Leah Beckett
Curriculum Vitae
LEAH HOPE-MENZIES BECKETT, PH.D.
WETLANDS ECOLOGIST
Education
Ph.D., University of Maryland, Marine, Estuarine Environmental Sciences (2012)
Dissertation: Subsidence, Accretion, and Elevation Trends in Estuarine Wetlands
M.S., University of Maryland, Marine, Estuarine Environmental Sciences (2009)
Thesis: Marsh Elevation and Accretion Dynamics along an Estuarine Salinity
Gradient
B.S., Brevard College, Ecology, cum laude, Honors program graduate (2005)
Thesis: Development and Succession of Sphagnum-dominated Peat Bogs
Previous Employment
Resources for the Future, 1616 P St. NW, Washington, DC
Administrative Staff Assistant and Web Intern (March 2006-June 2007)
James Addison Jones Library, Brevard College, 400 N. Broad St. Brevard, NC
Library Clerk (August 2002-December 2005)
University of Maryland, College of Life Sciences, College Park, MD
Graduate Instructor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (BSCI 106) and
Microbiology (August 2009-August 2012)
University of Maryland, Department of Environmental Science and Technology
Graduate Research Assistant (August 2007-August 2009)
Publications
Beckett, L.H., A.H. Baldwin, M.S. Kearney. In Review. Coastal wetland surface elevation
and accretion dynamics along an estuarine salinity gradient in Chesapeake Bay.
Submitted to Journal of Sedimentary Research.
Beckett, L.H.M. 2012. Subsidence, Accretion, and Elevation Trends in Estuarine Wetlands
and Relationships to Salinity and Sediment Stratigraphy. Proquest UMI Dissertation
Beckett, L.H. 2009. Marsh elevation and accretion dynamics along an estuarine salinity
gradient: Observational and experimental studies. Proquest UMI. Thesis
Leah Beckett
Beckett, L.H., A.H. Baldwin. In preparation. Effects of saltwater intrusion on surface elevation
and vegetation communities in tidal freshwater wetlands.
Invited Talks
Beckett, L.H. Coastal marshes of Chesapeake Bay: responses to global change and
geomorphology. Marine, Estuarine Environmental Sciences Colloquium 2012,
Invited keynote talk. October 20, 2012
The Sediment-Elevation Table symposium, panel discussion participant. 9th Annual
INTECOL International Wetlands Conference, Orlando, FL, 2012
Presentations
Baldwin, A.H. and L.H. Beckett. Short-, Mid-, and Long-term accretion rates in
estuarine marshes of Chesapeake Bay. American Geophysical Union, Chapman
Conference. Reston, Virginia, November 13-16, 2012.
Beckett, L.H. and A.H. Baldwin. Effects of saltwater intrusion on tidal freshwater
wetland surface elevation and vegetation community dynamics: An in situ
experiment. 9th Annual INTECOL International Wetlands Conference, Orlando,
FL, 2012
Beckett, L.H. and A.H. Baldwin. Effect of geomorphology on coastal marsh
subsidence in Chesapeake Bay Coastal Estuarine Research Federation Bi-Annual
Meeting, Poster Presentation, Daytona Beach, 2011
Beckett, L.H. and A.H. Baldwin. Assessing the vulnerability of coastal marshes to
sea-level rise by geomorphological type and salinity regime Society of Wetland
Scientists WETPOL and Biogeochemistry Symposium, Invited talk, Prague,
Czech Republic, 2011
Beckett, L.H.M. Marsh Elevation and Accretion Dynamics along an Estuarine
Salinity Gradient MS Thesis, University of Maryland, 2009
Beckett, L.H.M. Elevation and accretion along a salinity gradient Wetland Science
Management Conference, Oral Presentation, Hamburg, Germany, 2009
Beckett, L.H. and A.H. Baldwin. Effect of sea-level rise on coastal marshes Society
of Wetland Scientists, Annual Meeting, Poster Presentation, Washington DC,
2008
Beckett, L.H. Elevation and accretion dynamics of coastal marshes along a salinity
gradient Wetland Science Management Conference, Oral Presentation, University
of Maryland, 2008
Leah Beckett
Grants, Fellowships, Society Memberships, and Awards
Garden Club of America Coastal Wetlands Scholarship Award ($5000 student grant)
(2011)
I wrote a student grant and received funding from the Garden Club of America
through their Coastal Wetlands Scholarship program. I received the maximum
amount to support my research examining the effects of sea-level rise on coastal
wetlands. I used the funds for radiocarbon dating of basal peat samples.
U.S. Department of Energy National Institute for Climate Change Research Grant
(Andrew Baldwin, P.I.) (August 2007-August 2011)
In fulfillment of a multi-year NICCR grant, co-written by my advisor, Dr. Andrew
Baldwin and my advisory committee member, Dr. Michael Kearney, I conducted
long-term observational and experimental studies on the effects of sea-level rise
on coastal wetlands, collected and analyzed data from those studies, and wrote
annual reports to the granting agency.
Society of Wetland Scientists Member, 2007-present
Tri-Beta Biological Sciences Honor Society, 2003-2005
Honors Program, Brevard College, 2002-2005
Certificate of Appreciation for service as a STARS program mentor, awarded by
governor of MD, 2008
Areas of Research Interest and Specialization
Wetland ecology, Coastal wetland ecology, Wetland botany, Wetland soils (Hydric
Soils), Responses of wetlands to global change, Marsh elevation and accretion,
Coastal marsh geomorphology, Ecology
Teaching Experience
University of Maryland, Wetland Ecology (2012) (Co-taught course and developed
new curriculum)
University of Maryland, Principles of Biology I Laboratory (Microbiology) (2010)
2011
University of Maryland, Principles of Biology II Laboratory (Evolutionary Biology
and Ecology) (2009, 2010, 2012)
Brevard College, Mineralogy (2005) (Undergraduate teaching assistant: Wrote
lectures for lab portion of course, graded assignments and exams)
Research Experience
Observational study of Nanticoke Estuary, elevation, vegetation, decomposition,
accretion, salinity, soil organic matter content, etc. for MS, PhD (2007-2012)
Experiment simulating sea level rise, developed and executed in Jug Bay, Upper
Marlboro, MD studied elevation, accretion, soil and vegetation for MS, PhD
(2007-20012)
Leah Beckett
Effects of wetland plant biodiversity on nutrient retention in treatment wetlands, a
mesocosm experiment
Competition between Phragmites australis and Spartina cynosuroides under elevated
nutrient and salinity conditions, a mesocosm study (2010-2013)
Controlling invasive Phragmites australis by goat grazing (2008-2009)
Evaluating belowground biomass, species richness and diversity in restored,
reference, and pre-restoration isolated, depressional wetlands along the U.S.
Atlantic coastal plain (2011, 2013)
Undergraduate thesis research, field research and literature review succesion of
Sphagnum species in peat bogs (2003-2005)
Ecological Assessment, Paradise Fish Farms, Canfield, Ohio, Summer (2004)
Monitored Purple Loosestrife communities and amphibians in vernal pools in
association with the University of Akron, Akron, Ohio (2005)
Participated in Wetland Science and Management, Maryland, (Summer 2008)
Participated in Wetland Science and Management, Hamburg, Germany, (Summer
2009)
Technical Editing Experience
Brundage, J. (2010) Grazing as a management tool for controlling Phragmites australis
and restoring native plant biodiversity in wetlands. Proquest UMI. Thesis
Arthur, M. (2013) A competitive interaction and dominance experiment between the
vegetative marsh species Phragmites australis and Spartina cynosuroides under
elevated salinity and nitrogen levels. Proquest UMI. Thesis
Certifications
State of Maryland Boating Safety Certification 2007
Activities and Interests
Trail marathon running, D.C. polar plungers (2011-present), Birding, Watercolor
painting, Mountain biking, Backpacking
References available upon request.