STEVE M. RACITI
Hofstra University • Department of Biology • phone: (516) 463-6001
fax: (516) 463-5112 • steve.m.raciti@hofstra.edu • www.hofstra.edu/biology/
RESEARCH INTERESTS
I study the interactions between plants, soils, and biogeochemical cycles in the context of urbanization
and global change. The carbon and nitrogen cycles are focal points of my work.
EDUCATION
Ph.D. (2010)
Cornell University, Natural Resources; Advised by T. J. Fahey & P. M. Groffman
M.S. (2007)
Cornell University, Natural Resources; Advised by T. J. Fahey & P. M. Groffman
B.A. (2003)
Vassar College, Environmental Studies and Geology (double-major), Chemistry
(minor); General Honors, Departmental Honors, Smith Memorial Prize for
Excellence in the Study of Geology; Elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi.
APPOINTMENTS
2014 - Present
Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology
2013 - 2014
Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
Senior Postdoctoral Research Associate, Dept of Earth & Environment
2010 - 2013
Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Dept of Earth & Environment, Boston University
2004 –2010
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant
2006
US Forest Service Office, Chesapeake Bay Program, Annapolis, MD, USA
Urban Forestry Specialist, 2006
PUBLICATIONS
2014
Raciti, S. M., L. R. Hutyra, and J. D. Newell. [in review] Mapping Carbon Storage in
Urban Trees: Relationships between biomass, land use, and demographics in Boston
Neighborhoods. Science of the Total Environment.
Connolly, J.T, S.T.A. Pickett, C. Boone, D. Fisher, L.R. Hutyra, S.M. Raciti, W.M.
Wollheim, S.S. Kaushal, J. O’Neill-Dunne, J.M. Grove, E.S. Svendsen, S.A. Dryzga, C.D.
Polsky, C. Welty, D.H. Locke, and A.C. Whitmer. [in review]. Governing for
sustainability in urbanizing megaregions: Emerging social and environmental
challenges. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States
of America.
Templer, P. H., J.W. Toll, L. R. Hutyra, and S. M. Raciti. [in review]. Nitrogen and
carbon export from urban areas through removal and export of litterfall.
Environmental Pollution.
Curriculum Vitae, Raciti, 1 of 5
McKain, K., A. Down, S. M. Raciti, J. Budney, L. R. Hutyra, C. Floerchinger, S.
Herndon, M. Zahniser, T. Nehrkorn, R. B. Jackson, N. Phillips, S. Wofsy. [in review].
Methane Emissions from Natural Gas in the Urban Region of Boston, Massachusetts.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
2013
Kaufmann, K. K., S. Gopal, X. Tang, S. M. Raciti, P. E. Lyons, N. Geron, and F. Craig.
2013. Revisiting the weather effect on energy consumption: implications for the
impact of climate change. Ecological Economics. [LINK]
Briber, B. M., L. R. Hutyra, A. L. Dunn, S. M. Raciti, and J. W. Munger. 2013.
Variations in atmospheric CO2 and carbon fluxes across a Boston, MA urban
gradient. Land. 2(3), 304-327. DOI 10.3390/land2030304 [LINK]
Rao, P., L. R. Hutyra, S. M. Raciti, and P. H. Templer. 2013. Atmospheric nitrogen
inputs and losses along an urbanization gradient from Boston to Harvard Forest,
MA. Biogeochemistry. DOI 10.1007/s10533-013-9861-1 [LINK]
Rao, P., L. R. Hutyra, S. M. Raciti, and A. C. Finzi. 2013. Field and remotely sensed
measures of soil and vegetation carbon and nitrogen across an urbanization
gradient in the Boston Metropolitan area. Urban Ecosystems. DOI:
10.1007/s11252-013-0291-6. [LINK]
2012
Raciti, S. M., L. R. Hutyra, and A. C. Finzi. 2012. Depleted soil carbon and nitrogen
pools beneath impervious surfaces. Environmental Pollution. 164: 248-251. [LINK]
Raciti, S. M., L. R. Hutyra, P. Rao, and A. C. Finzi. 2012. Inconsistent definitions of
'urban' result in different conclusions about the size of urban carbon and nitrogen
stocks. Ecological Applications 22(3): 1015-1035. [LINK]
Raciti, S. M., T. J. Fahey, R. Q. Thomas, P. Woodbury, C. Driscoll, F. J. Carranti, D.
Foster, P. Gwyther, B. Hall, S. Hamburg, J. C. Jenkins, J. Jenkins, C. Neill, S. Ollinger,
B. Peery, E. Quigley, R. Sherman, M. Vadeboncoeur, D. Weinstein, G. Wilson, and
W. Yandik. 2012. Local scale carbon budgets and mitigation opportunities for the
northeastern United States. Bioscience 62(1): 23-38. [LINK]
Brondfield, M. N., L. R. Hutyra, C. M. Gately, S. M. Raciti, and S. A. Peterson. 2012.
Modeling and validation of on-road CO2 emissions inventories at the urban regional
scale. Environmental Pollution. 170: 113-123. [LINK]
2011
Raciti, S. M., P. M. Groffman, J. C. Jenkins, R. V. Pouyat, T. J. Fahey, S. T. A. Pickett,
and M. L. Cadenasso. 2011. Nitrate production and availability in residential soils.
Ecological Applications 21(7): 2357-2366. [LINK]
Raciti, S. M., P. M. Groffman, J. C. Jenkins, R. V. Pouyat, T. J. Fahey, S. T. A. Pickett,
and M. L. Cadenasso. 2011. Accumulation of carbon and nitrogen in residential soils
with different land use histories. Ecosystems 14(2): 287-297. [LINK]
Hutyra, L. R., S. M. Raciti, N. P. Phillips, and J. W. Munger. 2011. Exploring spacetime variation in urban carbon metabolism. Urbanization and Global Environmental
Change Viewpoints 6: 11-14. [LINK]
Curriculum Vitae, Raciti, 2 of 5
Raciti, S. M., A. J. Burgin, P. M. Groffman, D. Lewis, and T. J. Fahey. 2011.
Denitrification in suburban lawn soils. Journal of Environmental Quality. 40: 19321940. [LINK]
Fahey, T. J., S. M. Raciti, F. J. Carranti, C. Driscoll, D. Foster, P. Gwyther, B. Hall, S.
Hamburg, J. C. Jenkins, J. Jenkins, C. Neill, S. Ollinger, B. Peery, E. Quigley, R.
Sherman, R. Q. Thomas, M. Vadeboncoeur, D. Weinstein, G. Wilson, P. Woodbury,
and W. Yandik. 2011. Carbon and Communities: Linking Carbon Science with Public
Policy and Resource Management in the Northeastern United States. Hubbard Brook
Research Foundation. Science Links Publication. Vol. 1, no. 4. [LINK]
2010
Whitmer, A., L. Ogden, J. Lawton, P. Sturner, P. M. Groffman, L. Schneider, D. Hart,
B. Halpern, W. Schlesinger, S. M. Raciti, N. Bettez, S. Ortega, L. Rustad, S. T. A.
Pickett, and M. Killilea. 2010. The engaged university: providing a platform for
research that transforms society. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 8(6):
314-321. [LINK]
2008
Raciti, S. M., P. M. Groffman, and T. J. Fahey. 2008. Nitrogen retention in urban
lawns and forests. Ecological Applications 18(7): 1615-1626. [LINK]
2007
Vadas, T. M., T. J. Fahey, R. E. Sherman, J. D. Demers, J. M. Grossman, J. E. Maul, A.
M. Melvin, B. O’Neill, S. M. Raciti, E. T. Rochon, D. J. Sugar, C. Tonitto, C. B. Turner,
M. J. Walsh, and K. Xue. 2007. Approaches for analyzing local carbon mitigation
strategies: Tompkins County, New York, USA. International Journal of Greenhouse
Gas Control 1:360-373. [LINK]
2006
Raciti, S. M., M. F. Galvin, J. M. Grove, J. P. M. O'Neil-Dunne, A. Todd, and S.
Claggett. 2006. Urban Tree Canopy Goal Setting: A Guide for Communities. USDA
Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry, Chesapeake Bay
Program Office, Annapolis, MD. [LINK]
Sprague, E., D. Burke, S. Claggett, A. Todd,..., S. M. Raciti, et al. 2006. The State of
the Chesapeake Forests. The Conservation Fund and USDA Forest Service. 120 pp.
[LINK]
2005
Meng, L., G. Cicchetti, and S. M. Raciti. 2005. Relationships between juvenile winter
flounder and multiple-scale habitat variation in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 134(6):1509-1519. [LINK]
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2010–2014
Guest Lecturer, Boston University, Earth & Environment, Boston, MA
 Spring 2014: Terrestrial Biogeosciences Practicum (GE 720)
 Fall 2013: Urban Ecology (GE 475/675)
 Spring 2013: Natural Environments - The Physical Landscape (GE 104)
 Fall 2012: Terrestrial Ecosystems and the Carbon Cycle (GE 656/456)
 Spring 2012: Natural Environments - The Physical Landscape (GE 104)
 Fall 2011: Terrestrial Ecosystems and the Carbon Cycle (GE 656/456)
 Spring 2011: Natural Environments - The Physical Landscape (GE 104)
 Fall 2010: Terrestrial Ecosystems and the Carbon Cycle (GE 656/456)
Curriculum Vitae, Raciti, 3 of 5
2004–2009
Teaching Assistant, Cornell University, Dept. of Natural Resources, Ithaca, NY
 Spring 2009: Environmental Governance (NTRES 331)
 Fall 2007: Forest Ecology (NTRES 420)
 Spring 2007: Environmental Conservation (NTRES 201)
 Fall 2006: Forest Ecology (NTRES 420)
 Fall 2004: Forest Ecology (NTRES 420)
2002–2003
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, Vassar College, Geology, Poughkeepsie, NY
 Earth, Environment and Humanity (GEOL 151)
 The Evolution of Earth and its Life (GEOL 152)
 Earth Materials: Minerals, Rocks, and Soils (GEOL 201)
2000–2001
Environmental Education Coordinator, NYS Dept. of Env. Conservation, Luzerne, NY
 Directed summer education programs at Luzerne and Meacham Lake
Campgrounds in the Adirondack Park.
1998–1999
Science Educator, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
 Conducted educational programs for visitors, school groups, and museum
beneficiaries.
 Taught K-12 students in the museum's after-school program.
UNDERGRADUATE ADVISING & CO-ADVISING
2010–2014
Boston University, Student Research Projects (4 Students)
 Exploring patterns in urban foliar and soil carbon and nitrogen with land use
change.
 Testing an inexpensive CO2 measurement system for citizen science in urban
environments.
 Studying urban soils beneath impervious surfaces and the implications for tree
growth and survival.
 Quantifying leaf litter carbon and nitrogen exports from Boston, MA.
2010–2012
Harvard Forest REU program (2 Students)
 Determining the influence of urbanization on respiration and photosynthesis in
native and invasive trees.
 Assessing landowner conservation awareness across an urban-to-rural gradient.
2010–2011
Harvard University, Senior Thesis (1 Student)
 Analyzing CO2 emissions patterns in the greater Boston area.
OUTREACH ACTIVITIES
2010–2013
Carbon Day: Boston. Public outreach and education event. Copley Square, Boston,
MA. Sept 15, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013.
2010
Wildlands & Woodlands: Science and Conservation in New England. Workshop for
the 2010 Land Trust Alliance National Meeting. Hartford, CT. October 4, 2010.
Curriculum Vitae, Raciti, 4 of 5
2008–2009
Environmental Report Card for the Cayuga Lake Watershed (in collaboration with
the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network). Ithaca, NY. Presented May 6, 2008.
2006
Urban Tree Canopy Goal Setting: Workshop for Communities in the Chesapeake Bay
Watershed. Annapolis, MD. March 7-8, 2006.
ANALYTICAL SKILLS
Geographic Information Systems (ESRI ArcGIS)
Stable isotope biogeochemistry (15N, 13C).
Instrumental Analysis: Picarro, LI-COR, and PP Systems CO2/CH4/H2O gas analyzers.
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (GS MS), Gas Chromatography Mass
Spectroscopy Flame Ionization Detector (GC FID), High Performance Liquid
Chromatography (HPLC), and more.
Curriculum Vitae, Raciti, 5 of 5