College and a research associate in the Lycoming College Clean Water Institute. Lycoming College is a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI) in Williamsport, PA. where I teach undergraduate courses in ecology, environmental science, aquatic biology, and GIS, and perform research on aquatic and terrestrial systems.
By trade, I am an aquatic ecologist who studies streams and wetlands in natural and human-dominated systems. My research career, however, has evolved with my position at a PUI. I direct a undergraduate-focused research that examines basic and applied questions in ecology examining plants and animals in aquatic and terrestrial systems. I have the background to be a jack-of-all-trades mentor whose student research is unified by a) approaches that emphasize basic ecological principles and b) a focus on addressing conservation needs in a changing global environment due to urban development and climate change.
At the heart of my research, however, is my expertise in the biology and taxonomy of aquatic insects, which I use the basis for studies examining community ecology, phenology, dispersal, and life-history processes. I also utilize GIS and quantitative approaches to examine ecological systems at small to broad spatial scales. I combine my understanding of organismal biology and landscape ecology to study ecological patterns and processes of the built environment needed to inform restoration and management. Over time, my research on urban systems has also evolved to employ an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to examine the social context of streams and rivers in urban landscapes. A holistic understanding of the ecological and socio-economic mechanisms driving human impacts on aquatic systems and incorporating community knowledge and values in restoration projects is required for effective and equitable approaches to managing urban ecosystems.
I am a native Pennsylvanian who received a B.S. in Biology from Millersville University and my M.S. and Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Maryland. I worked for 3 years as an NSF Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability Postdoctoral Fellow for the Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. I also worked for a year as a visiting professor at the Biology Department, at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA.
On this website, you will find information about my research and teaching programs. Please feel free to contact me at smithr@lycoming.edu if you have any questions or comments about my work. Follow me on Twitter: @rfsmithecology.
I am a native Pennsylvanian who received a B.S. in Biology from Millersville University and my M.S. and Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Maryland. I worked for 3 years as an NSF Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability Postdoctoral Fellow for the Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. I also worked for a year as a visiting professor at the Biology Department, at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA.
On this website, you will find information about my research and teaching programs. Please feel free to contact me at smithr@lycoming.edu if you have any questions or comments about my work. Follow me on Twitter: @rfsmithecology.