Curriculum Vitae

JESSICA HOPE WHITESIDE

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University 61 Rt. 9W Palisades, NY 10964 Phone: 845.365.8621 E-mail: jhw@ldeo.columbia.edu DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH 1979, Phoenix, Arizona EDUCATION Ph.D. Candidate, Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2001-Present, Columbia University  (at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory), New York, NY. Thesis Title: Catastrophic, Climatic, and Biotic Modulation of Ecosystem Evolution. Advisor: Prof. Paul E. Olsen. M.Phil. Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2004, Columbia University  (at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory), New York, NY. M.A. Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2003, Columbia University  (at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory), New York, NY. B.A. (Magna cum Laude), Geology, 2001, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA. Advisors: Prof. Lynn Margulis (University of Massachusetts-Amherst), Mark M.A.S. McMenamin (Mount Holyoke College).

Field work in the Deep River Triassic rift basin: March 2004.

INTERESTS

Biosphere evolution and ecology, especially mass extinction analysis, the integration of life and physical sciences (e.g., climatology, carbon cycling, and ecosystem thermodynamics), classical natural history (i.e., fossil identification and systematics), and the global and local effects of symbiosis (including the development of a "medical symbiotics" that rethinks pathogenicity on an evolutionary model of disease).

(go to Triassic/Jurassic Research Group)

PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Sept., 2001 to present: Faculty Fellow, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY.

July, 2000 to Sept., 2001: Research Assistant to Prof. Lynn Margulis, Department of Geosciences and Graduate Program in Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Oct., 1999 to June 2000: Trilobite curator for Prof. Euan Clarkson, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Edinburgh and the Royal Museum of Scotland, U.K.

Aug., 1999 to Oct.,1999: Micropaleontologist/biostratigrapher (Student Conservation Association Diversity Intern), Minerals Management Service, US Interior Department, New Orleans, LA.

June 1999 to Aug., 1999: Aquatic ecologist/limnologist (DOE Energy Undergraduate Research Fellow), Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN.

Jan.,1999 to Feb.,1999: Micropaleontologist, Minerals Management Service, US Interior Department, New Orleans, LA. 

June 1998 to Aug., 1998: Aquatic ecologist/limnologist (DOE Energy Undergraduate Research Fellow), Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN.

SERVICE TO COMMUNITY

Brynes, L., Margulis, L., Benson, J.B., Dolan, M., Whiteside, J.H., 2001, Living Sands: Mapping Time and Space with Forams.  Teaching unit and poster. NeoSci.

March 2000 to June 2000: Field trip leader, Royal Museum of Scotland, UK, in conjunction with British Geological Association.

Aug., 1999 to Oct., 1999: Coastal cleanup organizer, West Ship Island, Southeastern LA.

Reviewer of manuscript for PNAS and other journals.

Member IGCP 458 (Triassic-Jurassic Boundary Events)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Feb., 2003: Discussion leader, Keeping Things Whole: Readings in Environmnetal Science, Great Books Foundation Winter Sonoran Desert Institute and College of the Humanities and Sciences, Tempe, Arizona. Biosphere 2 Center, Oracle, AZ.

Jan., 2003 to May 2003: Teaching Assistant (undergraduates), The Earth System: Life System, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY.

Jan., 2002 to May 2002: Teaching Assistant (undergraduates), The Earth System: Life System, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY.

Feb., 2002: Discussion leader, The Nature of Life: Readings in Biology, Great Books Foundation Winter Sonoran Desert Institute and College of the Humanities and Sciences, Tempe, Arizona. Biosphere 2 Center, Oracle, AZ.

Jan., 1999 to June 1999: Teaching Assistant (undergraduates), History of Life, Department of Earth and Environment, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma XI, International Symbiosis Society, Geological Society of America, American Geophysical Union, European Geophysical Union, American Association of Petroleum Geology, The Paleontological Society, New York Academy of Sciences

GRANTS, ACADEMIC HONORS, AND AWARDS

2005: Milankovitch modulation of lacustrine ecosystem development, Climate Center grant, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory ($6,000)

2004: Tropical climate forcing and biotic provinciality in Triassic-Jurassic Pangea, Climate Center grant, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (P.E. Olsen and J.H. Whiteside) ($6,000)

2004: Milankovitch forcing of Triassic-Jurassic lacustrine carbon isotope dynamics and fish community structure, Geological Society of America student research grant ($2,400)

2004: Carbon isotope chemostratigraphic records from well cuttings for global correlation of non-marine sections, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Sherman A. Wengard Memorial Grant ($2,000)

2003: Magnitude and duration of a Triassic-Jurassic supergreenhouse, Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research($1,000)

2003: CO2 super greenhouse at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary? Climate Center grant, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (J.H. Whiteside and P.E. Olsen) ($6,000)

2003: International Symbiosis Society NSF-sponsored travel grant; GSA travel grant

2001: National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship; Sigma XI award; Phi Beta Kappa

2000: E.J. Murphy Coastal Marine Science Fellowship; Who's Who Among Students in Colleges; Summer Mount Holyoke College Research Fellowship, Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Costa Rica; Harry S. Truman Foundation Finalist; AGU Travel Grant

1999: Sarah Williston Scholar (top 15% of junior class); Laurel Fellowship for Overseas Studies; Morris K. Udall Scholarship; Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship; Student Conservation Association Leadership Workshop, Arlington, VA; DOI Student Conservation Diversity Intern, Minerals Management Services, New Orleans, LA; DOE Energy Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Oak Ridge National Lab, TN

1998: DOE Energy Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Oak Ridge National Lab, TN

1997: Heilig-Meyers Foundation Scholarship; ITW-Paslode Foundation Scholarship; National Collegiate Natural Science Awards Winner; Hot Springs Rotary Club Scholarship

FIELD EXPERIENCE

Summer 2002, 2003, Spring, Summer, Fall 2004, Spring, Summer 2005: Triassic-Jurassic rift basin (eastern North America, Morocco, Italy) paleontological/geochemical sample collection.

Spring 2001: Death Valley, CA, field mapping.

Summer 2000: Parque Nacional Corcovado, Costa Rica, biodiversity inventories.

Spring 2000: Pentland Hills, Scotland, carbon and nitrogen cycling analysis.

April 2000: Northwest England, field mapping.

Summer 1999: Tennessee stream beds, UV-absorbing compounds in periphyton studies.

Summer 1998: Oak Ridge, TN, toxicity tests; limiting nutrient studies for Jacobs Engineering, Inc. and the Massachusetts Military Reservation, Cape Cod, MA.

PUBLICATIONS

Whiteside, J.H., Olsen, P.E., Kent, D,V., Fowell, S.J., Et-Touhami, M., 2005, Synchrony between the CAMP and the Triassic-Jurassic mass-extinction event? Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, and Palaeoecology, (in review: invited).

Margulis, L., Dolan, M., Whiteside, J.H., 2004,  "Imperfections and oddities" in the origin of the nucleus. Paleobiology, v. 31. p. 175-191.

Dolan, M.F., Wier, A.M., Melnitsky, H., Whiteside, J.H., Margulis, L., 2004.  Cysts and symbionts of Staurojoenina assimilis Kirby from Neotermes.  European Journal of Protistology v. 40, p. 257–264. (download a ,pdf of this paper)

Sagan, D., and Whiteside, J.H., 2004, Prismatic Progress, in Rothenberg, D. (ed.) Writing the Future: Progress and Evolution. MIT Press, Cambridge, p. 63-72.

Sagan, D., and Whiteside, J.H., 2004, Gradient-Reduction Theory: Thermodynamics and the Purpose of Life, in Crist, E. and Schneider, S. (eds.), Scientists Debate Gaia: The Next Century. MIT Press, Cambridge, p. 173-186. (download a ,pdf of this paper)

Olsen, P.E., Kent, D.V., Whiteside, J.H., 2004, The Newark Basin, The Central Atlantic Magmatic Province, and the Triassic-Jurassic Boundary. Field Trip for the 8th Annual DOSECC Workshop on Continental Scientific Drilling, May 22-25, 2004. Rutgers University New Brunswick, New Jersey, DOSECC, Salt Lake City, 45 p. (download a .pdf of this paper: 4.5 MB)

Whiteside, J.H., 2004, Arboreal Stromatolites: A 210-Million Year Record, in Lowman, M.D., and Rinker, B. (eds.), Forest Canopies (Physiological Ecology Series), 2nd edition. Academic Press, p. 147-149. (download a .pdf of this paper)

Olsen, P.E., Whiteside, J.H., Huber, P., 2003, Causes and consequences of the Triassic-Jurassic mass extinction as seen from the Hartford basin, in Brady, J. B. and Cheney, J.T. (eds.) Guidebook for Field Trips in the Five College Region, 95th New England Intercollegiate Geological Conference, Department of Geology, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, p. B5-1 - B5-41. download a ,pdf of this paper (3.8 MB).

Margulis, L., Sagan, D., Whiteside, J., 2002, The evolution of composite individuality:  From cells to cities. Kosmos. The Humboldt Foundation: Berlin, April, p. 23-25.

Sagan, D., and Whiteside, J.H. 2001, Design explained: The Goldilocks paradox. Swift.

CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS

Olsen, P.E., Rasbury, E.T., Whiteside, J.H., 2005, Implications of radiometric ages from stromatolites, coprolites, and caliches from the Newark and Hartford Triassic-Jurassic rift basins. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with programs, v. 37 (1), p. 7 (invited).  (go to the web page of the abstract).

Whiteside, J.H., Olsen, P.E., Kent, D.V., 2005, Intensification of Milankovitch cycles associated with the Triassic-Jurassic super-greenhouse. Geophysical Research Abstracts (EGU 05-A-10827).

Whiteside, J.H. and Olsen, P.E., 2005, Arboreal stromatolits from the Triassic and Jurassic of eastern North America: Implications for environmental change. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with programs, v. 37 (1), p. 8 (invited).  (go to the web page of this abstract).

Whiteside, J.H. and Olsen, P.E., 2004, The Central Atlantic Magmatic Province and its Relationship to Mantle Plumes, Continental Rifting, Initial Atlantic Seafloor Spreading, and the Triassic-Jurassic Mass Extinction, Plate Tectonics, Plumes, and Planetary Lithospheres---November 12-November 15, University of Houston Department of Geosciences, Houston Geological Society, UH Geoscience Alumni Association, and the Lunar Planetary Institute, 11/12/2004 05:39, http://www.geosc.uh.edu/Burke/

Olsen, P.E., and Whiteside, J.H., 2004, Was Dinosaur dominance triggered by the eruption of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) or a bolide impact? Plate Tectonics, Plumes, and Planetary Lithospheres---November 12-November 15, University of Houston Department of Geosciences, Houston Geological Society, UH Geoscience Alumni Association, and the Lunar Planetary Institute, 11/12/2004 02:20, http://www.geosc.uh.edu/Burke/

Olsen, P.E., Kent, D.V., Whiteside, J.H., 2004, The geological context of the Newark basin based on 6700 m of continous core. Hydrogeology of the Newark Basin: Regional Workshop, November 11-12, 2004, http://rockbox.rutgers.edu/nbhydro/index.html

Olsen, P.E., Et-Touhami, M., Whiteside, J.H., 2004, Relationship between the continental Triassic-Jurassic boundary and the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province in Eastern North America and Morocco. GMPT IV, Fez, Morocco.

Olsen, P.E., Kent, D.V., Muttoni, G., Whiteside, J.H., 2004, Assessment of implications of recent marine magnetostratigraphic correlations for non-marine identification of the Carnian-Norian and Norian-Rhaetian boundaries. 32nd International Geological Congress, Florence, IGCP 458 Workshop (invited).

Olsen, P.E., Whiteside, J.H., Et-Touhami, M., Kent, D.V., Fowell, S.J., 2004, Stratigraphic Relationship between the continental Triassic-Jurassic boundary and the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province in Eastern North America and Morocco. 32nd International Geological Congress 253-11 [http://www.32igc.info/igc32/search/] (invited). (go to the web page of this abstract)

Whiteside, J.H., 2004, Arthromitus and Bacillus anthracis: Weaponized symbionts. Human Brain in the Context of Natural History: 3000 million years of evolution of sensory systems, Bellagio, Italy, April 12-16 (invited).

Whiteside, J.H., Olsen, P.E., Sambrotto, R.N., Cornet, B., 2004, Negative δ¹³C anomaly at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary in the Pangean arid tropics. 32nd International Geological Congress 253-6 [http://www.32igc.info/igc32/search/] (invited). (go to the web page of this abstract).

Whiteside, J.H., Olsen, P.E., Sambrotto, R.N., Cornet, B., 2004, Milankovitch modulation of δ¹³Corg and fish communities in the tropical great lakes of the Triassic-Jurassic Pangean rift system. Geophysical Research Abstracts, v. 6, 07738. (download a .pdf of the abstract).

Whiteside, J.H., Olsen, P.E., Sambrotto, R.N., 2003, Negative δ¹³C carbon isotopic anomaly in continental strata at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary in eastern North America (Newark Basin, Pennsylvania, USA). Geological Society of America, v. 34, no. 7, p. 160. (go to the www version).

Whiteside, J.H., Olsen, P.E., Cornet, B., Sambrotto, R.N., 2003, Parallel δ¹³C and conifer physiognomic trends across the Triassic-Jurassic boundary. Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, Supplement, v. 84, no. 46, p. F299. (go to www version of abstract)

Whiteside, J.H., Olsen, P.E., Rasbury, T., 2003, A 230 million year old record of arboreal stromatolites. Fourth International Symbiosis Congress Schedule and Abstracts. Etc. Press, Halifax, Nova Scotia, pp. 173-174.

Whiteside, J.H., and Olsen, P. E., 2003, Possible Triassic-Jurassic boundary sections, Hartford basin, Eastern North America. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 35, no. 3, p. 84. (go to abstract).

Olsen, P.E., Et-Touhami, M., Whiteside, J.H., 2003, The initial CAMP flood basalt event and its relationship to overlying carbonate-rich sequences (North America and Northwest Africa): two options related to the Triassic-Jurassic boundary. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 35, no. 3, p. 89. (go to abstract).

Olsen, P.E., and Whiteside, J.H., 2003, Evolutionary and ecological sequelae of mass extinctions: examples from the continental Triassic-Jurassic boundary. Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, Supplement, v. 84, no. 46, p. F335. (go to the www version).

Olsen, P.E., Whiteside, J.H., LeTourneau, P.M., Kent, D.V., 2003, The first half million years of the Jurassic as seen in the stratigraphy and paleoecology of the Newark Supergroup of eastern North America. Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 34, no. 7, p. 88. (go to the www version)

Whiteside, J.H., 2002, Symbiosis and the mermaid's parasol, VI Congreso Latinoamericano de Ficologia, Ponce, Puerto Rico, Meeting Abstracts, September 22-28, abstract O-20, (invited).

Whiteside, J.H., and Clarkson, E.N.K., 2000, Calcium scaffolding, consciousness evolution and the Cambrian explosion. Poster presented at 2nd Chapman Conference, American Geophysical Union, Valencia, Spain, June 19-23, (invited).

Whiteside, J.H., Pardiwala, R.N., Grace, H., 2000, Collembolan activity rates in heathland organic soils in relation to nutrient uptake following fertilization. 2nd Chapman Conference, American Geophysical Union, Valencia, Spain, Meeting Abstracts, June 19-23, p. 27, (invited).

Whiteside, J.H., 1996, The effects of extremely low-level frequency microwaves on chlorophyll concentration in Pisum sativum. Arkansas Symposium for Sciences and Humanities, Conway, AR, (invited).