{{short description|American geomorphologist (born 1977)}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Jane K. Willenbring | fields = Geomorphology | alma_mater = B.S. North Dakota State University, M.A. Boston University, Ph.D. Dalhousie University | thesis_title = Glacial Erosion in Arctic and Atlantic Canada Determined by Terrestrial in situ Cosmogenic Nuclides and Ice Sheet Modeling | thesis_url = https://dalspace.library.dal.ca/handle/10222/54809 | workplaces = Stanford University Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego University of Pennsylvania Leibniz University Hannover | birth_date = {{bda|1977|8|2}} | birth_place = Mandan, North Dakota, US | birth_name = Jane Kathryn Willenbring | awards = National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2016) Antarctica Service Medal (2016) }}
'''Jane Kathryn Willenbring''' (born August 2, 1977) is an American geomorphologist and professor at Stanford University. She is best known for using cosmogenic nuclides to investigate landscape changes and dynamics.<ref name=faculty>{{Cite web|url=https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/faculty-profile-jane-willenbring-joins-scripps-oceanography|title=Faculty Profile: Jane Willenbring Joins Scripps Oceanography|date=2016-09-06|website=Scripps Institution of Oceanography|language=en|access-date=2019-05-14}}</ref> She has won multiple awards including the Antarctica Service Medal<ref name=":1"/> and the National Science Foundation CAREER Award.<ref name=":2"/>
== Early life and education == Willenbring was born on August 2, 1977, to Roys E. and Elaine K. Willenbring. She grew up in Mandan, North Dakota. She developed a curiosity about the landscape and began creating her own small experiments.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://criticalzone.org/national/news/story/critical-zone-profile-jane-willenbring-geomorphologist-assistant-professor/|title=Critical Zone Profile - Jane Willenbring (geomorphologist, Assistant Professor) {{!}} National Critical Zone Observatory|website=criticalzone.org|access-date=2019-05-14|archive-date=2019-05-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514144137/https://criticalzone.org/national/news/story/critical-zone-profile-jane-willenbring-geomorphologist-assistant-professor/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Willenbring completed her Bachelor of Science in geosciences/soil science in 1999 at North Dakota State University, where she was McNair Scholar. Willenbring was a graduate student in Earth science at Boston University, where she graduated in 2002. In 2006, Willenbring completed her Ph.D. in Earth Sciences at Dalhousie University<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://earth.stanford.edu/events/geological-sciences-seminar-jane-willenbring-uc-san-diego-rocks-regolith-rain-and-rivers#gs.9yxaww | title=Geological Sciences Seminar: Jane Willenbring, UC San Diego: "Rocks, Regolith, Rain and Rivers: The Dynamic Interaction of Life and Landscape" | date=25 September 2018 | access-date=5 May 2019 | archive-date=18 May 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518222506/https://earth.stanford.edu/events/geological-sciences-seminar-jane-willenbring-uc-san-diego-rocks-regolith-rain-and-rivers#gs.9yxaww | url-status=dead }}</ref> in Nova Scotia, Canada. Her thesis investigated glacial erosion in the Arctic and Atlantic Canada using cosmogenic nuclides.<ref>{{Cite thesis|last=Staiger|first=Jane K. Willenbring|date=2005|title=Glacial erosion in Atlantic and Arctic Canada determined by terrestrial in situ cosmogenic nuclides and ice sheet modelling.|url=https://dalspace.library.dal.ca/bitstream/handle/10222/54809/NR16718.PDF?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|website=Dalhousie University|access-date=May 3, 2022}}</ref> Following her Ph.D. work, the National Center for Earth Surface Dynamics awarded Willenbring a Synthesis Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Minnesota. Two years later, in 2008, Willenbring was awarded an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship at Leibniz University Hannover and GFZ-Potsdam in Germany where she worked until 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://earth.geo.arizona.edu/19/keynote.html|title=GeoDaze Keynote Speaker|archive-date=2021-05-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509193346/http://earth.geo.arizona.edu/19/keynote.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Career and research == Following her postdoctoral work in 2010, Willenbring joined the University of Pennsylvania's faculty as an assistant professor in the School of Arts and Sciences' Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences until 2016.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://earth.geo.arizona.edu/19/keynote.html|title=GeoDaze 2019|website=earth.geo.arizona.edu|access-date=2019-05-07|archive-date=2021-05-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509193346/http://earth.geo.arizona.edu/19/keynote.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Willenbring then became an associate professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego where she was also the director of the Scripps Cosmogenic Isotope Laboratory (SCI-Lab).<ref name=":3"/> In 2020, Willenbring became an associate professor at Stanford University.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url= https://profiles.stanford.edu/jane-willenbring|title=Profile|website= profiles.stanford.edu|access-date=2020-09-22}}</ref>
Willenbring's work focuses on how the Earth's surface changes in response to a variety of forces including tectonics, climate, and living organisms. She utilizes high-resolution topographic data, field observations, landscape evolution models, ice sheet models, and geochemical techniques, specifically cosmogenic nuclides, to study the Earth's surface.<ref name=faculty/><ref name=SciLife/> Willenbring is at the forefront of her field<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://earth.geo.arizona.edu/19/keynote.html|title=GeoDaze 2019|website=earth.geo.arizona.edu|access-date=2019-05-14|archive-date=2021-05-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509193346/http://earth.geo.arizona.edu/19/keynote.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and has developed the use of beryllium-9 and cosmogenic beryllium-10 to trace erosion,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Willenbring|first1=Jane K.|last2=von Blanckenburg|first2=Friedhelm|date=2010-01-01|title=Meteoric cosmogenic Beryllium-10 adsorbed to river sediment and soil: Applications for Earth-surface dynamics|journal=Earth-Science Reviews|language=en|volume=98|issue=1–2|pages=105–122|doi=10.1016/j.earscirev.2009.10.008|bibcode=2010ESRv...98..105W|url=http://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/escidoc:239844}}</ref> weathering,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Willenbring|first1=Jane K.|last2=von Blanckenburg|first2=Friedhelm|date=2010|title=Long-term stability of global erosion rates and weathering during late-Cenozoic cooling|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=465|issue=7295|pages=211–214|doi=10.1038/nature09044|pmid=20463736|issn=0028-0836|bibcode=2010Natur.465..211W|s2cid=4430820}}</ref> and meltwater pulses<ref name="auto1">{{Cite journal|last1=Valletta|first1=Rachel D.|last2=Willenbring|first2=Jane K.|last3=Passchier|first3=Sandra|last4=Elmi|first4=Chiara|date=2018|title=10 Be/ 9 Be Ratios Reflect Antarctic Ice Sheet Freshwater Discharge During Pliocene Warming|journal=Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology|language=en|volume=33|issue=9|pages=934–944|doi=10.1029/2017PA003283|bibcode=2018PaPa...33..934V |doi-access=free}}</ref> in order to study and track the changes in Earth's surface.<ref name=faculty/>
Willenbring used some of her cosmogenic nuclide techniques in her research in Antarctica and Puerto Rico.<ref name=faculty/> She dated meltwater pulses in Antarctica during warming periods using the ratio of beryllium-10 to beryllium-9.<ref name=faculty/><ref name="auto1"/> Willenbring is an investigator at the Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory in Puerto Rico<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://criticalzone.org/luquillo/research/local-discipline/luquillo-geomorphology/#people|title=Luquillo - Geomorphology {{!}} Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory|website=criticalzone.org|access-date=2019-05-14|archive-date=2019-05-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514232943/http://criticalzone.org/luquillo/research/local-discipline/luquillo-geomorphology/#people|url-status=dead}}</ref> where she and her colleagues use beryllium-10, as well as other cosmogenic nuclides, to investigate how Puerto Rico's landscape has affected its biodiversity.<ref name=faculty/><ref name=SciLife>{{Cite web|url=https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/scientists-life-jane-willenbring|title=A Scientist's Life: Jane Willenbring|date=2018-03-08|website=Scripps Institution of Oceanography|language=en|access-date=2019-05-14}}</ref> Their research has uncovered that nutrient-rich dust travels to Puerto Rico from the Sahara Desert which helps trees to grow in Puerto-Rico's nutrient-poor soil.<ref name=faculty/>
In 2016, Willenbring received a National Science Foundation CAREER grant to study how beryllium isotopes can be used to track land-based sediment. Some of the funds will continue her citizen science project, "Soil Kitchen".<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1651243|title=NSF Award Search: Award#1651243 - CAREER: Retention and Mobility of Beryllium in Soils and Sedimentary Environments|website=nsf.gov|access-date=2019-05-08}}</ref>
In addition to Antarctica and Puerto Rico, Willenbring has also conducted research in Canada, and the South Fork Eel River in Northern California.<ref name=SciLife/>
== Awards and honors ==
* 2020 American Geophysical Union Earth and Planetary Surface Processes Marguerite Williams Award<ref>{{Cite web|title=2020 AGU Section Awardees and Named Lecturers|url=https://eos.org/agu-news/2020-agu-section-awardees-and-named-lecturers|access-date=2020-10-05|website=Eos|date=30 September 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref> * 2018 Geological Society of America Fellow<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.geosociety.org/GSA/Membership/Recognition/GSA_Fellowship/GSA/Awards/Fellows.aspx#W|title=GSA Fellowship|website=geosociety.org|access-date=2019-05-07}}</ref> * 2017 UC San Diego Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action and Diversity Award<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blink.ucsd.edu/HR/policies/affirmative/awards/recipients.html|title=Past Winners; UC San Diego Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action and Diversity Awards|archive-date=2019-04-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428040425/https://blink.ucsd.edu/HR/policies/affirmative/awards/recipients.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> * 2016 US National Science Foundation, CAREER Award<ref name=":2"/> * 2015 Antarctica Service Medal<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.usap.gov/travelAndDeployment/contentHandler.cfm?id=510|title=The USAP Portal: Science and Support in Antarctica - Antarctica Service Medals and Certificates|website=usap.gov|access-date=2019-05-06}}</ref>
Willenbring has also received significant funding from the National Science Foundation<ref name=":2"/> and the University of Pennsylvania.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/penn-s-jane-willenbring-study-soil-metals-geology-and-gardeners|title=Penn's Jane Willenbring to Study Soil Metals for Geology and Gardeners|website=Penn Today|date=21 April 2016 |language=en|access-date=2019-05-06}}</ref>
== Public engagement == Willenbring has been credited with bringing the #MeToo and #TimesUp movement to science.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.genomeweb.com/scan/sciences-metoo-moment|title=Science's #MeToo Moment|website=GenomeWeb|date=28 February 2018 |language=en-us|access-date=2019-05-14}}</ref> In 2016, she filed a Title IX complaint of sexual harassment against her graduate school adviser, Dr. David R. Marchant. Her story received extensive media attention because the story was released the day after the ''New York Times'' story of Harvey Weinstein's alleged{{what?|date=April 2024}}<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-10-05 |title=Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades (Published 2017) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/us/harvey-weinstein-harassment-allegations.html |access-date=2025-10-23 |language=en}}</ref> sexual assault and harassment that helped spark the viral #MeToo movement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.outsideonline.com/2300656/harassment-problem-scientific-dream-jobs|title=When Harassment Ruins Your Dream Job|last=Scoles|first=Sarah|date=2018-05-21|website=Outside Online|language=en|access-date=2019-05-14}}</ref> The case led to an investigation by the science committee of the US House of Representatives, as well as the renaming of an Antarctic glacier previously named after Marchant and his firing from Boston University.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/boston-university-fires-geologist-who-sexually-harassed-women-antarctica|title=Boston University fires geologist found to have harassed women in Antarctica|last=Wadman|first=Meredith|date=2019-04-12|website=Science {{!}} AAAS|language=en|access-date=2019-05-14}}</ref><ref name=SM_2017-10 >{{ cite news | url=https://www.science.org/content/article/house-science-committee-investigating-sexual-harassment-allegations-against-boston | title=House science committee investigating sexual harassment allegations against Boston University geologist | last=Wadman | first=Meredith | newspaper=Science | date=2017-10-26 }}</ref><ref name="wired-4apr2024">{{cite magazine |last=Kushner |first=David |title=These Women Came to Antarctica for Science. Then the Predators Emerged |url=https://www.wired.com/story/women-antarctica-science-predators-whistleblower/ |access-date=April 5, 2024 |magazine=WIRED |date=April 4, 2024}}</ref> Her case also contributed to the creation of new policies within professional societies around fellowship and medal award procedures, and to new US National Science Foundation funding policies.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=296610|title=NSF announces new measures to protect research community from harassment|website=nsf.gov|date=19 September 2018 |language=English|access-date=2019-05-14}}</ref> She is featured prominently in the 2020 PBS Nova documentary ''Picture a Scientist'', discussing her experiences and opinions on the matter.<ref name=PBS_transcript >{{cite web | url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/picture-a-scientist/ | title=Picture a Scientist - Researchers expose longstanding discrimination against women in science. (with transcript) | last= | first= | website=PBS | date=2021-04-14 | access-date= | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420135234/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/picture-a-scientist/ | archive-date=2021-04-20 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="trahan">{{cite web|last=Trahan|first=Erin|title=Documentary 'Picture A Scientist' Spells Out Collective Cost Of Sexism Within Science|url=https://www.wbur.org/artery/2020/06/10/documentary-picture-a-scientist|website=WBUR|date=10 June 2020|access-date=21 September 2020}}</ref>
Willenbring continues to raise awareness about sexual harassment in academia. She has advocated for the National Science Foundation to promote safer working conditions at all of their funded research sites.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/nsf-unveils-new-sexual-harassment-policy-64838|title=NSF Unveils New Sexual Harassment Policy|last=Offord|first=Catherine|date=2018-09-18|website=The Scientist|access-date=2019-08-28}}</ref> She also brought the ''Growing Up Science'' lecture series to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography;<ref name=SciLife/> The series is intended for scientists to share stories on the challenges they faced while throughout their career path.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cns.nyu.edu/events/growingupinscience/|title=Growing Up Science|website=Cns.nyu.edu|archive-date=2017-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709013654/http://www.cns.nyu.edu/events/growingupinscience/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Willenbring was awarded the UC San Diego Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action and Diversity Award in 2018 for her efforts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blink.ucsd.edu/HR/policies/affirmative/awards/recipients.html|title=Past Recipients; UC San Diego Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action and Diversity Award|website=UC San Diego|archive-date=2019-04-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428040425/https://blink.ucsd.edu/HR/policies/affirmative/awards/recipients.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Willenbring also developed the citizen science project "Soil Kitchen".<ref name=faculty/> The program allows people to bring in their soils to be tested for heavy metal contamination and soil nutrients. The project is designed to educate the public and clean up urban contamination.<ref>{{cite news |last=Srinivas |first=Aditi |date=2012-03-18 |title=Initiative testing local soil for lead draws over 200 |url=https://www.thedp.com/article/2012/03/initiative_testing_local_soil_for_lead_draws_over_200 |access-date=2019-08-28 |work=The Daily Pennsylvanian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.austintexas.gov/department/soil-kitchen|title=Soil Kitchen|website=austintexas.gov|access-date=}}</ref>
== Personal life and other interests == Willenbring has one child, who was born in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Penn Gazette {{!}} Window |url=http://www.upenn.edu/gazette/0113/window.html |url-status=dead |access-date=2019-05-12 |website=upenn.edu}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Willenbring, Jane}} Category:1977 births Category: Scripps Institution of Oceanography faculty Category:Fellows of the Geological Society of America Category:North Dakota State University alumni Category:Boston University alumni Category:Dalhousie University alumni Category:Sexual harassment in the United States Category:American geomorphologists Category:Living people Category:People from Mandan, North Dakota