Sofia Molnar

Background

Sofia Molnar is on the faculty of the Department of Environmental Science and holds a Ph.D. from Kansas State University. Before Porter, Sofia was a GIS analyst for a regional planning commission.

Sofia's research focuses on restoration ecology, with related work in soil science; undergraduates are involved in the lab most terms.

Areas of expertise

• Restoration ecology
• Soil science
• Undergraduate research and project mentoring

Teaching

Sofia regularly teaches courses in Environmental Science, Geology, Geography. Specific sections and syllabi are listed in the class schedule each term.

Courses lean on current problems from the field: students read recent work, reproduce a result or method, and then extend it. Sofia builds in low-stakes practice before graded work and gives written feedback on drafts.

Advising and office hours

Sofia advises students in the Environmental Science programs and holds weekly office hours during the fall and spring terms, posted on the office door and in the course pages. Prospective students are welcome to email to arrange a visit or a call.

Advising conversations usually cover course sequencing, whether to add a minor or a concentration, and how classroom work connects to internships, research, or graduate study. Students who are undecided are welcome; part of the job is helping them narrow things down.

Recent and representative work

Sofia's recent activity is a mix of peer-reviewed work, conference talks, and student-involved projects in restoration ecology and soil science. Representative items:

• A peer-reviewed article on restoration ecology in a disciplinary journal.
• A conference paper on soil science, co-authored with an undergraduate researcher.
• An internally funded project applying restoration ecology to a regional partner's problem.

Titles and venues here are illustrative. UW–Porter Falls is fictional; Sofia has no real publication record.

Get in touch

The fastest way to reach Sofia is email (smolnar@uwporterfalls.edu); messages during the fall and spring terms are usually answered within two business days. Prospective students and families can ask the Environmental Science department office to set up a call, a class visit, or a meeting during an admitted-student day.