{{Short description|Professor}} {{Infobox academic | name = Rebecca Sharitz | birth_date = {{birth date|1944|08|10|df=yes}} | death_date = {{death date and age|2018|10|20|1944|08|10|df=yes}} | spouse = Carl Byrne Hatfield | awards = National Wetlands Award in Science Research, Environmental Law Institute (2010) <br /> Fellow Award, Society of Wetland Scientists (2008) | education = University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (PhD) <br /> Roanoke College (B.S.) | doctoral_advisor = Frank McCormick | discipline = Ecology | sub_discipline = Wetland ecology | workplaces = Saginaw Valley State University (1970-71) <br /> University of Georgia (1972-2018) | birth_place = Wytheville, Virginia }}
'''Rebecca R. Sharitz''' (1944-2018) was an emeritus professor at the University of Georgia who spent the majority of her career as a senior researcher in the UGA's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2018 |title=Rebecca R. Sharitz {{!}} Department of Plant Biology |url=https://www.plantbio.uga.edu/directory/people/rebecca-r-sharitz |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=University of Georgia}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Pederson |first=Neil |date=2019-02-15 |title=Deep Ecology with Becky: A remembrance of Dr. Rebecca Sharitz |url=https://www.esa.org/history/2019/02/deep-ecology-remembering-becky-sharitz/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327111710/https://www.esa.org/history/2019/02/deep-ecology-remembering-becky-sharitz/ |archive-date=2023-03-27 |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=Broadleaf Papers |language=en-US |via=Ecological Society of America}}</ref> Her research centered on wetlands and their ecological functions with a focus on river floodplains, swamp forests, and Carolina Bays.<ref name=":2" />
== Early life and education == Rebecca Sharitz was born in Wytheville, Virginia.<ref name=":3" /> In 1966, she received her B.S. in Botany at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Battaglia |first=Loretta |date=January 2019 |title=In memoriam: Dr. Rebecca Reyburn Sharitz |url=https://friendsofcongaree.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Rebecca-Sharitz-Wetlands-Science-Practice-tribute.pdf |website=Friends of Congaree National Park |publisher=Wetland Science & Practice}}</ref><ref name=":7" /> She continued her education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill completing her Ph.D. in Ecology in 1970.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
== Career and research == Sharitz began her career as an Assistant Professor of Biology at Saginaw Valley State University (1970-71), but the majority of her professional life was spent working at the University of Georgia (1972-2018).<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":0" /> In addition to her role as a research ecologist in the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, she also served as a professor of Botany, Plant Biology, and Ecology while at the University of Georgia.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Gavrilles |first=Beth |date=2020-05-05 |title=Fellowship honors late Prof. Emerita Rebecca Sharitz |url=https://news.uga.edu/rebecca-sharitz-srel-fellowship/ |access-date=2023-04-12 |website=UGA Today |language=en-US}}</ref>
Sharitz researched ecological processes in wetlands focusing predominantly on wetlands in the southeastern U.S.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> Her long research career included investigations of wetland responses to natural and anthropogenic disturbances, like thermal pollution, as well as work on the restoration of degraded wetlands and the conservation of rare species.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":7" /> Some notable findings in Sharitz's research were the discoveries of links between wetland forest regeneration and flooding due to storm events, dam alterations, and hydrologic discharge from nuclear reactors.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last1=Palta |first1=Monica M. |last2=Doyle |first2=Thomas W. |last3=Jackson |first3=C. Rhett |last4=Meyer |first4=Judy L. |last5=Sharitz |first5=Rebecca R. |date=2012 |title=Changes in Diameter Growth of Taxodium distichum in Response to Flow Alterations in the Savannah River |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13157-011-0245-9 |journal=Wetlands |language=en |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=59–71 |doi=10.1007/s13157-011-0245-9 |s2cid=256038220 |issn=0277-5212|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Specifically, regeneration was reduced after such events, such as with ''Taxodium distichum'' having reduced growth after hydrologic disruptions from dam alterations<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last1=De Steven |first1=Diane |last2=Sharitz |first2=Rebecca R. |date=1997 |title=Differential recovery of a deepwater swamp forest across a gradient of disturbance intensity |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/BF03161513 |journal=Wetlands |language=en |volume=17 |issue=4 |pages=476–484 |doi=10.1007/BF03161513 |s2cid=18796178 |issn=0277-5212|url-access=subscription }}</ref> as well as reduced diversity in tree species of the Congaree Swamp due to hurricane damages.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=Putz |first1=Francis E. |last2=Sharitz |first2=Rebecca R. |date=1991 |title=Hurricane damage to old-growth forest in Congaree Swamp National Monument, South Carolina, U.S.A. |url=http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/10.1139/x91-244 |journal=Canadian Journal of Forest Research |language=en |volume=21 |issue=12 |pages=1765–1770 |doi=10.1139/x91-244 |issn=0045-5067|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
During her time as a professor, she oversaw over 100 volunteers, 30 graduate students, and 13 postdoctoral fellows.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":2" />
== Honors & awards == Throughout her career, Sharitz received various awards and recognitions for her research and teaching. Notable honors and awards are listed below: * Fellow of the Ecological Society of America, 2012<ref>{{Cite web |title=ESA Fellows |url=https://esa.org/about/awards/fellows-program/esa-fellows/ |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=Ecological Society of America}}</ref> * National Wetlands Award in Science Research, Environmental Law Institute (2010)<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |first= |date=2010 |title=National Wetlands Awards: Rebecca Sharitz |url=https://www.eli.org/national-wetlands-awards/rebecca-sharitz |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=Environmental Law Institute}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> * Fellow Award, Society of Wetland Scientists (2008)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008 |title=Society Awards |url=https://www.sws.org/society-awards/ |access-date=2023-04-12 |website=Society of Wetland Scientists |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> * Vice President, International Association for Ecology (2002-05)<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.intecol.net/pages/s001_02_1.html |access-date=2023-04-12 |website=INTECOL}}</ref> * Committee Member, National Academy of Sciences Committee on Restoration of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem (1999)<ref>{{Cite web |date=1999-09-24 |title=Everglades Science Review Panel |url=https://www.newswise.com/articles/everglades-science-review-panel |access-date=2023-04-12 |website=Newswise |publisher=US Newswire |language=en}}</ref> * Meritorious Teaching Award, Association of Southeastern Biologists (1997)<ref name=":0" /> * Vice President, Ecological Society of America (1990-91)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vice-Presidents |url=https://www.esa.org/history/2014/02/vice-presidents/ |access-date=2023-04-12 |website=Ecological Society of America}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> * President, Association of Southeastern Biologists (1987)<ref>{{Cite web |title=ABS Elected Officers |url=https://www.sebiologists.org/officers.html#:~:text=1987-,Rebecca%20R.%20Sharitz,-Savannah%20River%20Ecology |access-date=2023-04-12 |website=Association of Southeastern Biologists |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> Posthumously, Sharitz's family developed a fellowship to honor Sharitz and her late husband Carl Byrne Hatfield, who worked at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site.<ref name=":3" /> The Dr. Rebecca Reyburn Sharitz and Carl Byrne Hatfield Fellowship Fund<ref>{{Cite web |title=Graduate Awards and Scholarships |url=https://www.ecology.uga.edu/awards-and-scholarships/ |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=Odum School of Ecology |language=en}}</ref> provides financial support to PhD candidates at the University of Georgia focused on ecology or plant biology.<ref name=":3" />
=== Selected publications === * {{Cite book |title=Ecology of freshwater and estuarine wetlands |date=2014 |others=Darold P. Batzer, Rebecca R. Sharitz |isbn=978-0-520-95911-8 |edition=2nd |location=Oakland, California |oclc=892239067}} * {{Cite journal |last1=King |first1=Sammy L. |last2=Sharitz |first2=Rebecca R. |last3=Groninger |first3=John W. |last4=Battaglia |first4=Loretta L. |date=2009 |title=The ecology, restoration, and management of southeastern floodplain ecosystems: A synthesis |url=https://doi.org/10.1672/08-223.1 |journal=Wetlands |language=en |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=624–634 |doi=10.1672/08-223.1 |s2cid=25051504 |issn=1943-6246|url-access=subscription }} * {{Cite journal |last=Sharitz |first=Rebecca R. |date=2003-09-01 |title=Carolina bay wetlands: Unique habitats of the southeastern United States |url=https://doi.org/10.1672/0277-5212(2003)023[0550:CBWUHO]2.0.CO;2 |journal=Wetlands |language=en |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=550–562 |doi=10.1672/0277-5212(2003)023[0550:CBWUHO]2.0.CO;2 |s2cid=19954348 |issn=1943-6246|url-access=subscription }} * De Steven, Diane, & Sharitz, Rebecca R. (1997). "Differential recovery of a deepwater swamp forest across a gradient of disturbance intensity". ''Wetlands''. '''17''' (4): 476–484. doi.org/10.1007/BF03161513. * Putz, Francis E., & Sharitz, Rebecca R. (1991). "Hurricane damage to old-growth forest in Congaree Swamp National Monument, South Carolina, U.S.A." ''Canadian Journal of Forest Research''. '''21''' (12): 1765–1770. doi.org/10.1139/x91-244.
== References == <references />
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