Welcome to research website for Dr. Robert F Smith!
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 in Williamsport, PA. I teach undergraduate courses in ecology, environmental science, and aquatic biology.
I am developing an undergraduate-focused research program that examines basic and applied questions about natural and human-impacted freshwater ecosystems. While rooted in basic ecology, my research is intimately tied to the restoration and management of aquatic systems. My particular area of expertise is in the biology and taxonomy of aquatic insects, and I have secondary interests in quantitative methods and the use of GIS for performing ecological research. My research also employs an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to determine how the social context of streams and rivers affects management and improvement projects. I believe that a holistic understanding of the ecological and socio-economic mechanisms driving human impacts on aquatic systems is required for effective management of water resources in an urbanizing world..
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 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.
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 in Williamsport, PA. I teach undergraduate courses in ecology, environmental science, and aquatic biology.
I am developing an undergraduate-focused research program that examines basic and applied questions about natural and human-impacted freshwater ecosystems. While rooted in basic ecology, my research is intimately tied to the restoration and management of aquatic systems. My particular area of expertise is in the biology and taxonomy of aquatic insects, and I have secondary interests in quantitative methods and the use of GIS for performing ecological research. My research also employs an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to determine how the social context of streams and rivers affects management and improvement projects. I believe that a holistic understanding of the ecological and socio-economic mechanisms driving human impacts on aquatic systems is required for effective management of water resources in an urbanizing world..
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 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.