Faculty & Research

George S. Ellmore
Associate Professor
Draupner Ring Scholar
Director, Environmental Studies Program

Experimental Plant Anatomy and Morphology

Curriculum Vitae

Education and Professional Positions

Ph.D., 1980, University of California Berkeley (Botany)
Assistant, and Associate Professor of Biology, Tufts University, 1980 - present
Visiting Research Associate Professor, UC Riverside, Dept. of Botany & Plant Science, 1986
Visiting Scholar, Harvard University, Dept. of Cellular and Developmental Biology, 1989
Director, Environmental Studies Program (Tufts) 1998-present
Academic Director, Tufts in Talloires Program 2000, 2001, 2002.

Teaching and Advising

Courses:

  • Fall 2004: Seminar, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment (Bio 91 - 22 students)
     
  • Spring 2004: Plant Physiology (Bio 118 -35 students)
    Plants and Humanity (Bio 10 -67 students)
    Organisms and Populations (Bio 14 -280 students
    team-taught with Bernheim and Chew)

  •  
  • Fall 2003: Seminar on Tropical Systems (Bio 91 -20 students
     
  • May-June 2003: Flowers of the Alps (Env. Studies 105 -30 students) Talloires Campus
     
  • Spring 2003: Plant Development (Bio 108 -17 students)
    Plants and Humanity (Bio 10 -61 students)
    Organisms and Populations (Bio 14 -273 students)
    team-taught with Bernheim and Chew
     
  • Fall 2002: Seminar: Endangered Species (Bio 91 -17 students)
    co-taught with Michael Reed
     
  • May-June 2002: Flowers of the Alps (Env. Studies 105 -31 students) Talloires Campus
     
  • Spring 2002: Biology 10 (Plants and Humanity -95 students)
    Biology 118 (Plant Physiology -25 students)

Field teaching:

Annually since 1988: Lead a 10-day Tropical Field Ecology trip for 14 students annually each March (HBC Bahamas).

Annually since 1999: Successful course in wildflower identification, alpine natural and cultural history developed and taught at Talloires campus in French Alps (May-June)

2001: 3-week unit "Invasibility of Purple Loosestrife" designed for Bio 51 -Experiments in Field Biology.

Curricular initiative:

Responding to student demand for environmental training with strong career relevance, our GIS course was expanded to accommodate 23 UEP students as well as undergraduates (12). Partially funded by a grant from Northeast Educational Services (NES), to George Ellmore.

Undergraduate research students:

Luke Powell (2003): Germination niche in Strangling Fig of dry tropical forests.
Mariana Suarez (2002): Gametophyte development in the tree fern Alsophila tricolor.
Lauren Griffen (2001): Senior Honors Thesis: Combined effects of enhanced UV-B and CO2 on multiple generations of Brassica rapa.
Nancy Harris (2001): Xylem anatomy and sectoriality in trees (with Colin Orians)
David Lin (2000) : Collaborative research project in Bioengineering: Effects of microwave on seeds.
Anh Kha (1999) Isolating anatomical markers in Garlic: ESEM of ca-oxalate crystals.
Lauren Griffen (1999) Heating soil to deplete seed banks of Lythrum salicaria in the field
Myra Feldman (1998) Growth and water use by corn in wastewater gardens
Rebecca Anderson (1997) Salt tolerance in germinating Maples
Kurt Strom (1997) Vinegar-induced germination in endangered Lignum Vitae

Honors Thesis Commitee member for:
Jonathan Nichols (glacial lake sediments of Jackman ME) 2004
Brooke Frankel (N-400 brain stimuli) 2004
Jason Pomerlau (translocation of chemical defenses in tomato) 1999
Heidi Marchetti (sustainability of forestry practices in Chile) 1998

Graduate research students:

Independent Study: Kayo Tajima: Production functions for Japanese vegetables. (Sp 2003)
(Interdisciplinary Doctorate Program)

Graduate lab rotation: Jennifer Daley: Garlic cell inclusions. (Fall 1998)

Graduate entrance, qualifying, or thesis committee for:
Jocelyn Muller (entrance)
Tara Bledsoe (thesis)
Jessica Sprajcar (thesis - UEP) Golden Rice: Opportunity for Whom?
Mark Cooperman (entrance)
Benjamin Babst (thesis)
Julia Waldo (entrance)
Jennifer Zimmerman (entrance)
Mark Fields (thesis)
Steve Lower (thesis)
Megan Griffiths (thesis)
Rebecca Newcomb Homan (entrance)
Leah Gibbons (thesis)
Eve Schluter (thesis)

Graduate curriculum consultant (Tufts Dept. of Education) for Lisa Gonsalves (2003): Papermaking and recycling of plant-derived material [for grades 1-6]

Other advising:

Academic advisee to 25 Biology majors
31 Biology/Env. Studies double majors
57 Env. Studies majors (double-majoring in Depts. other than Biology)

Faculty Seminar Advising Option: Natural and Cultural History of Hawaii -14 freshmen

Faculty Advisor to Tufts Wilderness Orientation: 200 self-selected freshmen interested in the outdoors, the environment, and biology. This is an important feeder program for Env. Studies.

Grants:

Draupner Ring Scholarship recipient (funded annually from income accrued from $1.5 million held in trust for Tufts University) $40,000 awarded in 2001, 2002, 2003. PI

Northeast Educational Services (NES) 2000-2003. Experience and Tools to Foster Environmental Leadership. ($75,000 awarded) PI

Hummingbird Cay Foundation ($6,000 awarded yearly, 1989-present). Education and research at Hummingbird Cay Tropical Field Station, Great Exuma, Bahamas. $96,000 total. PI

Northeast Educational Services 2000. Environmental Careers through Experience and
Partnership. ($30,000 awarded) PI

University Committees:

Chair, GIS Search Committee 2003-4
Faculty Representative to Morris Udall Foundation since 2003
National and International Scholarship (Fulbright) Committee since 2002
Academic Awards Committee since 2002
Summer School Committee since 2001
Chair: Tenure and Promotion Committee 2001
Tenure and Promotion Committee 1999-2001
Health Professions Recommendation Committee (HPRC) since 1990
Chair: Environmental Studies Executive Committee since 1998
Academic Director: Tufts in Talloires Program (2000 - 2002)
Subcommittee on European Center at Talloires 2000-3
Steering Committee for TIE (Tufts Institute of the Environment) since 1998
Executive Committee for Geographic Information Service Center (GIS) since 2000
Ethics Committee for Tufts Re-accreditation 2002
Orientation Committee since 1990
Advisory Committee to GDAE (Global Dev. and Economics) since 200

Service:

Morris Udall Foundation environmental awards committee, 2005
Naturalist for Parker River Clean Water Assn. 2003
Biomedical Oversight Committee for Woburn MA. since 2003
Visiting biologist for Parker River Wildlife Refuge. 2003
Somerville Homeless Coalition: road race staff. 2002
WBZ-4 TV interview, predicting effect of drought on fall foliage. Oct 2002 and 2003
NH Public Radio interview: mechanisms of fall leaf coloration. Oct 2002
Agricultural consultant to John Alder and Co Inc. (North Bergen, NJ). 2002
Appalachian Mtn Club Trip Leader (canoeing). since 1988
Massachusetts campaign to establish public river access (Parker River) 2001
Faculty Host for Alumni Relations Travel-Learn Program: Moose R. ME Sept. 2002
Squam Lake NH Sept. 2003
Faculty Panelist on Natural Science Panel for 1st year students of color. 2002
Moderator: Environmental Career Fair panel, Tufts University, March 2000
Mass. Trails Advisory Board (Dept. of Environmental Management). 1995-2000
Riverways Resource Board. 1995-2000
Closing Commentator: New England Board of Higher Education, conference on New Directions for Environmental Education (May 5 1999, Boston MA)
Contributing Author and Reviewer of textbooks in biology, biodiversity, and botany for Prentice-Hall, McGraw-Hill, Little Brown, W.C. Brown, Nan-I Book Enterprise Co. Ltd (Taiwan).

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