Rebecca North, assistant professor of water quality in the School of Natural Resources (SNR), received the Outstanding Early Career Teaching Award during CAFNR’s 2020 virtual Celebration of Excellence awards celebration.

North joined the University of Missouri in 2016 as an assistant professor of water quality in the School of Natural Resources. Before coming to MU, she served as a research associate for the Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatchewan, Canada. North earned her bachelor’s degree (environmental science) and PhD (limnology) at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. She was a postdoctoral fellow for four years at Trent University in Ontario before joining the University of Saskatchewan.

North teaches a handful of courses related to water quality, natural resource management and limnology (the study of inland aquatic ecosystems). Her teaching philosophy is focused on fostering learning environments that are sustainable, motivating and application-based. North has been a faculty mentor with the MU Preparing Future Faculty Postdoctoral Fellowship for Faculty Diversity program since 2017.

North is also part of the limnology laboratory in SNR. Her research focuses on the effects of multiple stressors on nutrient cycling, bioavailability, and primary production in Missouri water bodies with particular attention to the source and timing of nutrient loading and the response of the receiving water body

“Dr. North is an enthusiastic and very knowledgeable teacher who has demonstrated her commitment to striving for excellence in her teaching program and to innovation in developing opportunities for student learning,” said Peter Motavalli, emeritus professor of soil fertility and plant nutrition. “Based on my observations and the student letters of support in the application materials for this award, the most impressive accomplishment she has achieved already early in her career is developing an integrated teaching, research and outreach program in her discipline that mentors, provides learning opportunities, and prepares both undergraduate and graduate students for professional careers. Her limnology program is a hub of activity that centers around students who she motivates by example and who she engages in far-ranging activities from field experiences to scholarly presentations at professional meetings.”