The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Department of Geography faculty member, Dr. Alexandra Ponette-González has received over two million dollars in National Science Foundation funding to support multi-year research projects.

The first of these projects concerns the deposition of particulate matter from the atmosphere in rainfall through forest canopies in throughfall and stemflow. Dr. Ponnette-González joins a team of researchers from Cleveland State University and Utah State University on this project, the public abstract of which can be found on the National Science Foundation (NSF) website under Award Abstract #2213624. Funding was received through the NSF Macrosystems Biology and NEON-Enabled Science programs.

In addition, Dr. Ponette-González leads an interdisciplinary team of researchers, including Dr. Matthew Fry from the Department of Geography and the Environment at UNT as well as colleagues from Cleveland State University, the University of Oregon, and Texas Christian University to study the ecosystem services of urban trees.

Funding was received through the NSF Dynamics of Integrated Socio-Environmental Systems Program.

Dr. Ponette-González is an associate professor with the department of geography and is currently investigating the influence of drought-induced dust on nutrient and pollutant inputs to ecosystems in Texas and the role of urban trees as 'natural' air filters.

Dr. Ponette-González has been with UNT for 11 years and she teaches Earth Science, Ecosystems, and Geosystems, Environment and Society. She seeks to broaden participation in and increase the visibility of underrepresented groups in STEM fields.

Repost from: geography.unt.edu