Dr. Rosi-Marshall will be the next Director of the Baltimore
Ecosystem Study, Long-Term Ecological Research project, a role that is targeted
to begin in 2016. At this time, we hope
that BES would be entering its next phase of support as an NSF-funded Long-Term
Ecological Research project. Dr. Rosi-Marshall
is an Associate Scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, where she
has been on the staff since 2009. Her
expertise in stream ecology, and her interests in the presence and role of
pharmaceutical and personal care products in streams caused us to invite her to become
a member of BES, and she has become an enthusiastic contributor to the program.
Background Information about Dr. Rosi-Marshall
According to the Cary Institute
web site, “Dr. Rosi-Marshall conducts research on factors that control
and influence ecosystem function in human-dominated ecosystems. Freshwater is
one of our most vital and threatened resources; understanding how human-driven
global change impacts freshwater ecosystem function is essential. Dr.
Rosi-Marshall's research focuses on several aspects of human modifications to
freshwater ecosystems such as land use change and restoration, widespread
agriculture and associated crop byproducts, urbanization and the release of
novel contaminants, and hydrologic modifications associated with dams.”
Dr. Rosi-Marshall earned the PhD from the University of
Georgia in 2002. She conducted
Post-doctoral research at the University of Notre Dame, and was on the faculty
of Loyola University of Chicago between 2004 and 2009, where she rose to the
rank of Associate Professor. More
information on Dr. Rosi-Marshall’s career and interests can be found on the
Cary Institute web site at http://www.caryinstitute.org/science-program/our-scientists/dr-emma-j-rosi-marshall
Why Having a Director Designate is Important
It is important to have overlap in the leadership of
LTERs. This is why I am happy that Dr.
Rosi-Marshall has agreed to be the next director of BES. Long-term studies are intended to observe,
experiment on, and model ecological processes over long periods of time. This is because many processes in which
organisms, environment, and social phenomena interact unfold slowly. In some cases, the complex and indirect
interactions in human-natural systems only become clear when some unusual event
occurs, or when a new comparison is conducted.
Long-term studies are a research platform allowing these crucial and
impactful changes to be understood. Dr.
Rosi-Marshall in her new role in the project, will participate in the Project
Management Committee, and will be closely involved in the decision making
processes in BES. The substantial period
of overlap during which Dr. Rosi-Marshall will learn the ropes of BES and of
the LTER Network is important for continuity.
Other Components of Project Sustainability
Dr. Peter Groffman will continue to serve as Deputy Director
after the planned 2016 transition, and I anticipate substantial overlap in the
official Co-Principal Investigators and members of BES through that
transition. I am delighted that Dr.
Rosi-Marshall has agreed to perform this crucial role in the sustainability of
BES.
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