Featured Scientist:
Barry Rock

Dr. Barrett N. Rock (Barry) is an Associate Professor in the Complex Systems Research Center at the University of New Hampshire.

His own research has used remote sensing (such as earth-orbiting satellites) to assess the impact of air pollution on forest tree species. He looks both at the cellular level and on a regional scale for properties of leaves (such as pigment concentrations, moisture conditions, size and shape) that might indicate the plants' health. He's also been involved in characterizing and mapping forest damage in the US, Europe and Siberia.

Barry started Forest Watch to involve elementary, middle and high school students and teachers throughout New England in monitoring the health of white pines as an indicator of ozone pollution.

"I had devoted seven years of my life to developing earth-orbiting satellites as a means of monitoring environmental conditions, with a specific focus on assessing and monitoring air pollution effects of forest species. I had also learned just how difficult it can be to characterize ground conditions, especially vegetated (and especially forested) ground conditions." One of the ways he's able to "see through the trees" is with the help of hundreds of students who participate in the Forest Watch project.

Barry also served as the first Senior Scientist and Assistant Director of the GLOBE Program, an environmental education project in which students from 26 countries and over 2500 schools participate in hands-on science activities and data collection.

"Preparing for a Changing Climate," the New England Regional Assessment on Climate Change, was authored by Barry and his colleagues to evaluate the potential consequences of climate change in our region.

Barry’s educational background includes a B.A. in Botany from the University of Vermont in 1966, a M.S. in Botany from the University of Maryland in 1970, and a Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Maryland in 1972.