Mary McKenney Easterling

Senior Research Assistant
Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center

 


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Address:

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center
302 Walker Building
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
Phone: (814) 863-5415
FAX: (814) 863-7943
e-mail: mme2@psu.edu

Education:
University of Virginia:

Environmental Sciences/Ecology
M.S. 1988
Goucher College: Biology (with honors) 1978

Professional Employment:
2000 - January 2002

Research Scientist
The Institute for Policy Research and Evaluation, Penn State University
 As part of an interdisciplinary team, contributed to third-party monitoring and assessment of 12 community-based forestry projects in the U.S., with an emphasis on their environmental components; also served as project coordinator/ data manager.
1997-2000    Research Scientist
The Center for Integrated Regional Assessment, Penn State University
Conducted research related to integrated assessment of climate change impacts on ecosystems; also provided programmatic and editorial support.  
1996 Research Technologist
Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Used a geographic information system (GIS) to examine the factors that influence herbicide runoff in the Big and Little Blue River Basins in Nebraska.  
1992-96    Environmental Scientist
EA Engineering, Science, and Technology
Lincoln, Nebraska
Conducted and supervised studies to assess and document compliance with environmental regulations, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  Specific activities included biological and physical impact evaluation, field surveys, consultation with federal and state resource agencies, proposal and report preparation, contracting, budgeting, and all phases of project management.
1992     

 

 

   Research Associate
Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Conducted research on the effect of shelterbelts and riparian forests in mitigating the impacts of climate changes on agricultural systems in the Great Plains.  This temporary position was funded by a grant from the US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station.
1987-92 

Research Assistant ('87-'88) and Associate ('89-'92)
Climate Resources Program, Resources for the Future, Washington, D.C
Conducted research related to the potential impacts of climatic change on natural resources.  Activities included simulation modeling, data analysis, collaboration with other organizations, presentation of results, and proposal and manuscript preparation.

1986

Teaching Assistant
Biogeography Class, University of Virginia
Developed procedures and computer programs to analyze patterns of North American tree species' distributions in relation to various biogeographical features.

1984-86

 

 

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Research Associate
Blandy Experimental Farm and State Arboretum,
University of Virginia
 Was instrumental in developing and implementing a methodology for mapping and compiling a computerized data base on an arboretum with over 6000 specimens of woody plants. (summer position)

Honors and Awards

Governor's Fellowship, University of Virginia, 1983-85.

Honors in Biology, Goucher College, 1978.


Publications and Presented Papers:
The potential impacts of climate change and variability on forests and forestry in the Mid-Atlantic Region.  Climate Research 14: 195-206 (2000).  With D.R. Dewalle, L.R. Iverson, A.M. Prasad, and A.R. Buda.

Modeling the effect of shelterbelts on maize productivity under climate change: an application of the EPIC model.  Agriculture, Ecosystems and the Environment 61: 163-175 (1997).  With W.E. Easterling, C.J. Hays, and J.R. Brandle.

Sensitivity of some potential evapotranspiration estimation methods to climatic change.  Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 64: 81-110 (1993).  With N.J. Rosenberg.

A methodology for assessing regional economic impacts of and responses to climate change: the MINK study.  IN J. Schmandt and J. Clarkson (eds.), The Regions and Global Warming: Impacts and Response Strategies.  Oxford University Press, New York (1992).  With N.J. Rosenberg, P. Crosson, W.E. Easterling, K. Frederick, and M.D. Bowes.

Agricultural impacts of and responses to climate change in the Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas (MINK) region.  Climatic Change 24: 23-61 (1993).  With W.E. Easterling, P. Crosson, N.J. Rosenberg, L.A. Katz, and K.M. Lemon. 

A methodology for assessing regional economic impacts of and responses to climate change: the MINK study.  Economic Issues in Global Climate Change: Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources.  Westview Press, Boulder, CO (1992).  With W.E. Easterling, P. Crosson, N.J. Rosenberg and K. Frederick

Simulation of crop productivity and responses to climate change in the year 2030: the role of future technologies, adjustments, and adaptations.  Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 59: 103-127 (1992).  With W.E. Easterling and N.J. Rosenberg.

Simulation of crop responses to climate change: effects with present technology and currently available adjustments (the 'smart farmer' scenario).  Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 59: 75-102 (1992).  With W.E. Easterling, N.J. Rosenberg and K.M. Lemon.

Simulations of crop response to climate change: effects with present technology and no adjustments (the 'dumb farmer' scenario).  Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 59: 53-73 (1992).  With W.E. Easterling, N.J. Rosenberg and K.M. Lemon.

Validation of EPIC model simulations of crop responses to current climate and CO2 conditions: comparisons with census, expert judgement and experimental plot data.  Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 59: 35-51 (1992).  With N.J. Rosenberg, W.E. Easterling, and K.M. Lemon.

Preparing the Erosion Productivity Impact Calculator (EPIC) model to simulate crop response to climate change and the direct effects of CO2.  Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 59: 17-34 (1992).  With W.E. Easterling, N.J. Rosenberg, C.A. Jones, P.T. Dyke and J.R. Williams.

An introduction to the methodology, the region of study, and a historical analog of climate change.  Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 59: 3-15 (1992).  With W.E. Easterling, N.J. Rosenberg, and C.A. Jones.

Simulating the impacts of climatic change on potential evapotranspiration: A comparison of the climate sensitivity of selected methods for estimating ETP.  Report to the Department of the Interior (1991).  With N.J. Rosenberg.

Climate data needs from GCM experiments for use in assessing the potential impacts of climate change on natural resource systems.  Report to the Department of the Interior (1991).  With N.J. Rosenberg.

Processes for identifying regional influences of and responses to increasing atmospheric CO2 and climate change‑‑the MINK project. Report to the Department of Energy, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, WA (1991).  With N.J. Rosenberg, W.E. Easterling, P. Crosson, K. Frederick, R. Sedjo, M. Bowes, and J. Darmstadter.

Simulating the impacts of climatic change on crop productivity in 2030.  Paper presented at the International Workshop on the Natural Resource and Economic Implications of Global Change, Interlaken, Switzerland, October, 1990.

Evapotranspiration in a greenhouse warmed world:  A review and a simulation.  Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 47: 303‑320 (1989).  With N.J. Rosenberg, and P. Martin.  

Sensitivity of evapotranspiration in a wheat field, a forest, and a grassland to changes in climate and direct effects of carbon dioxide.  Climatic Change 14: 117‑151 (1989).  With P. Martin, N.J. Rosenberg.

Modeling temporal changes in bird community composition in response to successional changes in habitat characteristics. Master's thesis, unpublished (1988).

The biological model of diversification and the biogeography of endemism.  Paper presented at a meeting of the Geological Society of America, October, 1985.  With E.F. Connor.

 

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