Bio & Expertise
Dr. Jason Ortegren, a Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, conducts research on climatology, meteorology, drought and other topics. Specifically, he has studied the impact of regional weather on human health, the role of tropical cyclones in drought amelioration, urban temperature trends in the Southeast, human health impacts of severe rainfall and flooding events, climatic influences on honey production, and subjects involving paleoclimatology, dendrochronology, and freshwater resources. Ortegren’s work has been published in Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Journal of Climate, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, The Professional Geographer, and other publications.
Ortegren has both a Ph.D. and a M.A. in Geography from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He earned a B.S. in Geography from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. He is Director of TRAIL, the Tree Ring Analysis and Interpretation Laboratory at UWF. The lab is used for teaching and research in dendrochronology—the scientific method of interpreting ancient environmental variability by analyzing the growth rings of trees. TRAIL research projects have examined forest ecology, plant response to environmental change, and the benefits of the urban forest canopy in Northwest Florida. Among the courses Ortegren teaches: Earth Science, Conservation of Natural Resources, Urban Planning, Weather & Climate, and Advanced Climatology and Climate Change