People
Director
Dr. Paul Knapp, Professor
While I have long appreciated the field of dendrochronology, it was not until the mid-1990s that I became actively involved. Prior, my geography interests were in biogeography and climatology and thus working with tree-rings allowed me to combine my interests. My first project involved studying western juniper expansion in my home state of Oregon. Ironically, I have distinct recollections of collecting western juniper firewood while on camping trips in the 1960s and 70s in central Oregon. Little did I know that two decades later I would have a different appreciation of the value of the tree! Since then, I have been principally involved with a series of dendroecological projects that have focused on the role of atmospheric CO2 fertilization affecting radial growth rates of western juniper and ponderosa pine, dendroclimatology projects that have examined spatio-temporal patterns of droughts, and the reconstruction of severe wind events. I have collected tree-ring data in a variety of places in the American West, and always look forward to my next field adventure. Each year, I try to fund students to help with these projects, and I am grateful for their help over the years. My observations over the past decade have led me to believe that tree-ring science is a great sub-discipline for physical geographers, with extensive, relevant, and timely applications that are often interdisciplinary. In the section on projects, some of these applications are listed.
Students
William Tyminski, M.S. 2005
Ph.D. candidate
I was born and raised in the Nutmeg State (Connecticut). Growing up I was forever intrigued with the details of the living and physical world and would later pursue this interest academically. I received a B.S. in biology from Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) and then headed south to Georgia State University (GSU) for my M.S. in biology. As a master’s student, I spent the first half of my degree working in the lab of Dr. Delon Barfuss, where I looked at basolateral transport of amino acids across the proximal tubule of the nephron. I then spent the second half working as a research assistant for Dr. Robbie Smith, a coral reef ecologist who studies the rates of recruitment and survival of juvenile corals, and how they vary over time in the Florida Keys. It was through this direct exposure that I began observing the changes to ecosystems in response to climate change. I then decided to pursue the cause rather than the effect of these changes. In addition to my Biology courses at GSU, I took several geography courses. It was here that I was introduced to dendrochronology and Dr. Knapp. I am currently a Ph.D. candidate in the department of Geography at UNCG and pleased to call the Carolina Tree-Ring Science Laboratory home.
Justin Maxwell, M.A. 2008
Ph.D. Student
I discovered my interest in physical geography during my senior year of undergraduate work at Appalachian State University (ASU) when I took an introduction physical geography course as an elective. I then decided to obtain an undergraduate minor and a Masters degree (M.A.) in geography at ASU. During my graduate career at ASU, I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Peter Soulé in the dendroecology lab. I was introduced to the basic laboratory procedures needed to conduct research using tree rings during the 2006-2007 academic year, and had the chance to go to Missoula, Montana to experience dendroecology fieldwork during summer 2007. This encounter revealed my interest in academic research and motivated me to research the tree-ring literature. I was amazed and excited about all the research possibilities, and I subsequently decided to switch from the “applied” to the thesis option for my M.A. After obtaining my M.A., I decided to attend The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) to pursue a Ph.D. in Geography and continue my research interest in tree-ring science working in the Carolina Tree-Ring Science Laboratory under the direction and tutelage of Dr. Paul Knapp.