Lensyl D. Urbano, curriculum vitae - GeoEd

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Lensyl Urbano PhD Curriculum vitae
Assistant Professor
Department of Earth Sciences
University of Memphis
Website: http://lurbano-5.memphis.edu/Classes/index.php/User:Lurbano

Contents

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Education

  • PhD: Geology and Geophysics (Minor: Quaternary Paleoecology), University of Minnesota (2001)
  • BSc: Geology, York College, City University of New York (1994)
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Experience

  • 2002-current: Assistant Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Memphis.
  • 2001-2002: Postdoctoral Fellow, Columbia Earth Institute, Columbia University.
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Honors/Awards

  • Herb E. Wright "Footsteps" Award, University of Minnesota, 2001
  • Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, University of Minnesota, 2000
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Research and Teaching statements

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Publications

  • † Advisee.
  • § Geoscience education related.
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Peer-reviewed Articles

Neilans†, D., and Urbano, L., Assessing meter-scale heterogeneity of groundwater discharge using streambed thermal mapping, Journal of Hydrology, (in review) (manuscript).

§Urbano, L. and Urbano, L.C., Using the MovieClassroom Website for Student Movie Production and Publication, Journal of Geoscience Education, (in review) (manuscript).

Urbano, L., Waldron, B., Larsen, D. and Shook, H., 2006. Groundwater–surfacewater interactions at the transition of an aquifer from unconfined to confined], Journal of Hydrology, v. 321, n. 1-4, p. 200-212. (preprint)

§Urbano, L., and Houghton, J., 2006. An Interactive Computer Model for Coriolis Demonstrations, Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 54, no. 1, p. 54-60. (preprint).

Urbano, L., Person, M., Kelts, K. and Hanor, J., 2004. Transient groundwater impacts on the development of paleoclimatic lake records in semi-arid environments, Geofluids, v. 4, n. 3, pg. 187-196. (Article link])

Person, M., Dugan, B., Swenson, J., Urbano, L., Stott, C., Taylor, J., and Willett, M., 2003. Pleistocene hydrogeology of the Atlantic continental shelf, New England, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 115, no. 11, pg. 1324-1343.

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Peer-reviewed conference proceedings

Urbano, L., and Thibault, C., (in review). Pattern of saltwater contamination resulting from tsunami inundation of small islands, Proceedings of the 17th Caribbean Geological Conference 2005, San Juan PR. (Paper)

Urbano, L., Person, M., and Hanor, J., 2000. Groundwater-lake interactions in semi-arid environments, Proceedings of Geofluids III; third international conference on Fluid evolution, migration and interaction in sedimentary basins and orogenic belts, Journal of Geochemical Exploration, v. 69-70, pg. 423-427.

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Software

§Urbano, L.D., et al., 2007. The MovieClassroom project, http://lurbano-5.memphis.edu/MovieClassroom/ (accessed July 15th 2007).

  • The MovieClassroom is an online movie editor for the production of Earth Science themed movies. We are using this tool to develop educational modules that harness the power of visualizations and the creative process of movie production. We are also exploring cognitive and affective parameters that determine the utility of a student-produced movie as educational media for peers. The ultimate goal of this project is to create an online environment for the creation and sharing of geoscience themed educational video. The website documents educational applications of the software at http://lurbano-5.memphis.edu/MovieClassroom/index.php/Applications_and_Analysis (accessed July 2007).

§Urbano, L.D., et al., 2007. Earth Science Models for Research and Education, http://lurbano-5.memphis.edu/GeoMod/ (accessed July 15th 2007).

  • This project explores the use of interactive, 3d models, created and adapted by myself and students in my upper level classes, to create and assess educational modules for undergraduate Earth Science classes. It also investigates the use of the VPython programming language for the class, Introduction to Modeling in the Earth Sciences. An example educational module employing these models can be found at http://lurbano-5.memphis.edu/Classes/index.php/The_scientific_method_-_The_formation_of_the_Earth (accessed July 2007).
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Conference Presentations

§Urbano, L.D., and Bateman, J.M., 2007 (upcoming). Affective response to peer-produced movies, GSA Fall 2007. (Abstract)

§Urbano, L.D., and Urbano, D.L.C., 2007 (upcoming). Online video creation for the Geosciences using the MovieClassroom 2.0, GSA Fall 2007. (Abstract).

Urbano, L.D., and Person, M., 2006. Identifying the causes of shallow groundwater salinization in SE Australia using paleo-climatically driven hydrogeololgic modeling of groundwater age. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 38, No. 7, p. 106

Neilans†, D. and Urbano L.D., 2006. Geomorphic effect of groundwater flux on the channelized Loosahatchie River, Shelby County, Tennessee. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 38, No. 7, p. 233.

§Urbano, L.D., and Urbano, L.C., 2006. Enabling student and instructor use of scientific visualizations with an online video editor and database. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 38, No. 7, p. 325, Paper No. 131-5. (Abstract)

Urbano, L., 2005. Pattern of saltwater contamination resulting from tsunami inundation of small islands, Abstract for the 17th Caribbean Geological Conference, San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 17-21. (Abstract)

Cole, S. and Urbano, L., 2005. Modeling Toolstone Procurement Using Random Walk Simulation, 70th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Salt Lake City. (Poster)

§Urbano, L.D., and Urbano, L.C., 2005. The MovieClassroom: An Internet Based Application for Students and Instructors to Create Captioned Animations. Eos Trans. AGU, 86(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract ED13E-1170.

§Urbano, L., and Houghton, J., 2005. A Coriolis Demonstration Using a 3-D Interactive Computer Model of a Physical Demonstration, Eos Trans. AGU, 86(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract ED13C-1164.

Urbano, L., 2004. Systematic Groundwater/Stream Interactions Resulting From Regional Hydrogeologic Change, Eos Trans. AGU, 85(47), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract H12B-07.

Urbano, L.D. and Waldron B., 2004. Signature of regional groundwater discharge to surface water at the unconfined/confined aquifer transition: Example from the Loosahatchie River in West Tennessee, Fourteenth Tennessee Water Resources Symposium.

Urbano, L.D., Lall, U., 2002. Addressing Uncertainty in Weather and Climate Forecasts. Pacific Regional Consultation on Water in Small Island Countries, Sigatoka, Fiji Islands, 3rd August 2002.

Urbano, L.D., Lall, U., 2002. Climate Forecasting at the International Research Institute for Climate Prediction . Pacific Regional Consultation on Water in Small Island Countries, Sigatoka, Fiji Islands, 3rd August 2002.

Person, M., Urbano, L., and Taylor, J., 2001. The Pleistocene hydrology of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts inferred from salinity data within coastal plain aquifers and confining units, Geological Society of America, 2001 annual meeting Abstracts with Programs, v. 33, no. 6 (2001): 106.

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Invited Lectures

Urbano, L.D. 2006. Groundwater and Climate, Eastern Tennessee State University.

Urbano, L.D. 2003. Effect of global warming on saltwater intrusion beneath small islands. Trinity College, Hartford, CT.

Urbano, L.D. 2003. Effect of global warming on saltwater intrusion beneath small islands. Department of Physics, University of Memphis

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Support

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Internal

2007: Effect of climate on the pre-historic populations of middle-Tennessee (PI 100%)
§2006. Using movie production in Earth Science Education (PI 100%)
§2007: An Earth Science curriculum for the 21st century. (PI: 75%)
  • Collaborators: Ezra Ozdenerol (U. Memphis)
  • Source: U. Memphis IEL program
  • Amount: $60,000)
  • Declined
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External (recent)

§2007: In preparation Engaging non-majors with online geoscience movie production and sharing. (PI: 75%)
  • Source: NSF Geoscience Education
2007: In review: Hydrogeological impacts of hurricanes and other tropical storms on shallow coastal ground water resources. (PI 50%)
  • Collaborator: Daniel Larsen (U. Memphis)
  • Source: NSF Hydrogeology
  • In review
§2006 (declined): Collaborative Research: The MovieClassroom project, engaging students through an online, peer-produced movie database. (PI: 75%)
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Teaching Experience

My teaching philosophy emphasizes the fact that different students learn in different ways so I focus on creating the tools and the environment (online and in person) for them to do so. I'm also a strong believer in collaborative and transparent work. As a result, all of my classes are now being developed actively on this site.

Lenticular clouds
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Lenticular clouds
  • Physical Climatology
    • ESCI 6/4215: Introduces the physics that describe general atmospheric circulation; Components of earth's energy balance, emphasis on solar radiation, heat transfer, and evapotranspiration.
  • Climatology
    • ESCI 6/4214: Climatic elements and methods of data analysis; applications of climatology in agriculture, health, economics, and architecture.
  • Introduction to Modeling in the Earth Sciences
    • ESCI 7010 is a general introduction to modeling techniques used in the Geology and Geography. Given the diverse interests of Earth Science students it will introduce a wide range of models applicable to physical processes, human and stochastic behavior.


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Classes taught

Academic Year Course # Course Name Credit Percent Enrollment Lab New Prep
Fall 2002 Geol 4/6211 Physical Hydrogeology 3 100 7 I Y
Spring 2003 Geog 4/6211 Physical Climatology 3 100 6 Y
Spring 2003 Geog 1020 Landforms 3 100 160 Y
Fall 2003 Geog 1010 Weather and Climate 3 100 160 Y
Fall 2003 Geog 1020 Landforms 3 100 160 N
Spring 2004 Geol 7010 Introduction to Modeling in the Earth Sciences 3 100 4 Y
Fall 2004 Geog 1010 Weather and Climate 3 100 160 N
Fall 2004 Geol 6/4211 Physical Hydrogeology 4 100 9 I N
Fall 2004 ESCI 7996-33 Independent study 3 100 1 Y
Spring 2005 Geog 1010 Weather and Climate 3 100 150 N
Spring 2005 Geog 6/4211 Climatology 3 100 13 Y
Spring 2005 ESCI 7621 Independent Study 3 100 3 Y
Fall 2005 Geog 1010 Weather and Climate 3 100 150 N
Fall 2005 Geol 7315 Introduction to Modeling in the Earth Sciences 3 100 6 Y
Spring 2006 Geog 1010 Weather and Climate 3 100 150 N
Spring 2006 Geog 1010-22 The Earth 4 100 25 I Y
Spring 2006 Geog 7621 Independent study 3 100 4 Y
Spring 2007 ESCI 4375/6375 Climate and the Fate of Civilizations 3 50 8 Y
Spring 2007 ESCI 1010 Weather and Climate 3 100 175 N
Summer 2007 ESCI 1020 Landforms 3 100 30 N
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Service

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Community

  • 2006: NSF panel reviewer for the Geoscience Education program.
  • 2005-present: Reviewer for the journals
    • Journal of Geoscience Education
    • Advances in Water Resources
    • Journal of Geophysics and Hydrology
    • Journal of Hydrology
    • Environmental Research Letters
  • 2005-present: Reviewer of introductory Physical Geography and Geology texts.
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Departmental

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College

  • 2005-present: Undergraduate grade appeal committee.
  • 2006-2007: Faculty host at U. Memphis Great Conversations dinner.
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Professional development

  • 2005: Early Career Geoscience Faculty, On the Cutting Edge NAGT workshop.
  • 2007: The Affective Domain in Teaching Geosciences, On the Cutting Edge NAGT workshop.
  • 2007: Designing Effective and Innovative Courses, On the Cutting Edge NAGT workshop.
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Outreach

  • Hydrogeologic capacity of the Sunflower River Low Flow Augmentation Project
    • This project investigates the water-bearing potential of the well field supplying the Sunflower River Low Flow Augmentation Project. Apart from the issues of potential multiple, conjunctive uses of the water supplied by the well field, this project is particularly related to my work in groundwater/surfacewater interactions since the ultimate source of water into the well field is the Mississippi River through subsurface connection. As a result, this work will ultimately lead to peer-review journal publication.
    • The current status of this work can be assessed on Mr. Joshua Epting's thesis website: http://lurbano-5.memphis.edu/GeoMod/index.php/Josh_Epting_Thesis_Project
  • Geology at Ridgeway High School
    • George Swihart and I are working with Ms. Donna Thomas a teacher at Ridgeway High School to improve Memphis' only high school geography program and incorporate more active learning exercises. This work has the potential for generating undergraduates interested in geology and involving more under-represented groups in the sciences.


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Research Projects

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Geoscience Education Research

The focus of this work is to use educational pedagogy to create technological mechanisms that enhance teaching.

  • Service: 2006: I was invited to serve on a proposal review panel in the National Science Foundation's Geoscience Education program.
  • Proposal: 2007: An Earth Science curriculum for the 21st century (U.Memphis TAF program) (PI: 75%) - A proposal aimed at deploying new technology to improve the undergraduate curriculum.
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MovieClassroom: Online video editor for the Geosciences

MovieClassroom website logo.
MovieClassroom website logo.

In collaboration with Mr. Lavin Urbano and others I have created an online movie editor for the production of Earth Science themed movies. We are using this tool to develop educational modules that harness the power of visualizations and the creative process of movie production. We are also exploring cognitive and affective parameters that determine the utility of a student-produced movie as educational media for peers. The ultimate goal of this project is to create an online environment for the creation and sharing of geoscience themed educational video.

  • Website/Online application: Urbano, L.D., et al., 2007. The MovieClassroom Project, http://lurbano-5.memphis.edu/MovieClassroom/ (accessed July 15th 2007).
  • Educational applications: Urbano, L.D. 2007. Applications and Analysis, http://lurbano-5.memphis.edu/MovieClassroom/index.php/Applications_and_Analysis (accessed July 2007)
    • This webpage documents applications of the MovieClassroom in a variety of educational settings (eg. extra-credit projects, laboratory exercises, quizzes).
  • Article: Urbano, L. and Urbano, L.C., Learning through movie production with the MovieClassroom, Journal of Geoscience Education, (in review) (manuscript).
  • Presentation: Urbano, L.D., and Bateman, J.M., 2007 (upcoming). Affective response to peer-produced movies, GSA Fall 2007. (Abstract)
  • Presentation: Urbano, L.D., and Urbano, D.L.C., 2007 (upcoming). Online video creation for the Geosciences using the MovieClassroom 2.0, GSA Fall 2007. (Abstract).
  • Past presentations are documented in my C.V.
  • Proposal: 2006. Using movie production in Earth Science Education, (U.Memphis SI/ST program - Funded $7,500) (proposal and final report).
  • Proposal: 2006: Collaborative Research: The MovieClassroom project, engaging students through an online, peer-produced movie database. (NSF declined) (PI 75%)
  • Future/ongoing work: I am in the process of instituting user-ratings and commenting on movies and media elements which should encourage the evolutionary improvement and divergent speciation of movies as they are adapted for a variety of audiences.


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3d interactive VPython models

Screen capture of coriolis model.
Screen capture of coriolis model.

This project explores the use of interactive, 3d models, created and adapted by myself and students in my upper level classes, to create and assess educational modules for undergraduate Earth Science classes. It also investigates the use of the VPython programming language for the class, Introduction to Modeling in the Earth Sciences.


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Ground Water Research

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Surface/Ground Water interactions in the small river systems

Conceptual numerical model of surface/groundwater interactions in rivers flowing across shallowly dipping sedimentary layers.
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Conceptual numerical model of surface/groundwater interactions in rivers flowing across shallowly dipping sedimentary layers.

Using a combination of numerical modeling, sandbox modeling and field work, we are investigating the effects of groundwater discharge on surface flow and geomorphology.

  • Project homepage: http://lurbano-5.memphis.edu/GeoMod/index.php/Ground/Surface_Water_Interactions
  • Article: Urbano, L., Waldron, B., Larsen, D. and Shook, H., 2006. Groundwater–surfacewater interactions at the transition of an aquifer from unconfined to confined, Journal of Hydrology, v. 321, n. 1-4, p. 200-212. (preprint)
    • We used large-scale numerical modeling and field measurements to demonstrate that systematic patterns of groundwater/surfacewater interactions occur when streams cross the subcrops of shallowly dipping sedimentary units.
  • Article: Neilans, D., and Urbano, L.D., Assessing meter-scale heterogeneity of groundwater discharge using streambed thermal mapping, Journal of Hydrology, (in review) (manuscript)
    • This project used stream-bed thermal mapping to characterize the stability of groundwater discharge foci and their interaction with stream-bed morphology.
  • Thesis: Dan Neilans' thesis project on the effect of ground-water on stream geomorphology - Uses spatially and temporally detailed field measurements of reach geomorphology, temperature and groundwater flux to answer the research question.

Future work: I am currently collaborating with Dr. Santosh Kumar in the Department of Computer Sciences in developing an array of autonomous, mobile, wireless sensors that can be used to collect identify groundwater discharge foci in small streams. This will allow the expansion of the detailed measurements documented in Neilans and Urbano to much larger scales.

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Surface/Ground Water interactions: The Mississippi River

Map showing the Sunflower River Low Flow Augmentation Project groundwater model area.
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Map showing the Sunflower River Low Flow Augmentation Project groundwater model area.
  • Investigating the water-bearing potential of the Sunflower River Low Flow Augmentation Project for the Yazoo Mississippi Delta Joint Water Management District (YMD). The YMD is particularly interested in analyzing the degree of connection between the well field of the Flow Augmentation Project and the Mississippi River.



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Saltwater intrusion: Climate change, sea-level rise, tsunamis, storms

Projected groundwater pumping induced saltwater upconing beneath Nantucket Island.
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Projected groundwater pumping induced saltwater upconing beneath Nantucket Island.

These projects use numerical modeling to examine the effects of climate, tsunamis and storms on the rate of saltwater intrusion.

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Sea-level rise induced by projected global warming

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Post-glacial salinization of the continental shelf

  • Role of Quaternary glacial melting and sea-level rise on saltwater intrusion on the continental shelf.
    • Potential effect of global warming on saltwater intrusion rates of small islands
    • Article: Person, M., Dugan, B., Swenson, J., Urbano, L., Stott, C., Taylor, J., and Willett, M., 2003. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 115, no. 11, pg. 1324-1343. Media:GSA Bul Person 04.pdf
    • Abstract: Person, M., and Urbano, L., 2001. The Pleistocene hydrology of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts inferred from salinity data within coastal plain aquifers and confining units, Geological Society of America, 2001 annual meeting Abstracts with Programs, 33, no. 6, 106.
Conceptual numerical model of a small island using SUTRA for variable-density, variable-saturated flow.
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Conceptual numerical model of a small island using SUTRA for variable-density, variable-saturated flow.
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Tsunamis and salinization on small islands

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Storms and coastal salinization

  • Project website: http://lurbano-5.memphis.edu/GeoMod/index.php/Storm_Impact_Project
  • Proposal: 2007: Hydrogeological impacts of hurricanes and other tropical storms on shallow coastal ground water resources. With Dr. Dan Larsen. (PI 50%) (NSF in review)
    • Examines the effect of storms on saltwater intrusion along the Mississippi coast.


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Ground water/lake interactions in large arid basins

Nulla Lake, a saline lake in the Murray Basin of southeastern Australia.
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Nulla Lake, a saline lake in the Murray Basin of southeastern Australia.
  • This project investigates the causes and evolution of salinity in large inland basins like the Murray Basin of southeastern Australia.


  • Article: Urbano, L., Person, M., Kelts, K. and Hanor, J., 2004. Transient groundwater impacts on the development of paleoclimatic lake records in semi-arid environments, Geofluids, v. 4, n. 3, pg. 187-196. (Abstract) (Media:GF Urbano 04.pdf)
  • Article: Urbano, L., Person, M., and Hanor, J., 2000. Groundwater-lake interactions in semi-arid environments, Proceedings of Geofluids III; third international conference on Fluid evolution, migration and interaction in sedimentary basins and orogenic belts, Journal of Geochemical Exploration, v. 69-70, pg. 423-427.


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Geo-archeology

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Chertman

Path of a single walk of the Chertman model agent.
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Path of a single walk of the Chertman model agent.

The Chertman project attempts to reconstruct the interactions between early humans and their environment based on archeological lithic assemblages and random walk modeling.

  • Thesis: Rodney Quarles' Thesis project developing and conducting sensitivity analysis of the agent-based model (Chertman) to answer the research question.


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Effect of climate on pre-historic human populations

The two main mounds at the Link Farm site.
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The two main mounds at the Link Farm site.
  • A project to investigate the link between environmental conditions and the rise and decline of a vibrant pre-historic (1,000-1,500 A.D.) society in middle-Tennessee.
  • Project website: Urbano, L., 2007. http://lurbano-5.memphis.edu/GeoMod/index.php/Link_Farm_Geoarcheology
    • The website describes the project (including a recently funded proposal) and provides regular updates on progress.
  • Proposal: 2007: Effect of climate on the pre-historic populations of middle-Tennessee (U. Memphis Faculty Research Grant - funded $5,600)


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Further information

More details regarding ongoing research projects in hydrogeology, geoarcheology, and hydrogeology can be found at the website;

The online version of this CV can be found at:

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