Department of Earth and Environmental Science

Benjamin P Horton

Assistant Professor
Department of Earth and Environmental Science
University of Pennsylvania
240 S. 33rd Street
Hayden Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6316

Tel. (215) 5735388
Fax: (215) 8985724
E-mail: bphorton@sas.upenn.edu

Education

1989-1992: BA Honors in Geography, University of Liverpool, UK.
1994-1998: PhD in Geography, University of Durham, UK.

Professional Experience

July 2004: Assistant Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
1999-2004: Lecturer in Geography, Environmental Research Centre, Department of Geography, University of Durham, UK.
1997-1999: Senior Research Associate, Environmental Research Centre, Department of Geography, University of Durham, UK.

Synergistic Activities

Chair of the Program Committee for the 2008 Biennial meeting of the American Quaternary Association (AMQUA) 'Quaternary Ice Sheet-Ocean Interactions and Landscape Responses'.
Geological Society of America’s 2007 The W. Storrs Cole Memorial Research Award for contributions to micropaleontology.
Honory Research Fellow, Department of Geography, University of Durham, UK (2004-present).
The Linnean Society Award (2004) for contributions to biology, and particularly biological diversity and evolution.
The Higher Education Funding Council for England Excellence in Teaching Award (2003) to reward excellent teaching practice that delivered substantial benefits to students, teachers and institutions.
Menzies Australian Bicentennial Award (2001) for promoting scholarship, intellectual links, and mutual awareness and understanding between the United Kingdom and Australia.
Harrison College Faculty Fellow (2004-2007) in residence full-time with 850 students and College Tutor, Hatfield College, University of Durham, UK with 300 students; serve as an academic mentor and advisor, facilitate learning and discussion in a non-traditional setting.
Regular contributor to journals dedicated to science, math and engineering at K-12 and undergraduate education levels.

Major Research Grants

Wetland response to natural and anthropogenic forcing, Gwydir Wetlands, Australia; PI; Department of Environment and Conservation, New South Wales ($17,680) December 1 2007 – November 30 2008.

Sea-level changes along the Atlantic Coast of the United States: Implications for glacial isostatic adjustment models and current rates of sea-level change; PI; NSF ($101,545) October 1 2007 - September 30 2009.

Examining the evidence for a recent acceleration in the rate of sea-level rise using combined instrumental and proxy data, Morbihan Golfe, Brittany France; PI; NSF ($10,800) July 1 2007 - June 30 2008.

Is Sea Level Rising? PI; Earthwatch ($12,367); June 1 2007 - May 30 2008.

A Paleoseismic record of repeated great earthquakes on the Sunda subduction megathrust, Northern Sumatra. PI with Charlie Rubin, Harvey Kelsey; NSF ($150,000); March 1 2007 - February 28 2008.

Subduction-zone paleogeodesy at Cascadia; Co-PI with Alan Nelson; USGS ($22,800); April 1 2006 - October 30 2006.

Shore-Zone Dynamics in Response to Sea-level Rising North Carolina Estuaries; Co-PI with D. Reide Corbett, Mark Brinson, Robert Christian, Stan Riggs, J.P. Walsh; NOAA ($450,000); September 1 2005 - August 30 2008.

Late Quaternary relative sea-level changes, Outer Banks, North Carolina; PI; North Carolina Cooperative Research Program ($30,000); July 1 2005 - June 30 2008.

Indian Ocean Tsunami - Environmental and socio-economic impacts on the Malay-Thai Peninsula. PI; NSF Human and Social Dynamics priority area, the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation Program in the Engineering Directorate, and from the Office of International Science and Engineering ($68,282); May 1 2005 - November 30 2006.

High Resolution records of relative sea-level change using a foraminiferal transfer function. PI; University Research Foundation, University of Pennsylvania ($20,850); April 1 2005; - March 30 2006.

Earthquakes and associated land / sea level changes of Eastern Hokkaido, Northern Japan; PI with Antony Long, Katie Thomson and Yuki Sawai; University of Durham Research foundation/Dawai Foundation award/Geological Survey of Japan ($98,000); October 1 2004 - September 30, 2007.

Sea-level changes and crustal movements in Ireland; Co-PI with Robin Edwards; Enterprise Ireland ($90,000); April 1, 2003 - September 30, 2006.

Constraining the amplitude and timing of the mid Holocene highstand, Great Barrier Reef Coastline, Australia; Co-PI with Ian Shennan, Scott Smithers and Sarah Woodroffe; NERC ($98,000); October 1, 2002 - September 30, 2005.

Statistical Methodology for the Estimation of Former Sea Levels; Co-PI with Clive Anderson; EPSRC ($98,000); September, 1 2002 - September 30, 2005.

Sea-level change and coastal evolution: impacts on Wakatobi National Park, Indonesia; PI; NERC/Operation Wallacea Ltd ($>100,000 total); June 1, 2000 - July 2005.

Late Holocene paleoseismicity and associated land/sea changes in the greater Anchorage area; Co-PI with Ian Shennan, Antony Long, Zong; United States Geological Survey Grant: ($90,000); October 1 2001 - September 30 2003.

Quaternary Environmental Change; PI with Associazione Nazionale Addestramento Professionale, Italy; European Union Teaching Grant ($220,000); October 1 2001 - September 30 2002.

Comprehensive Climate Variability in the North Atlantic Region during the Holocene; PI; University of Durham Research Grant ($30,000); January 1 2000 - December 31 2002.