Jackie Wittmer Malinowski, PhD
Dr. Jackie is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at SUNY Geneseo. Her research focuses on stratigraphic and conservation paleobiology where she combines the fields of sequence stratigraphy and paleoecology to investigate environments and ecological communities through time. Her teaching is student-centered where she strives to create a learning
I have been teaching college courses in Geological Sciences since 2014 after I completed my doctorate at Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!). Before my time at Geneseo, I taught introductory to upper-level courses at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as a lecturer. I have been at Geneseo since 2017 and I am proud to call Geneseo my home.
My education includes a B.S. in Geology from Beloit College, a master’s of science at the University of Cincinnati, and a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences at Virginia Tech. My area of expertise is in the field of Paleobiology (study of past life, fossils!) but also in the fields of stratigraphy (sedimentary rock record) and sedimentology (transport and process of sediments).
Teaching Focus areas
- Paleobiology and Paleoecology
- Conservation Paleobiology and Extinctions
- Sedimentology and Deposition
- Paleoclimatology and Climate Change
- Natural Geologic and Environmental Hazards
- Environmental Science, Sustainability, and Conservation
- Historical Geology and the History of Life
- Evolution of sedimentary basins and hydrocarbon development
Research Focus areas
- Paleoecological analysis of reef communities
- Conservation paleobiology and paleoecological analysis of impacted benthic communities, specifically in the Finger Lake systems.
When I am not teaching or doing research, I love to spend my time with my family. I have a big family of three silly girls who love pink, purple, unicorns, mermaids, and fairies. So, my life is full of dancing, karate, and teaching my girls to be strong independent women.
I love hiking and you may catch me and my family hiking around many of the trails in the area. I also play the cello (for 20 years now) but I am not that very good (I just love playing because it makes me happy). I am also a huge Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Stranger Things fan.