معرفی
Rebecca Dorsey is a Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences within the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Oregon. She has been a faculty member since 1997, progressing from Assistant to Associate and then full Professor. She also served as Head of the Department from 2013 to 2016, demonstrating leadership in academic administration.
Her educational background includes a B.S. in Geology from the University of Vermont (1983), and M.A. and Ph.D. in Geology from Princeton University (1986, 1989). Prior to joining the University of Oregon, she held faculty positions at Northern Arizona University.
Her primary research interests lie in sedimentology, basin analysis, tectonics, and stratigraphy. She investigates tectonically active sedimentary basins to understand the interplay between tectonic forces, sedimentary processes, and landscape evolution. Her work integrates field-based stratigraphy and sedimentology with paleomagnetism, geochronology, and geomorphology to reconstruct the complex evolution of active regions such as the Colorado River system, the Gulf of California, and arc-continent collision zones in Taiwan.
The articles listed reflect a consistent focus on the tectonic and sedimentary evolution of active margins. Key themes include the birth and development of the Colorado River, transtensional faulting in the California shear zones, arc-continent collision dynamics, and the stratigraphic records of rifting in the Gulf of California. Her recent work increasingly incorporates interdisciplinary approaches, including geogenomics and machine learning for geomorphic classification.
- Fellow, Geological Society of America (2007)
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (1984-88)
- AAPG Distinguished Lecturer (2021-22)
- Benjamin Meaker Visiting Professorship, University of Bristol (2018)
- Fund for Faculty Excellence Award, University of Oregon (2017-18)
- Distinguished Lecturer, NSF MARGINS and GeoPRISMS programs (2010-12)
- Erskine Visiting Faculty Fellowship, University of Canterbury, New Zealand (2004)
She has advised numerous graduate students, many of whom have become faculty members or work in prominent geological and environmental firms. Her research has been consistently supported by major external grants, primarily from the National Science Foundation, focusing on projects related to the San Andreas fault system, Colorado River evolution, and Gulf of California rifting. She has also led significant collaborative efforts, such as the Baja GeoGenomics consortium, integrating geology and biology.
Her research is conducted through extensive fieldwork and collaboration with colleagues across institutions, including the U.S. Geological Survey and international universities. She maintains an active research laboratory and field program, contributing significantly to the understanding of Earth's dynamic surface processes.
