Dr. Christopher Van de Ven studies the landscape-level relationships between plants and geology and topography, and the impacts of climate change on plant distributions. For this research, he utilizes geographic information systems (GIS) and remotely sensed imagery.  His two primary on-going research projects involve monitoring plant distributions to look for evidence of upslope migration in response to changing climates, and investigating links between cold-air inversion and downslope plant migration. 

Spring 2008 Schedule

Courses

• Geo 101  Introduction to Geology (lab)

• Geo 103  Historical Geology (lab)

• Geo 106  Geological Hazards (lecture)

• Geo 111  Geography and Geographic Information Systems (lecture and lab)

• Geo 211  Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (lecture and lab)

• Geo 216  Environmental and Engineering Geology (lecture and lab)

• Geo 311  Advanced Geographic Information Systems (lecture and lab)

• Geo 314  Geological Field Methods

• LA 101  America's National parks (first-year seminar)   

Education 

• Ph.D. Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, 2003

• B.S. Geology and Geological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, 1997

Career

• 2004-           Assistant Professor, Dept. of Geological Sciences, Albion College

• 2003-2004    Scientist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco, CA

Awards and Honors

• 2007         New Teacher of the Year, Albion College

• 2007         Blanchard Research Fellowship, Albion College

Selected Recent Publications

• Van de Ven, Christopher, S. B. Weiss, and W. G. Ernst, 2007. “Plant Species Distributions Under Present Conditions and Forecasted for Warmer Climates in an Arid Mountain Range.”  Earth Interactions v. 11, p. 1-33. 
   
• Ernst, W. G., C. M. Van de Ven, 2003. “Relationships among vegetation, climatic zonation, soil, and bedrock in the central White-Inyo Range, eastern California: A ground-based and remote-sensing study.”  GSA Bulletin, v. 115, no. 12, p. 1583-1597.
   
• Ernst, W. G., Drew S. Coleman, and C. M. Van de Ven, 2003. “Petrochemistry of granitic rocks in the Mount Barcroft area – Implications for arc evolution, central White Mountains, easternnost California.  GSA Bulletin, v. 115, no. 4, p. 499-512. 
   
• Ernst, W. G., R. E. Jones, and C. M. Van de Ven, 2002. “Geologic map of the Mount Barcroft Complex, central White Mountains, Eastern California.” Map Sheet 51. California Division of Mines and Geology, Sacramento, CA. 

Selected Recent Meeting Presentations/Abstracts

• Van de Ven, C. M., S. B. Weiss, C. Millar, B. Westfall, D. Pritchett, 2007 “A Model of Temperature Inversion Across the White Mountains, California to Explain Downslope Migration of Trees” EOS Trans. AGU, 88(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract GC33B-06.
   
• Van de Ven, Christopher and Clark, Russ G., 2005. “Distributing GIS Across a Liberal Arts Campus: Albion College.”  Geol. Soc. Am. Abstracts with Programs, v. 37, no. 7, p. 445
   
• Van de Ven, C. and S. B. Weiss, 2001. “Predicting arid vegetation species distributions using AVIRIS, topography, and geology in the White Mountains, eastern California.” GSA Meeting and Exposition Abstracts, Nov. 1-10 2001, p. 150.