Memorial to Dr. Jerry C. Ritchie

Dr. Jerry Ritchie passed away on June 13, 2009.  Dr. Ritchie was a Soil Scientist with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory, Animal & Natural Resources Institute, Beltsville, MD, since 1983.  He received a B.A. from PfeifferUniversityin 1960, a M.S. in Botany/Soils from the Universityof Tennesseein 1962 and a Ph.D. in Botany/Ecology from the Universityof Georgiain 1967. He first joined ARS in 1967 as a Post-Doctoral Fellow with the USDA-ARSSoutheastWatershedResearchCenter, TiftonGA.Shortly after he became a Botanist/Soil Scientist at the USDA-ARS Sedimentation Lab, Oxford, MS(1968-1977).  In 1978, he moved to Beltsville, MDto serve on the ARS National Program Staff and later joined the Hydrology Lab in 1983 as a Soil Scientist.

Dr. Ritchie had an illustrious career with ARS that spanned 42 years.  He is recognized internationally for his contributions over a broad range of scientific disciplines. His research has contributed significantly to a better understanding of radionuclide movement in ecosystems, sediment deposition process, rates, and patterns, erosion processes, rates and patterns, remote sensing of spatial and temporal water quality patterns, spatial and temporal landscape roughness measurements and applications, the use of native vegetation for improving marginal soils and controlling soil loss, and the redistribution and potential sequestration of organic carbon in the soils of agricultural ecosystems. 

Dr. Ritchie authored or coauthored over 275 scientific publications. He was one of the founding members of the World Association for Sediment Research. In 2000, he was elected Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy and Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America.  In 2004, he received USDA-ARS Beltsville Area Senior Scientist of the Year and in 2006 he received the USDA-ARS Beltsville Area Equal Employment Opportunity/Civil Rights Award.  In 2008, Dr. Ritchie was presented with the American Society of Agronomy - Environmental Quality Research Award. 

Dr. Jerry Ritchie is survived by his wife Carole Ritchie, son Jay Ritchie, daughter Karen Shihadeh, and granddaughter Malika Shihadeh.