Dr. William(Bill) R. Norris

DEGREES:

· B.S. Lake Superior State University (1981); Biological Sciences
· B.S. Lake Superior State University (1981); Mathematics
· M.S. Iowa State University (1995); Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Botany)
· Ph.D. Iowa State University (1999); Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Botany)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE:

· Kaukauna (WI) High School (1982-83)
· Oconto (WI) High School (1983-1991)
· Iowa State University (1999-2000)
· Colorado College (2000-2001)
· Western New Mexico University (2001-present)
· Iowa Lakeside Lab (summers; 2001-present)

PRESENT POSITION:

· Assistant Professor of Biology
· Curator of the Herbarium

ADVISING:

· Advisor for Botany Major

CONTACT INFORMATION:

· Office – Harlan 141
· Phone – (575) 538-6625
· FAX – (575) 538-6625
· E-mail – norrisw@pyrite.wnmu.edu

COURSES TAUGHT IN A TWO-YEAR PERIOD:

· General Botany (BIOL 111)
· Dendrology (BIOL 222)
· Systematic Botany (BIOL 251)
· Genetics (BIOL 262)
· Non-Vascular Plants (BIOL 331)
· Vascular Plants (BIOL 332)
· Cell Biology (BIOL 360)
· Cell Biology II (BIOL 485)

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

· Floristics (southwestern New Mexico, Iowa)
· Methodology for natural area evaluation
· Effect of forest management on songbird communities in the Upper Midwest
· Long-term monitoring of forest vegetation in the Paleozoic Plateau of northeast Iowa
· Effect of urbanization on municipal floras
· Sedge (Carex) taxonomy

PUBLICATIONS:

Norris, W.R, L.M. Hemesath, D.M. Debinski and D.R. Farrar. 2003. Does bird community composition vary along a disturbance gradient in northeast Iowa (USA) forests? Natural Areas Journal 23:262-273.

Norris, W.R., M.P. Widrlechner, D.Q. Lewis, J.D. Thompson and R.O. Pope. 2001. More than a century of change in the Ames, Iowa flora. Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science 108:124-141.

Norris, W.R. and D.R. Farrar. 2001. A method for the rapid survey and natural quality evaluation of forests in the Central Hardwoods region. Natural Areas Journal 21:313-323.

Norris, W.R., D.Q. Lewis, M.P. Widrlechner, J.D. Thompson and R.O. Pope. 2001. Lessons from an inventory of the Ames, IA flora (1859-2000) Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science 108:34-63.

Norris, W.R. and D.R. Farrar. 1999. A municipal inventory and evaluation of natural areas: history and methodology. Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science 106:49-62.

Wetzel, P.R., W.R. Norris and K.M. Lyles. 1999. The vascular flora of Doolittle Prairie State Preserve: a prairie pothole-wetland complex. Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science 106:26-33.

Hemesath, L.M. and W.R. Norris. 1998. The forest avifauna of northeast Iowa. Iowa Birdlife 68:29-41.

ORGANIZATIONS/SOCIETIES:

American Association of Biology Teachers
Natural Areas Association
Iowa Academy of Science
New Mexico Plant Society
Iowa Native Plant Society

HOBBIES:

· Bird watching
· Hiking and backpacking
· Listening to the blues
· Green Bay Packers