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Degrees:
Ph.D., Univ. of Florida
M.S., Univ. of Florida
B.A., Univ. of Vermont
Dr. Amber Pitt is an Associate Professor in the Environmental Science Program at Trinity College. Her interdisciplinary, conservation-driven research focuses on elucidating patterns and causes of biodiversity loss and alteration across spatial and ecological organizational scales. She primarily examines aquatic systems and herpetofauna due to their rapid global decline and inherent sensitivity to pervasive stressors. Amber’s teaching philosophy and practice stem from her goal to actively engage students in the learning process so that they may develop, exercise, and enhance their critical thinking and research skills. She integrates research and other experiential learning opportunities into coursework. Additionally, she involves students in her research program. Her most recent research focuses on long-term changes in a river turtle community, the effects of land use on hellbender salamander habitat and population persistence, and urban pond ecology.
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Conservation ecology
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Herpetology
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Wetland and aquatic ecology
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ENVS-141
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Global Perspectives on Biodiversity and Conservation
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ENVS-149
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Introduction to Environmental Science
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ENVS-233
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Conservation Biology
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ENVS-375
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Methods in Environmental Science
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Ecology and conservation of imperiled species, especially amphibians and reptiles
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Effects of ecosystem management and land use practices on imperiled species
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Ephemeral and isolated wetland ecology
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Select Publications:
- Pitt, A.L., J.J. Tavano, E.G. Tate, M.D. Little, & M.A. Nickerson. 2021. Short-term impacts of a record-shattering flood and dam removal on a river turtle assemblage and population placed within the context of a 50 year study. Acta Oecologica 110:103699.
- Pitt, A.L., J.L. Shinskie, J.J. Tavano, S.M. Hartzell, T. Delahunty, & S.F. Spear. 2017. Decline of a giant salamander assessed with historical records, environmental DNA, and multi-scale habitat data. Freshwater Biology 62(6):967-976.
- Chow, A.T., A.L. Pitt, R.F. Baldwin, D. Suhre, & J. Wang. 2016. Water quality dynamics of ephemeral wetlands in the Piedmont ecoregion, South Carolina, USA. Ecological Engineering 94:555-563.
- Yu, X., J. Hawley-Howard, A.L. Pitt, J. Wang, R.F. Baldwin, & A.T. Chow. 2015. Water quality of small, seasonal wetlands in the Piedmont ecoregion, South Carolina, USA: Effects of land-use and hydrology. Water Research 73:98-108.
- Pitt, A.L., J.J. Tavano, R.F. Baldwin, & T.A. Waldrop. 2013. Effects of fuel reduction treatments on movement and habitat use of American toads (Anaxyrus americanus) in a southern Appalachian hardwood forest. Forest Ecology and Management 310:289-299.
- Pitt, A.L., & M.A. Nickerson. 2013. Potential recovery of a declined turtle population diminished by a community shift towards more generalist species. Amphibia-Reptilia 34(2):193-200.
- Pitt, A.L., R.F. Baldwin, B.L. Brown, D.J. Lipscomb, J.E. Hawley, C.M. Allard, & P.B. Leonard. 2012. The missing wetlands: Using local ecological knowledge to find cryptic ecosystems. Biodiversity and Conservation 21:51-63.
- Nickerson, C.A., C.M. Ott, S.L. Castro, V.M. Garcia, T.C. Molina, J.T. Briggler, A.L. Pitt, J.J. Tavano, J.K. Byram, J. Barrila, & M.A. Nickerson. 2011. Evaluation of microorganisms cultured from injured and repressed tissue regeneration sites in endangered giant aquatic Ozark hellbender salamanders. PLoS ONE 6(12):e28906.
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Select Research Grants:
- Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Wild Resource Conservation Grant. The effect of land use regimes on hellbender habitat and population persistence in Pennsylvania. $38,463, Awarded 2014.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Wetland Program Development Grant. Defining significant nexus with navigable waters for small, relatively isolated wetlands in the Piedmont ecoregion. (Co-PIs: R.F. Baldwin, A.T. Chow, M. Scott, G. Yarrow, and J. Hains) $293,367, Awarded 2011.
- U.S. Forest Service Grant. Amphibian response to fire: anuran movements and habitat selection. (Co-PI: R.F. Baldwin) $49,991, Awarded 2011.
- U.S. Forest Service Grant. Impacts of fire on fauna in the Appalachian region. (Co-PI: R.F. Baldwin) $15,644, Awarded 2011.
- Saint Louis Zoological Park Grant. Investigation of coliform bacterial content of the North Fork of White River and associated springs and its relation to Ozark hellbender, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi, and turtle habitat. (Co-PI: M.A. Nickerson) $10,000, Awarded 2007.
- Saint Louis Zoological Park Grant. Investigation of potential re-introduction sites for captive-reared larval hellbenders, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, in the North Fork of White River, Ozark County, Missouri. (Co-PI: M.A. Nickerson) $10,000, Awarded 2006.
Select Awards:
- Arthur H. Hughes Award for Teaching Achievement, 2021.
- Outstanding Woman of the Year Award, Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, PA, 2015 & 2016.
- Live Blue Challenge Winner, 28th International Sea Turtle Symposium, Loreto, B.C.S., Mexico, 2008.
- Best Student Paper Award, IUCN Turtle Survival Alliance and IUCN Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group 4th Annual Symposium on Conservation and Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises, St. Louis, MO, 2006.
- Social Venture Category 1st Place Winner, University of Florida Warrington College of Business Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation Howard J. Leonhardt Business Plan Competition, Gainesville, FL, 2006.
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