REBECCA K. R. AMBERS

Department of Environmental Studies
Sweet Briar College
Sweet Briar, VA 24595
(434) 381-6483
e-mail: rambers@sbc.edu

Education

Ph.D. (2000) Department of Geological Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon. Dissertation Title: "Sedimentation, Mercury Contamination, and Clay Mineralogy of the Dorena Lake Watershed, Western Oregon."

M.S. (1996) School of Geology and Geophysics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma.

B.A. with Highest Distinction, Honors in Geology, and Double Major (1993) Departments of Geological Sciences and Anthropology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

Academic Positions Held

Associate Professor of Environmental Studies (2007-present) Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, VA

Assistant Professor of Environmental Science (2001-07) Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, VA

Assistant Professor of Geoscience (2000-01) Winona State University, Winona, MN

Grants

Externally Funded

Thomas F. Jeffress and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust (January 1, 2005 - December 31, 2006) "The Influence of Clay Mineralogy and Mineral Cements on Stream Channel Erodibility," PI: R. Ambers, $30,000 plus $20,000 in two renewals

National Science Foundation (August 2004 - July 2007) "Acquisition of an X-ray Diffraction System for Research at an Undergraduate Woman's College," PI: R. Ambers, $73,057

National Science Foundation (February 2002 - June 2004) "A Standards-Driven, Inquiry-Based Science Curriculum for Future Elementary Science Teachers" - PI: J. Granger, Co-PI's: R. Ambers, D. Orvos, H. Yochum; $50,446

National Science Foundation (February 2002 - June 2004) "Multidisciplinary Use of an Atomic Absorption Spectrometer at an Undergraduate Women's College" - PI: R. Granger, Co-PI: R. Ambers, D. Orvos; $54,239

Internally Funded

Sweet Briar College Faculty Fellowship (2007-08) Funding for a full year of sabbatical plus research expenses; salary plus $4080

Sweet Briar College Lectures & Events Committee (2005) Funding to bring Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to campus to speak on April 27, 2006; Co-organizers B. Perry and S. Bragaw, $24,115

Sweet Briar College Faculty Grants (2005) Funding to support travel to a geological sciences conference; $230

Sweet Briar College Faculty Grants (2004) Funding to support travel to a geological sciences conference, $678

SBC Engineering Steering Committee (2004) "Development of ENVR 312: Groundwater to Complement the Engineering Science Curriculum at Sweet Briar College," $1750

Sweet Briar College Faculty Grants (2003) Funding to support interdisciplinary summer research; Co-PI's: R. Ambers, K. Chavigny, and L. Rainville, $12,724

Sweet Briar College Faculty Grants (2003) Funding to support travel to an environmental science conference, $1007

Winona State University Long-term Improvement Grant (2000) "Development of an Environmental Science Field Station" - Project co-leader; $32,240

Professional and Honorary Society Memberships

Teaching and Related Experience

Courses taught at Sweet Briar College:

• ENVR 002: Introduction to Environmental Science (Fall 2001)
• ENVR 101: Introduction to Environmental Issues (Falls)
• ENVR 103: Life and Earth Science by Inquiry (Spring 2003, 2005) - co-instructor
• ENVR 131: Environmental Geology (Falls) - recently renamed Physical Geography: Landscapes
• ENVR 133: Environmental Geology Lab (Falls) - recently renamed Physical Geography Lab
• ENVR 208: Surface Waters (Springs) - co-instructor
• ENVR 212: Hydrology (Spring 2002)
• ENVR 310: Earth Materials and the Environment (alternate Springs)
• ENVR 316: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (Springs)
• ENVR 393: Topics in Environmental Studies - Sustainable Agriculture (Spring 2004, 2006)
• ENVR 433: Advanced Laboratory in Environmental Science (Falls) - co-instructor
• FYS 007: Fire, Water, and Earth: Elements of Disaster (Fall 2001)

Courses taught at Winona State University:

• GEOS 102: Natural Disasters (Spring 2001)
• GEOS 120: Dynamic Earth (Fall 2000, Spring 2001)
• GEOS 225: Environmental Geoscience (Fall 2000)
• GEOS 240: Hydrogeology (Fall 2000)
• GEOS 420: Applied Hydrogeology (Spring 2001)

Teaching & Related Workshops Attended:

• “Working with ArcGIS Spatial Analyst” (11/19-21/07) ESRI course to enhance GIS skills
• Oxford-Berkeley Program at Merton College, University of Oxford in Oxford, UK (7/5-24/04) Took course entitled "The Rise and Fall of the British Empire," received grade of A+
• National Science Foundation Summer Workshop: New Approaches and Techniques for Teaching Science: Addressing Environmental Problems to Stimulate Undergraduate Learning (2002)
• NAGT: Earth Science Education and the Development of Reasoning (2002)
• Sweet Briar College (2/28/02) Teaching oral skills classes
• Sweet Briar College (3/21/02) Teaching writing skills classes
• NAGT: Early Career Faculty in the Geosciences (2000)

College and Community Service

Sweet Briar College:

• Director of Honors Summer Research (Fall 2006-present)
• Faculty Representative to Judicial Committee of the Student Government Association (2006-07)<\li>
• Honors Committee (2004-07) - chair in 2005-06
• Archaeology Advisory Committee (2002-07)
• Women and Gender Studies Advisory Committee (2005-07)
• Engineering Search Committee (2005-06)
• Biology Search Committee (2004-05)
• Natural Areas Committee (2003-05) - chair
• Library and Instructional Technology Committee (2002-04)
• General Education Committee (2003-04)
• Secretary-treasurer of SBC's Phi Beta Kappa chapter (2002-04)
• Faculty mentor for DuPont Graduate Teaching Fellow, Ellen Rosenshein (2003-04)
• SCHEV Professional Development Workshop for local K-8 teachers (10/22/05, 3/4/06) - earth science
• SCHEV-Eisenhower Professional Development Workshop for local K-8 teachers (7/26-27/01, 7/8-13/02) - earth science

Winona State University:

• Environmental Science Committee (2000-01)
• Academic Affairs and Curriculum Committee (2000-01)

Papers

Ambers, Rebecca K. R. (in press) Evaluation of clay mineralogy as a sediment provenance indicator in Virginia. Southeastern Geology.

Ambers, Rebecca K. R. and Wemple, Beverley C. (in press) Reservoir sedimentation dynamics: Interplay and implications of human and geologic processes. Northeastern Geology and Environmental Sciences.

Ambers, Rebecca K. R. (2007) Effects of a small, century-old dam on a second-order stream in the Virginia piedmont. Southeastern Geographer, v. 47, p. 181-201.

Ambers, Rebecca K. R., Druckenbrod, Daniel L., and Ambers, Clifford P. (2006) Geomorphic response to historical agriculture at Monument Hill in the Blue Ridge foothills of central Virginia. Catena v. 65, p. 49-60.

Ambers, Rebecca K. R. (2005) The value of reservoir-bottom field trips for undergraduate geology courses. Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 53, no. 5, p. 508-512.

Ambers, Rebecca K. R. and Ambers, Clifford P. (2004) Dr. Daniel Norborne Norton and the origin of the Norton grape. American Wine Society Journal, v. 36, no. 3, p. 77-87. *not peer reviewed

Ambers, Rebecca K. R. (2003) Effects of using single-gender group exams in a large, introductory geology class. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, v. 3, no. 2, http://www.iusb.edu/~josotl/VOL.3/NO.2/ambers_vol_3_no_2.htm.

Ambers, Rebecca K. R. (2002) Learning about teaching: A graduate student's perspective. Journal of College Science Teaching, v. 31, no. 5, p. 327-330.

Hygelund, Bretagne N., Ambers, Rebecca K. R., and Ambers, Clifford P. (2001) Tracing the source of mercury contamination in the Dorena Lake watershed, Western Oregon. Environmental Geology, v. 40, no. 7, p. 853-859.

Ambers, Rebecca K. R. and Hygelund, Bretagne N. (2001) Contamination of two Oregon reservoirs by cinnabar mining and mercury amalgamation. Environmental Geology, v. 40, no. 6, p. 699-707.

Ambers, Rebecca K. R. (2001) Using the sediment record in a western Oregon flood-control reservoir to assess the influence of storm history and logging on sediment yield. Journal of Hydrology, v. 244, no.3-4, p. 181-200.

Ambers, Rebecca K. R. (2001) Relationships between clay mineralogy, hydrothermal metamorphism, and topography in a Western Cascades watershed, Oregon, USA. Geomorphology, v. 38, no. 1-2, 47-61.

Ambers, Clifford P. and Robinson, Rebecca K. (1992) Characteristics of the Sample Formation and Reelsville Limestone (Chesterian) in southern Indiana. In Chesterian Sections (Late Mississippian) along Interstate 64 in Southern Indiana, A. Horowitz and J. R. Dodd, eds., SEPM Great Lakes Section Annual Field Trip Guidebook, October 3, 1992, Dept. of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, p. 36-97.

Abstracts

Ambers, Rebecca K. R. and Rothamel, Sara R.* (2006) A modification of the pinhole dispersion test as a method of measuring sediment erodibility. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. In review.

Ambers, Rebecca K. R. and Stine, Melanie B.* (2005) Investigating the influence of clay mineralogy on stream bank erodibility. Eos, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting Supplement, v. 86, no. 52, Abstract H31F-1359.

Wemple, Beverley C. and Ambers, Rebecca K. (2004) Multi-scale analysis of sediment yield in a glaciated environment. Eos, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting Supplement, v. 85, no. 47, Abstract H53B-1251.

Chilton*, Rachael L., Hackler*, Medora M., Smith*, Shannon R., Orvos, David R., and Ambers, Rebecca K. R. (2004) A small dam with a big impact: Geomorphology and ecology of two second-order streams in central Virginia. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 36, no. 2, paper no. 14-4.

Hackler*, Medora M. and Ambers, Rebecca K. R. (2004) Where did all the topsoil go? Soil formation and erosion in central Virginia. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 36, no. 2, paper no. 56-1.

Hackler*, Medora, Smith*, Shannon, Chilton*, Rachael, Ambers, Rebecca, and Orvos, David (2004) A comparison of aquatic macroinvertebrates and fishes in dam-regulated and unregulated streams. Program of the 65th Annual Meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists, 152.

Smith*, Shannon, Hackler*, Medora, Chilton*, Rachael, Ambers, Rebecca, and Orvos, David (2004) Determination of heavy metals concentrations in biosolids applied to agricultural fields in Appomattox County, Virginia. Program of the 65th Annual Meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists, P65.

Ambers, Rebecca K. R., Druckenbrod, Daniel L., and Ambers, Clifford P. (2003) Effects of historical plantation agriculture on soil and streams of the Blue Ridge foothills: A case study at Sweet Briar College, Virginia. American Geophysical Union Chapman Conference on Ecosystem Interactions with Land Use Change, Santa Fe, NM, 14-18 June 2003, p. 16.

Lewis*, Rebecca and Ambers, Rebecca K. R. (2002) Horses, cows, and water quality: Prioritizing stream restoration sites. Eos, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, v. 83, no. 19, Abstract H42D-13.

Ambers, Rebecca K. R. (2002) Using single-gender group tests in a large, introductory geoscience class. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 34, no. 2, p. 91-92.

Macdonald, Heather and Ambers, Rebecca K. R. (2000) College science teaching courses: One approach to preparing graduate students for teaching. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 32, no. 6.

Ambers, Rebecca K. R. (1999) Reservoirs on the Willamette River system: An underutilized information resource?. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 31, no. 6, p. 223.

Ambers, Rebecca K. R. and Dewers, Thomas A. (1995) Mineralogically layered aplites: A natural example and computer crystallization simulations. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 27, no. 6, p. 471.

Ambers, Rebecca K. R. and Dorsey, Rebecca (1998) Effects of geology and land use on the concentration and clay mineralogy of suspended sediments in streams of the Dorena Lake watershed, western Oregon. Eos, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, v. 79, no. 45, p. F303-F304.

Ambers, Rebecca K. R. and Manga, Michael (1997) An interactive soil water seepage model for use in the classroom and laboratory: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 29, no. 6, p. 453.

Robinson, Rebecca K., Dorais, Michael J., and Wise, Michael A. (1993) Compositional zoning in tourmaline and its relevance to aplite genesis: Examples from Southwestern Maine. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 25, no. 6, p. 216.

Savarese, M., Ambers, C. P., Leshikar, M. E., and Robinson, R. K. (1993) Shipwreck ballast stone petrology and the identification of the 1794 "Wreck of the Ten Sail," Grand Cayman. Underwater Archaeology Proceedings: Society for Historical Archaeology Conference, Kansas City, Missouri 1993, p. 136-144.

Addendum

Media Interviews

• Lynchburg Channel 13 "Heart of Virginia" television news segment concerning the Sweet Briar Community Garden (4/19/05); aired during 6 o'clock news (4/21/05)
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper story on the Norton wine grape related to my 2004 publication in the American Wine Society Journal (7/15/05); article by Tina Hesman published (7/17/05)

Leadership Roles on Campus

• Treasurer and founding member of the Sweet Briar Community Garden (2002-04)
• Co-leader of SWEBOP "Environmental Work Days" volunteer projects on campus (10/13/02, 3/15/03, 10/24/03, 10/22/04, 4/1/05)
• "Learning on the Land" group leader during Orientation (8/18/02, 8/17/03, 8/21/05, 8/20/06)
• Organizer of Julia B. Waxter Environmental Forum (Spring and Fall 2003, Fall 2006)
• Co-organizer of "Graduate School Q&A" for students (9/16/02, 11/19/03)
• Faculty coordinator for potential campus stream restoration project (Spring 2002)
• Co-advisor of student environmental club (2001-present)
• Led nature hike for Girl Scout troop (4/2/03)

Speaking Events

• Alumnae College speaker: Homecoming Weekend 2005 (9/24/05), Reunion Weekend 2005 (5/28/05), alumnae event in Richmond, VA (11/11/03)
• SBC History Series speaker; talk on "Effects of Historical Agriculture on Sweet Briar Land" (2/12/04)
• Speaker at alumnae recruitment training session (4/11/03)
• Honors Center seminars: "Reading History in Sediment" (10/9/02), "If a Stream Is Dammed, Does It Go To Hell?" (4/19/06)

Guest Lectures Given

• ENVR 135: Limnology (Orvos; Fall 2001)
• ENVR 022/122: Environmental Geography (Orvos, Alouf; Spring 2002, 2003)
• ENVR 101: Introduction to Environmental Issues (Alexander; Spring 2004, 2005, 2006)
• HNRS 234: Reading and Writing about the Natural World (Robertson; Spring 2006) - two outdoor labs

Participant at College Events

• Staffed a table at Admissions academic fair for prospective students and families (10/10/04, 4/2/06)
• Served as a juror for the Judicial Committee of the Student Government Association (4/21/06)
• Served as panelist for Natural Sciences/Environmental Career Event hosted by Career Services (11/7/02)
• Led discussion on environmental programs during International Study Abroad Night (10/17/01)

Journal Manuscript and Grant Proposal Reviewer:

• Journal of Geophysical Research - Earth Surface (12/30/05)
• National Science Foundation - Major Research Instrumentation proposal (4/17/06)
• Catena (2/6/06, 5/22/06)
• Journal of Soil and Water Conservation (9/1/06)

Grants Written But Not Funded

• Virginia Department of Forestry, Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program (Spring 2006) "The Effect of Deer Browse, Invasive Japanese Stilt Grass, and Gap Size on Oak Regeneration in Central Virginia" - Co-PI: Heather Griscom; $15,363.20
• Thomas F. and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust (Spring 2004) "The Influence of Mineral Cements and Redox Conditions on Stream Channel Erodibility" - $30,000 [revised and successfully resubmitted]
• National Science Foundation (Spring 2003) "RUI: Acquisition of Earth Materials Analysis Instrumentation for Multidisciplinary Use at an Undergraduate Women's College" - Co-PI: L. Rainville; $213,965 [revised and successfully resubmitted]

Other

• Created an SBC trail map for public use (Summer 2006)
• Hosted a field trip at SBC by an environmental science class from Longwood University (2/25/06)
• Attended Virginia Environmental Assembly in Richmond, VA (9/15/01)