Horisk-Kaitlyn

Expertise

Paleoecology, human-environment interactions, dryland ecosystem resilience, STEM education

Research Interests

Using paleoenvironmental indicators to understand how ecosystems respond to changes in climate.

Education

• Ph.D. Geosciences, 2024, Penn State University
• B.S. Geological Sciences, 2019, Binghamton University
• B.A. Anthropological Perspectives, 2019, Binghamton University

Biosketch

I teach several courses for majors and non-majors that explore subjects across Earth and environmental sciences. I am passionate about making complex subjects engaging and accessible, and I participate in community outreach efforts. Outside of work you will often find me walking my dog, spending time outdoors and doing various arts and crafts.

Selected Publications

• Horisk, K., Ivory, S., Freeman, K., Baczynski, A., McCorriston, J., Anderson, A., Anderson, R. S., Al-Kathiri, A. (Accepted, 2024) Late Holocene hydrologic variability and ecosystem structure from rock hyrax middens in Dhofar, Oman. Frontiers in Earth Science, Quaternary Science, Geomorphology, and Paleoenvironment.
• Horisk, K., Ivory, S., McCorriston, J., McHale, M., Mehri, A., Anderson, A., and Anderson, R. S., A., Kathiri. (2023). Vegetation Dynamics in Dhofar, Oman from the late Holocene to present inferred from rock hyrax middens. Quaternary Research, 1-18.

Selected Presentations

• Horisk, K., Lau, K., Ivory, S., Snider, J., Finkle, P. Assessing an interpretive exhibit through undergraduate lab assignments in Geosciences. The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, June 2023.
• Horisk, K., Ivory, S., Freeman, K., Baczynski, A., McCorriston, J., Kathiri, A., Mahri, A. Understanding drivers of vegetation change in Dhofar, Oman: a biodiverse dryland ecosystem
  Geological Society of America, Oct 2022.
• “Paleoecological insights into drivers of landscape change in Dhofar, Oman” International Geomorphology Week Regional Webinar for North America. International Association of Geomorphologists. March 1, 2022. (Invited lecture)
• Horisk, K., Ivory, S. and McCorriston, J. Complex interactions between plants, precipitation, and people in Dhofar, Oman from the mid-Holocene to present. Geological Society of America, Oct 2021.