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Upcoming Events Earth Day - April 22nd 2008
Emma C. Rainforth, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science/Geology, teaches geology and paleontology courses. She received her BA in geology from the University of Oxford (in 1994), an MS in geology from the University of Colorado at Boulder (in 1997), and an M.Phil. and Ph.D. in geology from Columbia University (in 2000 and 2005 respectively). Her main research interests are in the taxonomy (classification) and nomenclature of fossil footprints, which are a part of broader studies on the Early Mesozoic (Late Triassic and Early Jurassic, ~220-190 million years ago) history of eastern North America - which includes the rocks directly below the Ramapo College campus, as well as the red rocks used on campus (e.g. the Arch). She is an Adjunct Associate Research Scientist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (Columbia University) and a Research Associate of the New Jersey State Museum. She is the Chair of the Climate Commitment Task Force (which is charged with leading the College to a carbon-neutral status), and serves on several other college committees including the TAS Curriculum Committee (as Chair), "Greater Expectations", and she was one of the two faculty representatives to the Strategic Planning Task Force. She is Past-President of the Geological Association of New Jersey, Treasurer of the Ramapo College chapter of Sigma Xi (The Scientific Research Society), and Treasurer of the History of Earth Sciences Society. Publications Programs taught in: Research projects with students: - were
the 'dinosaur swim tracks' at Dinosaur State Park (Rocky Hill, CT)
really made by swimming dinosaurs? (with Matthew Howard, 2007-8) - presented at Northeastern GSA (March 2008) and Ramapo College Student Research Symposium (April 2008)
- can we estimate dinosaur speeds from their trackways? (with Melissa Manzella) - presented at Eastern Colleges Science Conference (April 2007), Ramapo College Student Research Symposium (April 2006), Geological Association of NJ annual conference (October 2007) - water quality around historic mine sites, Wanaque NJ (with J.J. Rusher IV) - presented at Northeastern GSA (March 2006), Eastern Colleges Science Conference/Sigma Xi (Philadephia, April 2006) and Ramapo College Student Research Symposium (May 10, 2006) - identification of the trackmaker of the footprint Apatopus lineatus (with Jared Osborne) - presented at Ramapo College Student Research Symposium (May 10, 2006) and the annual GSA meeting (October 2006) Other research: - taxonomy and nomenclature of Connecticut Valley footprints
- re-evaluation of crurotarsan footprints (SBR funding for
summer 2006)
Recent news/events:- featured footprint
expert for American Museum of Natural History's traveling exhibit "Dinosaurs: Ancient
Fossils, New Discoveries"
- educational video for Dinosaur State Park, Connecticut - October 2006: paper presented at annual GSA meeting (tail- and claw-drags in early dinosaurs) - March 2006: papers presented at Northeastern GSA meeting (Early Jurassic pterosaur? prints) and Southeastern GSA (3-dimensional footprint preservation) Recent publications:
Rainforth, E.C. (ed.) 2007. 'Contributions to the Paleontology of New Jersey (II)'. Field Guide and Proceedings, Geological Association of New Jersey 24th Annual Conference and Field Trip, 112 pp. Rainforth, E.C. 2006. ‘Comment on the proposed conservation of Palamopus E.Hitchcock 1845 (Ichnotaxa, Reptilia?).’ Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 63: 202-204. Complete list of
publications (many are
downloadable)
Earth Science at Ramapo
Local and Regional Geology Links to Related Ramapo Web sites
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