Skip to main content

Dr. Jerry R. Miller

Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources
Distinguished Professor, Whitmire Professor of Environmental Science

Jerry R. Miller

 

Phone: 828-227-2269
Email: jmiller@wcu.edu
Office Address: Stillwell 302
Website: http://paws.wcu.edu/jmiller/

Areas of Interest:

  • Assessment of the environmental impacts of metal mining on the environment
  • The transport and fate of heavy metals and other contaminants in rivers and lakes
  • Sediment geochemical fingerprinting using multivariate and isotopic methods
  • Documentation of the impacts of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on sediment yields and river processes
  • Restoration of river and riparian ecosystems
  • Monitoring of water quality using continuous monitoring equipment

Courses:

  • GEOL 410/510: "Fluvial Geomorphology"
  • GEOL 423/523: "Contaminated Rivers"

Education:

  • Ph.D. Geology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, 1990
  • M.S. Geology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 1985
  • B.S. Geology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, 1982

Recent Publications:

Books & Edited Volumes

Miller, J.R. , Mackin, G., and Orbock Miller, S.M., 2015. Application of Geochemical Tracers to Fluvial Sediment, Springer International Publishing, SpringBriefs in Earth Science, 142 pp.

Chambers, J.C. and Miller, J.R. (editors), 2011. Geomorphology, Hydrology, and Ecology of Great Basin Meadow Complexes – Implications for Management and Restoration. USDA General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-258, 125 pp.

Ritter, D.F., Kochel, R.C., and Miller, J.R., 2011. Process Geomorphology. 5 th Edition, Waveland Press.

Miller, J.R. and Orbock Miller, S.M., 2007. Contaminated Rivers: A Geomorphological-Geochemical Approach to Site Assessment and Remediation . Springer Publishers.

Chambers, J. C. and Miller, J.R. (editors), 2004. Great Basin Riparian Ecosystems: Ecology, Management, and Restoration. Island Press.

Selected Refereed Publications

Miller, J.R. , Sinclair, J.T., and Walsh, D., 2015. Controls on Suspended Sediment Concentrations and Turbidity within a Reforested, Southern Appalachian Headwater Basin. Water, 7, 3123-3148; doi:10.3390/w7063123.

Miller, J.R., 2013. The forensic assessment of riverine contamination by historic and modern mining activity in the 21st Century. In: Cliff, D., ed., Taking Health and Safety in the Mining Industry into the 21st Century - Innovative Solutions to Difficult Problems, Special Issue, Minerals 3, 192-246; doi:10.3390/min3020192.

Miller, J.R. and Mackin, G., 2013. Concentrations, sources, and potential ecological impacts of selected trace metals on aquatic biota within the Little Tennessee River Basin, North Carolina. Air, Water, and Soil Pollution, 244: 1613-1637.

Miller, J.R. , Mackin, G., Lechler, P., Lord, M., and Lorentz, S., 2013. Influence of basin connectivity on sediment source, transport, and storage within the Mkabela Basin, South Africa. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 17:761-781.

Miller, J.R. and Kochel, C.R., 2013. Use and performance of in-stream structures for river restoration: a case study from North Carolina. Environmental Earth Science, 68:1563-1574.

Miller, J.R., Lord, M., Villarroel, L., Germanoski, D., and Chambers, J. 2012. Structural organization of process zones in upland watersheds of central Nevada and its influence on basin connectivity, dynamics, and wet meadow complexes. Geomorphology, 139-140:284-402.

Miller, J.R. , Lord, M.L., and Germanoski, D., 2011, Meadow sensitivity to natural and anthropogenic disturbance, Chapter 5: In Chambers, J.C., Miller, J.R., eds. Geomorphology, hydrology and ecology of Great Basin meadow complexes-implications for management and restoration. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-258. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.

Miller, J.R. and Villarroel, L.F. 2011, Case Studies, Bolivia: Mining, River Contamination and Human Health. In: Encyclopedia of Environmental Health, J. Nriagu, ed., Elsevier, Amsterdam.

Miller, J.R. and Kochel, R.C., 2010, Assessment of Channel Dynamics, In-stream Structures and Post-Project Channel Adjustments in North Carolina and its Implications to Effective Stream Restoration. Environmental Earth Sciences, 59:1681-1692.

Miller, J.R. , Germanoski, D., Villarroel, L.F., and Lechler, P., 2009, Spatial and Temporal Variations in the Transport and Storage of Trace Metal Contaminants in the Upper Río Pilcomayo, Southern Bolivia. Special Issue, International Journal of Environment and Health, 3(4): 334-361.

Office of Web Services