Mark R. Welford


Dr. Welford (far back) posing with 12 students and two faculty from USG Study Abroad to University of Westminister-Harrow, London 2004 on a field trip to Suffolk.

Research Interests: Conservation, biogeography and geodynamics of Andean cloud forest; Fluvial and Hillslope Geomorphology.

Teaching

Dr. Welford continues to enjoy the challenge of teaching large sections (~150 students) of World Regional Geography. He also continues to teach a variety of upper-division courses such as Geography of Latin America, Biogeography, Weather and Climate, and Geomorphology. In addition, to these more traditional teaching environments, Dr. Welford has recently taught in the University System of Georgia's Study Abroad to London in 2003, 2004 and 2005, and Georgia Southern's Study Abroad to the Czech Republic. In March 2005, Dr. Welford led Department of Geology and Geography's and the GeoClub's first foreign fieldtrip. Dr. Welford plans to again offer a foreign fieldtrip to Ecuador in May 2008.

Research

Dr. Welford primary research interest is in Northern Ecuador where he investigates processes that shape and modify tropical montane landscapes. Currently he is trying to evaluate the following questions: where do shallow landslides occur and what is the frequency of their occurrence, and are the spatial patterns and diversity of flora and fauna significantly influenced by variations in physical climatology, soil chemistry, and incidence of shallow landslides. Dr. Welford is currently pursuing grant funding to work with Dr. Alan Dykes, UK on landslide initiation in the Ecuadorian Andes.

Service

Since arriving at Georgia Southern, Dr. Welford has served the Department of Geology and Geography on numerous occasions as search committee chair and in the past has chaired the Department's curriculum committee. He has also served on the Educational Programs Support Team that assisted in the compliance certification audit for the SACS reaffirmation, and he is currently program director for Georgia Southern's 2008 Study Abroad to Krakow. Dr. Welford is responsible for the programs budget, recruitment, and site direction.

Significant and Recent Publications (since 1999):

Welford, M.R., Vásquez, A., Sambrano, P., Nunnery, T. and Ulman, B. (2007) "Evidence for Giant Cowbird Molothrus oryzivorus brood-parasitism of Turquoise Jays Cyanolyca turcosa in northwest Ecuador and how this alters our understanding of Cowbird brood parasitism". Cotinga 27 (spring issue): 58-60.

Dykes, A.P. and Welford, M.R. (2007) "Landslides in the Tandayapa Valley, northern Andes, Ecuador: implications for landform development in humid and tectonically active mountain ranges". Landslides 4 (2): 177-187.

Welford, M.R. and DeFalco, S. (2003) "Early successional habitats and bird-related ecotourism in the Ecuadorian Andes". Lyonia 4 (1): 97-102. http://www.lyonia.org/

Welford, Mark R. and Nunnery, Tony. (2001) "Behavior and use of human trail by Giant Antpitta (Grallaria gigantea)". Cotinga, 15, Autumn 2001, p. 67-68.

Welford, Mark R. (2000) "The importance of early successional habitats to rare, restricted-range, and endangered birds in the Ecuadorian Andes". Bird Conservation International, 10 (4), 351-360.

Battles, Denise A. and Welford, Mark R. (2000) "An Assessment of Combined Academic Geology and Geography Departments based on a Survey of Department Chairs". Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 48, 641-650.