Debra A Willard, Ph.D.
I am a palynologist (pollen and spores) with expertise in paleoecology, paleoclimatology, and biostratigraphy. My biostratigraphic expertise extends from the Carboniferous to the Holocene, with an emphasis on Euramerica (Paleozoic) and the Northern Hemisphere. My paleoclimate expertise includes the late Paleozoic and the Paleogene to Holocene intervals.
Editorial Boards
- Global and Planetary Change
- Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution – Paleoecology section Review Editor
- Quaternary
- Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology
Professional Experience
2021-Present Research Geologist, US Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia
2011-2021 Coordinator, USGS Climate Research & Development Program
1991-2011 Research Geologist, US Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia
1990-1991 Postdoctoral Researcher, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Education and Certifications
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Ph.D., Botany 1990
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - M.S., Botany 1985
The Pennsylvania State University - B.S., Botany 1982
Stephens College - A.A., Geology 1980
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Geophysical Union
Geological Society of America
The Palynological Society
Science and Products
Paleobotany and palynology of the Bristol Hill Coal Member (Bond Formation) and Friendsville Coal Member (Mattoon Formation) of the Illinois Basin (Upper Pennsylvanian)
Terrestrial and marine records of climatic and environmental changes during the Pliocene in subtropical Florida
Pliocene palynomorph census data from the Pinecrest Beds (Tamiami Formation) in Quality Aggregates Phase 6 Pit, southwestern Florida
Late Pliocene pollen assemblages from Ocean Drilling Project Hole 646B; census data and paleoclimatic estimates
Science and Products
- Science
- Data
- Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 100
Paleobotany and palynology of the Bristol Hill Coal Member (Bond Formation) and Friendsville Coal Member (Mattoon Formation) of the Illinois Basin (Upper Pennsylvanian)
Late Pennsylvanian coal swamps of the Illinois Basin were dominated by Psarnius tree ferns with a spatially heterogeneous distribution of medullosan pteridosperms (subdominant), calamites, sigillarian lycopsids, and cordaites. Miospore and coal-ball plant assemblages from the Missourian-age Bristol Hill Coal Member (Mattoon Formation) of southeastern Illinois were quantified to analyze vegetationaAuthorsD. A. Willard, T.L. PhillipsTerrestrial and marine records of climatic and environmental changes during the Pliocene in subtropical Florida
Pollen, ostracode, and benthic foraminifer assemblages deposited during sea-level high-stands in subtropical Florida record a climate change during the period 4.5-1.0 Ma. Before 3.5 Ma, open-shelf marine faunas and pollen assemblages with abundant Pinus, Quercus, Fagus, Carya, and nonarboreal pollen were present, indicating cooler conditions than today. From ∼3.5 to 1.0 Ma, marine and terrestrialAuthorsD. A. Willard, T. M. Cronin, S. E. Ishman, R. J. LitwinPliocene palynomorph census data from the Pinecrest Beds (Tamiami Formation) in Quality Aggregates Phase 6 Pit, southwestern Florida
No abstract available.AuthorsDebra A. WillardLate Pliocene pollen assemblages from Ocean Drilling Project Hole 646B; census data and paleoclimatic estimates
No abstract available.AuthorsDebra A. Willard - News
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government