EESI Announces the Appointment of Three Scholars in Residence for 2009-2010

The Earth and Environmental Systems Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of three Scholars in Residence (SIR) for the academic year 2009/2010. The SIR program is a professional advancement grant in research or teaching for outstanding EESI Associates and Affiliates.

	Dr. Eric Kirby, Associate Professor of Geosciences will use a SIR to study the interactions between landscape topography, erosion, and weathering in the Appalachians of Central Pennsylvania. Dr Kirby will be testing whether diffusive models of soil transport and erosion are sufficient to explain the range of soil transport processes observed in this region.
	Dr. Douglas Miller, Director of the Center for Environmental Informatics, Earth and Environmental Systems Institute and Associate Professor of Geography will use a SIR to build an interdisciplinary science team from across the University to secure research funding on the effects of the development of the Marcellus formation for oil and gas on biodiversity. The Marcellus formation underlies nearly one-third of the state of Pennsylvania and disturbance associated with the anticipated development of the gas field will have significant and long term impacts on ecosystem processes and landscape characteristics.
	Dr. Michael Mann, Associate Professor of Meteorology and Director of the Earth System Science Center in the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute will use a SIR to contribute to an on-line course on climate science for the new Bachelor of Arts degree in Energy , Business, and Policy being developed by the EMS John A. Dutton e-Education Institute. This is the first SIR supported by a new partnership between EESI and the e-Education Institute on the scholarship of teaching and learning in non-resident and new programs.

Dr. Eric Kirby, Associate Professor of Geosciences will use a SIR to study the interactions between landscape topography, erosion, and weathering in the Appalachians of Central Pennsylvania. Dr Kirby will be testing whether diffusive models of soil transport and erosion are sufficient to explain the range of soil transport processes observed in this region.

Dr. Douglas Miller, Director of the Center for Environmental Informatics, Earth and Environmental Systems Institute and Associate Professor of Geography will use a SIR to build an interdisciplinary science team from across the University to secure research funding on the effects of the development of the Marcellus formation for oil and gas on biodiversity. The Marcellus formation underlies nearly one-third of the state of Pennsylvania and disturbance associated with the anticipated development of the gas field will have significant and long term impacts on ecosystem processes and landscape characteristics.

Dr. Michael Mann, Associate Professor of Meteorology and Director of the Earth System Science Center in the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute will use a SIR to contribute to an on-line course on climate science for the new Bachelor of Arts degree in Energy , Business, and Policy being developed by the EMS John A. Dutton e-Education Institute. This is the first SIR supported by a new partnership between EESI and the e-Education Institute on the scholarship of teaching and learning in non-resident and new programs.