Rebecca Rooney | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Rebecca Rooney | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award

Doctorate at University of Waterloo, Biology Department, Canada

Summary:

Dr. Rebecca Rooney is an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Waterloo, specializing in wetland ecology and conservation. With a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta, Dr. Rooneyā€™s research delves into the impacts of human activities on wetland ecosystems, including the effects of oil sands mining and invasive species. She has published extensively, with her work cited nearly 1800 times, and she actively contributes to several international and national scientific advisory boards. Dr. Rooneyā€™s contributions to the field have been recognized through numerous awards, highlighting her as a leader in wetland conservation and environmental science.

Professional Profile:

šŸ‘©ā€šŸŽ“Education:

Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (2011)

  • Thesis: Wetland assessment in Albertaā€™s oil sands mining area
  • Supervisor: Dr. S.E. Bayley

M.Sc. in Entomology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB (2006)

  • Thesis: The influence of a rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) cage farm on the benthic environment and invertebrate fauna of Lake 375, Experimental Lakes Area
  • Supervisor: Dr. C.L. Podemski

B.Sc. Hns. in Environmental Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON (2003)

  • Thesis: The relative influence of local and landscape scale habitat on diversity of Odonata in freshwater ponds near Ottawa, Canada
  • Supervisor: Dr. L. Fahrig

šŸ¢ Professional Experience:

Dr. Rebecca Rooney is an esteemed Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo, a position she has held since 2019. She began her tenure at the University of Waterloo as an Assistant Professor in 2012, after serving as a Research Associate at the University of Alberta. Her academic career is complemented by her adjunct appointments at the University of Guelph and Queenā€™s University. Dr. Rooney took maternity leaves in 2015 and 2019.

In her role, Dr. Rooney has demonstrated leadership and commitment to advancing the field of biological sciences, particularly in wetland ecology and conservation. She has served as the Canadian Co-chair of the Research Coordination Committee of the International Joint Commissionā€™s Science Advisory Board since 2018, where she contributes to various working groups, including Connecting Waters, Microplastics in the Great Lakes, Great Lakes Early Warning System, Community Science, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Her significant contributions have been recognized with numerous awards and honors, including the Leadership Award from the Invasive Species Centre in 2024 and the Excellence in Science Research Award from the University of Waterloo in 2022.

Research Interests:

Dr. Rooneyā€™s research is focused on wetland ecology, conservation biology, and environmental monitoring. Her work often intersects with the study of human impacts on aquatic ecosystems, invasive species management, and the application of traditional ecological knowledge in environmental science.

Author Metrics:

Dr. Rooney has an impressive publication record, with 68 peer-reviewed journal articles, 4 in review, and 1 in press. Her work has been cited 1795 times, achieving an h-index of 24 and an i10-index of 38 according to Google Scholar. Since 2018, Dr. Rooney and her highly qualified personnel (HQP) have delivered over 44 conference presentations and 25 invited or plenary talks, in addition to authoring more than 40 reports for government agencies.

Top Noted Publication:

Oil sands mining and reclamation cause massive loss of peatland and stored carbon

  • Authors: RC Rooney, SE Bayley, DW Schindler
  • Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • Volume: 109
  • Issue: 13
  • Pages: 4933-4937
  • Year: 2012
  • Citations: 340

High microcystin concentrations occur only at low nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratios in nutrient-rich Canadian lakes

  • Authors: DM Orihel, DF Bird, M Brylinsky, H Chen, DB Donald, DY Huang, A Giani, …
  • Journal: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
  • Volume: 69
  • Issue: 9
  • Pages: 1457-1462
  • Year: 2012
  • Citations: 174

Setting reclamation targets and evaluating progress: submersed aquatic vegetation in natural and post-oil sands mining wetlands in Alberta, Canada

  • Authors: RC Rooney, SE Bayley
  • Journal: Ecological Engineering
  • Volume: 37
  • Issue: 4
  • Pages: 569-579
  • Year: 2011
  • Citations: 91

Stochastic and deterministic processes drive wetland community assembly across a gradient of environmental filtering

  • Authors: J Daniel, JE Gleason, K Cottenie, RC Rooney
  • Journal: Oikos
  • Volume: 128
  • Issue: 8
  • Pages: 1158-1169
  • Year: 2019
  • Citations: 63

Community congruence of plants, invertebrates and birds in natural and constructed shallow open-water wetlands: do we need to monitor multiple assemblages?

  • Authors: RC Rooney, SE Bayley
  • Journal: Ecological Indicators
  • Volume: 20
  • Pages: 42-50
  • Year: 2012
  • Citations: 62