Rebecca A. Urban

Rebecca A. Urban serves as Professor of Biology and Director of Environmental Science at Lebanon Valley College. She earned her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from Binghamton University and specializes in ecological research with emphasis on invasive species dynamics and aquatic ecosystems.

Her educational foundation includes:

• B.S. from Binghamton University
• M.S. from Binghamton University
• Ph.D. from Binghamton University

As an invasive species ecologist, Dr. Urban investigates how rootless carnivorous plants like Utricularia inflata disrupt native ecosystems through cascading effects on sediment chemistry and water column dynamics. She champions undergraduate research integration through Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) and actively participates in the Ecological Research as Education Network (EREN), facilitating nationwide collaborative field studies at undergraduate institutions. Her work bridges fundamental ecological research with practical conservation applications.

Analysis of her publication history reveals consistent focus on invasive plant ecology since 2003, evolving from specific studies on Utricularia inflata to broader investigations of urbanization impacts on freshwater ecosystems and educational methodologies. Recent publications demonstrate increasing collaboration through EREN and expansion into spatial analysis of invasive species like garlic mustard.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• PERC Campus Sustainability Champion (2018)
• Exemplary Teaching Award (2017)
• DEP Environmental Education Grant (2016)
• Edmund Niles Huyck Preserve Research Grant (2010)
• EPA GRO Fellowship (2006-2008)
• International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society Grant (2003)

Dr. Urban has mentored over a dozen undergraduate researchers resulting in co-authored publications and award-winning presentations, including multiple Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid. Her DEP grant funded invasive plant management in campus natural areas while EPA and Huyck grants supported foundational research on aquatic macrophyte impacts. She consistently integrates research with teaching through courses like Conservation Biology and Ecology.

Through EREN membership, she maintains active national collaboration networks that extend her research impact beyond Lebanon Valley College's campus, particularly in developing standardized protocols for undergraduate ecological field studies across diverse ecosystems.