Contact Information:
452 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building University Park, PA 16802- Phone: 814-863-4246
- Fax: 814-863-7043
- E-mail: pjd7@psu.edu
Appointment:
- 50% Teaching
- 50% Research
Courses Taught:
- SOILS 100 - Soil Judging
- SOILS 415 - Soil Morphology, Mapping and Land Use
- SOILS 416 - Soil Genesis and Classification
- SOILS 516 - Soil Genesis
Links:
Patrick Drohan
Assistant Professor of Pedology
Responsibilities and Interests:
I am a soil scientist who conducts research on:
- changes in soil physical, chemical and mineralogical properties due to disturbance and how ecosystems change in response;
- soil genesis, classification, and mapping;
- problematic soil physical and chemical properties in urban environments and their management;
- land use assessment based on soils.
Detailed information on my research and soil information pertinent to Pennsylvania can be found on the Penn State Soil Characterization Lab Web site.
Education:
- 2000 — Ph.D. Soil Science. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- 1996 — M.S. Environmental Pollution Control. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.
- 1992 — B.S. Natural Resource Management. Cook College-Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.
Other:
- 2001 — University of Maine, Maine Compost School, medium- and large-scale composting certification.
Professional Background:
- Assistant Professor, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. 2007-present.
- Director, Pine Lake Institute for Environmental & Sustainability Studies, Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY. 2006-2007.
- Assistant Professor, Department of Geoscience, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV. 2004-2006.
- Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV. 2003-2004.
- Assistant Professor, Shepherd College, Institute for Environmental Studies, Shepherdstown, WV. 2000-2003.
- PhD Graduate Teaching Assistant, Dept. of Agronomy (now Crop and Soil Sciences), The Pennsylvania State University. 1996-2000.
- MS Graduate Research Assistant, Environmental Pollution Control Program, The Pennsylvania State University. 1994-1996.
Selected Publications:
- Drohan, P.J., and T. J. Farnham. 2006. A proposal for the formal designation of rare and threatened soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal 70: 2086-2096.
- Himes, J., and P.J. Drohan. 2006. Soil and topographical relationships associated with pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis) populations in central Nevada. Journal of Arid Environments 68(3):371-382.
- Mrozek, S.A., B.J. Buck, P.J. Drohan, and A.L. Brock. 2006. Decorative landscaping rock as a source for heavy metal contamination. Soil and Sediment Contamination 15(5):471-480.
- Drohan, P. J., C.N. Ross, J. Anderson, R. Fortney, and J. Rentch. 2006. Soil and hydrological drivers of Typha latifolia encroachment in a marl wetland. Wetlands Ecology and Management 14(2):107-122.
- Drohan, P.J., G.W. Petersen, and E.J. Ciolkosz. 2003. Soil survey mapping unit accuracy in forested field plots in northern Pennsylvania. Soil Science Society of America Journal 67:208-214.
- Drohan, P.J., G.W. Petersen, and S.L. Stout. 2002. A study of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh) decline during 1979 to 1989 in northern Pennsylvania. Forest Ecology and Management 170(1-3), 1-17.
- Drohan, P.J., and K.L. Butler. 2002. Evaluating many instructors across multiple lab sections—consistency and equity. Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education 31:73-80.
- Drohan, P.J., and D.R. DeWalle. 2002. Defoliation and atmospheric deposition influences on spring baseflow chemistry in 56 Pennsylvania mixed land-use watersheds. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 133(1-4), 31-48.