Rate My Professor John Weishampel

Dr. Weishampel’s research centers on landscape ecology, investigating how landscape patterns affect ecological processes and biodiversity across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems. He integrates simulation models with remote sensing data from satellite, airborne LiDAR, and GIS technologies to analyze forest canopy structure, sea turtle nesting behaviors influenced by sea surface temperatures, dune vegetation fertilization, and hidden archaeological sites beneath forest canopies. His pioneering applications of LiDAR have mapped ancient Maya landscapes at Caracol, Belize, while coastal studies address sea level rise impacts on nesting sea turtles. Funded by NSF, NASA, NOAA, EPA, USDA, and ED, his contributions include the NSF CAREER award and NASA New Investigator award. He has held Fulbright Distinguished Research Chair at Simon Fraser University, Fulbright Senior Scholar at Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Charles Bullard Fellow at Harvard University, visiting professor at EHESS in Paris, and Fulbright Intercountry Scholar at University of Zaragoza. Dr. Weishampel taught courses in environmental science, ecology, and global change biology, mentoring scores of undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Key publications include “Airborne LiDAR, archaeology, and the ancient Maya landscape at Caracol, Belize” (2011, Journal of Archaeological Science), “Dune vegetation fertilization by nesting sea turtles” (2007, Ecology), and “Earlier nesting by loggerhead sea turtles following sea surface warming” (2004, Global Change Biology).