Research Projects

• a tree-based stormwater management system using engineered soils
• modeling the influence of soils on canopy development
• urban soil rehabilitation
• effects of woody vegetation on plant communities and hydrology  in stormwater detention basins

Teaching Responsibilities

• HORT/FOR 2134 Plants & Greenspaces in Urban Communities
• HORT 3644 Landscape Establishment & Maintenance
• FOR/HORT 5474 Advanced Studies in Urban Forest Ecosystems

Education and Service

• Technical Core Committee, Sustainable Sites Initiative (sustainablesites.org)

• International Society of Arboriculture Science and Research Committee
• Review Panel for the Garden Club of America Zone VI National Urban Forestry Fellowship (Chair)
• Green Industry Knowledge Center for Water and Nutrient Management (waternut.org) 

Recent Peer-reviewed Articles

• Wiseman, P.E., J. Hoffman*, S.D. Day, and T. Clements. 2011. A syllabus-level review of arboriculture education in the United States. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry  37(2): 51-59.
• Harris, J.R. and S.D. Day. 2010 Planting depth at onset of container production and subsequent rootball remediation at transplanting of pin oak and littleleaf linden. HortScience. 45(12): 1793–1797. 
• Day, S. D., S. B. Dickinson**, P. E. Wiseman, and J. R. Harris. 2010. Tree root ecology in the urban environment and implications for a sustainable rhizosphere. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry. 36(5): 193–205.
• Day, S. D., P. E. Wiseman, S. B. Dickinson**, and J. R. Harris. 2010. Contemporary concepts of root system architecture of urban trees. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 36(4):149-159.
• Lea-Cox, J., D.S. Ross, T. Bilderback, T. Yeager, J.R. Harris, C. Hong, S.D. Day, W. Bauerle, R. Beeson, A. Ristvey, J. Ruter, M. Lorscheider, S. Dickinson**. 2010. A Nursery and Greenhouse Online Knowledge Center: Learning Opportunities for Sustainable Practice. HortTechnology 20(3):509-517.
• Bartens, J.*, S. D. Day, J. R. Harris, T. M. Wynn, and J. E. Dove. 2009 Transpiration and root development of urban trees in structural soil stormwater reservoirs. Environmental Management 44(4): 646-657.
• Day, S. D., G.W. Watson, P.E. Wiseman, and J.R. Harris. 2009. Causes and consequences of deep structural roots in urban trees: from nursery production to landscape establishment. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 35(4): 182–190.

• Bartens, J.*, S. D. Day, J. R. Harris, J. E. Dove, and T. M. Wynn. 2008 Can urban tree roots improve infiltration through compacted subsoils for stormwater management? Journal of Environmental Quality  37:2048-2057.
• Harris, J. R., S. D. Day and B. Kane. 2008. Nitrogen fertilization during planting and establishment of the urban forest: A collection of five studies. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 7(3):195-206.
• Day, S. D. and J. R. Harris. 2008.Growth, survival, and root system morphology of deeply planted Corylus colurna seven years after transplanting and the effects of root collar excavation. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 7(2): 119-128.

Selected Recent Presentations and Proceedings

• Chen, Y.*, Day, S.D., A.F. Wick, P.E. Wiseman, and W.L. Daniels, Characterization of Soil Carbon Pools Two Years after Urban Soil Rehabilitation. Arboriculture Research & Education Academy. International Society of Arboriculture’s 86th Annual Conference. Chicago, IL. July 26, 2010. (poster)
• Day, S. D. 2010. Soils on the Sustainable Site. In conference symposium: Windhager, S., R. Goo, and S.D. Day. 2010 Quantifying soil and water conservation benefits through the Sustainable Sites Initiative. Soil and Water Conservation Society 65th International Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri.
• Wiseman, P.E. and S.D. Day. 2010. SAF specialized accreditation for urban forestry programs: A case study at Virginia Tech. 8th Biennial Conference on University Education in Natural Resources. (oral presentation)
• West, W.W.* and S.D. Day. Students perceptions of service learning. Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy. Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia. February 19, 2010 (poster)

• Day, S.D., J. R. Harris, P.E. Wiseman, Tang Dai, J. Bartens, and E. G. McPherson. 2008. Tree root systems in urban settings: Growth and development—part of the International Society of Arboriculture’s Literature Review Series. In Arboriculture for the Third Millenium. Ed. F. Ferrini. European Congress of Arboriculture. June 16-18, 2008, Turin, Italy. (in press)

• Day, S. D., J. E. Dove, J. Bartens*, and J. R. Harris 2008. Stormwater management that combines paved surfaces and urban trees. In Geosustainability and Geohazard Mitigation: Proceedings of Selected Sessions of GeoCongress 2008. Eds. K.R. Reddy, M.. Khire, and A.N. Alshawabkeh. March 9-12, New Orleans, Louisiana. Geotechnical Special Publication No. 178. pp. 1129-1136.

• Harris, J.R., S.Day, N. Bassuk, Q. Xiao, J. Bartens*, T. Hafner, J. Dove, T. Wynn.  2007.  Integrating the urban forest into stormwater management: A first step into restoring hydrologic function in urbanized environments.  HortScience 42:824. Abstract.
• Bartens, J.*, S. D. Day, and J. R. Harris. Incorporating the urban forest into hardscape: A novel design for stormwater management. In New Forests After Old Industries. Eds.  10th European Forum on Urban Forestry. May 16-19, 2007, Gelsenkirchen, Germany. pp. 25-27. 

Professional and Honor Societies

• Arboriculture Research and Educational Academy
• Ecological Society of America
• Environmental & Water Resources Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers
• International Society of Arboriculture
• Society of American Foresters
• Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
• Trees Virginia