Environmental Studies Faculty and Staff
Nancy Gift Ph.D.
ngift@chatham.edu
Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
Hometown : Lexington, KY
Joined Chatham : 2005
Academic Areas of Interest
lawn weeds and organic lawn care, sustainable agriculture, urban gardening
Personal Areas of Interest
Hiking, gardening, playing outside, biking
Personal Website : Visit Website
Biography
After 7 years, I am leaving Chatham to become Compton Chair of Sustainability at Berea College.
Education
- Ph.D., Cornell University, Weed Science, 2002, advisor Russ Hahn
- M.S., University of Kentucky, Crop Science 1995, advisor Larry Grabau
- A.B., Harvard-Radcliffe, Biology 1993, thesis advisor Peter F. Stevens
Publications
- Book Review of Plant Systematics, by Michael Simpson. 11/2011 Agronomy Journal. (N. Gift)
- Environmental Microbiology: Tannins & Microbial Decomposition of Leaves on the Forest Floor, The American Biology Teacher (v. 72, Oct. 2010), M.B. Traw and N. Gift
- Good Weed, Bad Weed: Who's Who, What to Do, and Why Some Deserve a Second Chance (with Sheila Rodgers, photographer) (St Lynn's Press, 2011)
- A Weed by any Other Name. May 2009 release, Beacon Press.
- Gift, N., R.R. Hahn, and J. Mt Pleasant. 2008. Quackgrass managed as a cover crop in herbicide-resistant silage corn. Weed Biology and Management.
- Gift, N. December 2007 “Rachel Carson: Innovator.” Western Pennsylvania History Magazine.
- Nancy Gift. Rachel Carson: 100 years young. Next Page. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 27, 2007. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07147/789138-109.stm
- N. Gift. March 2008. The Ecology of Birth. Midwifery Today.
- Gift, Nancy and Gift, Richard E., "Newspaper-Based Creative Writing as a Teaching Tool" (June 26, 2006). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=914608
- Gift, N. and M. Krasny. 2003.The great fossil fiasco: teaching about peer review. The American Biology Teacher 65: 270-278.
- Gift, N. and P.F. Stevens. 1997. Vagaries in the delimitation of character states in quantitative variation. Systematic Biology 46(1): 112-125.
Certifications
Awards
- Acting Director, Rachel Carson Institute (2005-2010)
- Buhl Professorship (2010-2011) awarded “to that member of the faculty who has most distinguished himself or herself in teaching, creative effort and outstanding contribution to the College"
- A Weed by Any Other Name - NY Sunday Book Review
- 3rd place graduate team (with Brad Rauch), Northeast Weeds Contest, Guelph Ontario 2000
Organizations
- Associate Editor for Agronomy Journal
- Member of the Agronomy Society of America (ASA)
- Member of ASLE (Literature and Environment)
- Member of Garden Club of Allegheny County
Achievements
Presentations
- "Your Organic Lawn and Garden" Glade Run Spring Symposium, March 2009
- "Alternatives to Home Pesticides" Women's Health and Environment Lecture Series. Carnegie Science Center, April 17, 2008.
- "Inspiring imagination and avoiding overdesign in children's play spaces" PAEYC Conference, 2008.
- Gift, N. "Rachel Carson and the Freedom Lawn" ASLE Conference, Greenville, SC June 13-15, 2007
- Gift, N. and Mulloy, Brigid. "The Ecology of Birth" Midwifery Today Conference, San Jose, Costa Rica, May 27, 2007
- Home Pesticides: Environmental and Health Concerns. Invited talk for Environmental Health Symposium, Community College of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, November 9,2007.
- Rachel Carson’s Life and Environmental Ethic. Invited talk for Hillcrest Garden Club, Pittsburgh. October 9, 2007
- Freedom for Fall: Pesticides and Lawn Care. The Garden Club of Allegheny County, Ligonier. October 12, 2006
- The Freedom Lawn: Principles of Environmentally Friendly Lawn Care. Fern Hollow Nature Center, Sewickley. March 31, 2007
- Pet-Friendly Lawn Care. Invited talk at Pittsburgh Animal Friends. June 19, 2006.
- Organic lawn care. Interviewed by Doug Oster of The Organic Gardener on KDKA radio. Feb. 23, 2007, aired Sunday March 11, 2007.
- Moving toward sustainability: reducing herbicide use in field crops. Minnesota Southwest Research and Extension Center, Lamberton, MN. November 13, 2002.