Faculty
Biological Sciences has more than 60 full-time faculty members, as well as more than 20 faculty with joint appointments and 15 visiting or adjunct professors. Among its many distinctions and honors, the Ph.D. program faculty includes two members of the National Academy of Sciences, four members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and 18 holders of endowed chairs and professorships.
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David BottjerProfessor of Earth Sciences and Biological SciencesContact Information E-mail: dbottjer@usc.edu Phone: (213) 740-6100 Office: ZHS 233c LINKS Curriculum Vitae Personal Website |
Education
- B.S. Geology, Haverford College, 5/1973
- M.A. Geology, State University of New York at Binghamton, 6/1976
- Ph.D. Geology, Indiana University, Bloomington, 12/1978
Description of Research
Summary Statement of Research Interests
Professor Bottjer is a paleobiologist and paleoecologist who has worked broadly on organism-sediment interactions and the ecological history of life. His current research focuses on two broad paleobiological questions. The first includes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the paleobiology and paleoecology of early metazoan life, with field work conducted in eastern California and China. The second emphasizes obtaining a detailed understanding of the paleoecology of the recovery from the end-Permian mass and end-Triassic extinctions, with extensive work on Triassic strata throughout the western U.S., Europe, Japan and China. This Triassic research project has led to involvement in the Paleobiology Database, which has undertaken the development of large databases with web-based access to solve major outstanding paleobiological and evolutionary problems.
Research Specialties
Geobiology, evolutionary paleoecology, paleobiology, paleoclimatology, paleoenvironmental analysis, paleogenomics
Affiliations with Research Centers, Labs, and Other Institutions
- Center for Chinese Fossil Discoveries, Co-Director,http://chinafossils.nhm.org
Honors and Awards
- Fellow, The Paleontological Society, 2007-
- UCLA CSEOL Distinguished Scientist Award, 2001-2002
Service to the University
Administrative Appointments
- Co-Director, Center for Chinese Fossil Discoveries, 2008-
- Chair, Department of Earth Sciences, 08/16/2006-08/15/2009
Service to the Profession
Editorships and Editorial Boards
- Editor-in-Chief, Palaeogeography; Palaeoclimatology; Palaeoecology, 2000-
- Editor, Palaios, 1989-1996
Professional Offices
- President, The Paleontological Society, 2004-2006