Thomas R. Wentworth
EDUCATION:
- Ph.D. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Major: Plant Ecology, Minors: Soil Science, Plant Biology
- B.A. Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH. Major: Biological Sciences
EMPLOYMENT:
- 1989-present: Professor, Department of Plant Biology, North Carolina State University
- 1982-1989
Associate Professor, Department of Plant Biology, NCSU.
- 1976-1982
Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Biology, NCSU.
AWARDS:
- Outstanding Teacher Award, North Carolina State University, 1992
SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS (PROFESSIONAL AND HONOR):
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Association of Southeastern Biologists
- British Ecological Society
- Ecological Society of America
- International Association for Vegetation Science
- North Carolina Academy of Science
- Torrey Botanical Club
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Phi Kappa Phi
- Sigma Xi
RECENT FUNDING:
- Cooperative Research Agreement Supplement #197 to Contract A8fs-20,147 from the U.S. Forest Service for "Small Scale Patterns of Vegetation and Soils, and Effects of Soil Compaction and Harvest Removals in a Loblolly Pine Plantation." Contract was for $30,000 (1991-93).
- Cooperative Research Agreement Supplement #202 to Contract A8fs-20,147 from the U.S. Forest Service for "Vegetation Inventory in Ellicott Rock Wilderness." Contract was for $8,750 (1992-93).
- Challenge Cost-Share Agreement between NC Agricultural Research Service and U.S. Forest Service (National Forests in North Carolina) for "Impact of Pine Straw Raking on Plant Diversity in Longleaf Pine Ecosystems in Croatan National Forest." Agreement was for $15,770 (1991-92).
- Cooperative Research Agreement Supplement #203 to Contract A8fs-20,147 from the U.S. Forest Service for "Assessment of Impacts of Pine Straw Raking on Plant Diversity in Longleaf Pine Stands of Croatan National Forest." Contract was for $15,000 (1992-93).
- Cooperative Research Agreement Supplement #206 to Contract A8fs-20,147 from the U.S. Forest Service for "Assessment of Impacts of Pine Straw Raking on Plant Diversity in Longleaf Pine Stands of Croatan National Forest." Contract was for $15,000 (1993-1995).
- Cooperative Research Agreement #INT-93828-RJVA from the U.S. Forest Service for "Exploring the Spatial Context of Ellicott Rock Wilderness: Development of an Interactive Watershed Mapper." Contract was for $3400 (1993-1994).
- Cooperative Research Agreement Supplement #209 to Contract A8fs-20,147 from the U.S. Forest Service for "Relationships Between Soil Fertility and Plant Communities in the Southern Appalachians." Contract was for $20,491 (1994-1995).
- Cooperative Research Agreement Supplement #xxx to Contract A8fs-20,147 from the U.S. Forest Service for "Relationships Between Soil Fertility and Plant Communities in the Southern Appalachians." Contract was for $xx,xxx (1995-1997).
COURSES TAUGHT, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY:
- ALS 499H: Honors Research Program
- ALS 499H: Honors Teaching Program
- PB 200: Plant Life
- PB(ZO) 360: Introduction to Ecology
- PB(ZO) 365: Introduction to Ecology, Laboratory
- PB(ZO) 365H: Honors Ecology LaBOratory
- PB 499: Independent Study in Plant Biology
- PB 565: Plant Community Ecology
- PB 590: Topical Problems in Plant Biology
- PB 660: Special Topics in Ecology (Plant Population
Biology)
- PB 693: Special Problems in Plant Biology
- ECO 690: Ecology Seminar
- FOR(SSC) 581: Agroforestry
PERSONAL NOTE:
An interest in ecology developed under Bill Reiners' tutelage at Dartmouth led
to my
career in academia and many delightful experiences along the way. Among these,
I rate highly my graduate studies at Cornell University. While at Cornell, I
travelled from the desert southwest, where I conducted my dissertation research,
to Costa Rica, where I attended an eight-week course in tropical biology offered
by the Organization for Tropical Studies. Now firmly ensconced at North Carolina
State University, I juggle the responsibilities of teacher, researcher, and member
of myriad committees. Of the three, teaching has been the most rewarding. I've
had the opportunity to offer courses ranging in scale from individual study projects
and small seminars in our honors program, through a modest-sized graduate course
in my research specialty (plant ecology), to a 200+ student undergraduate ecology
course. Most of my research has also involved teaching, through my supervision
of many graduate students. During nearly 20 years at NCSU, I've been fortunate
to take my passion for the study of vegetation from the coast to the mountains
of the varied and beautiful state that is now my home. While academia provides
an
enormously stimulating, challenging, and intellectually rewarding work environment,
it is all-consuming, at least for mere mortals like myself. I regret the outside
interests and friendships that have fallen by the wayside while pursuit of career
remained foremost. I'm pleased to list above a few activities that I have at
least made a stab at pursuing.
Among personal concerns, I guess I'd put foremost the frustration of taking so long to
figure out what it is I want to do and then taking even longer to figure out how to achieve it. My global concerns focus on environmental issues, particularly the irreversible losses of natural habitat and biological diversity that are leading us rapidly, I believe, to a world that is depleted of the very natural things that humans ultimately cherish most highly. Burgeoning human population is the root cause of much environmental and social misery, and a cause we seem ill-equipped to address effectively. On the political front, I feel that we could solve many of our problems if we could figure out how to be (simultaneously) fiscally conservative and socially liberal.