Dr. Ovidiu Frantescu

Dr. Ovidiu Frantescu

Director and Associate Professor of Environmental Science

Division of Physical and Computational Sciences

Contact Information:
Email: odf1@pitt.edu
Phone: 814-362-5106
Location: 103E Fisher Hall

Degrees and Credentials

Ph.D. Applied Geology , Kent State University 2013
M.S. Geology, Kent State University 2009
B.S. Geology, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest 2007

Short Bio

First time he was introduced to the wonderful world of earth sciences was in 2002 as an undergrad at University of Bucharest, Romania, which now feels like Precambrian. At that time Dr. Franţescu was not sure exactly what earth science was, or if he liked it for that matter. Fortunately he had a fabulous group of professors and that made a big difference and for that he is forever grateful. In 2007 he was accepted into grad school at Kent State University (Kent, Ohio) where he spent six years and finished two degrees. And the rest is history …

Academic Focus

Dr. Franţescu tends to concentrate his research in the invertebrate paleontology, but his interest is in everything related to the earth sciences, especially soft rock geology.

Research, Accomplishments, and Publications

Femi-Oloye, O.P.; Sutton, R.T.; Gordon, H.D.; Ain Das, A.; Morenikeji, G.O.; Odorisio, M.K.; Frantescu, O.D.; Myers, R.L.; Oloye, F.F. 2024. An Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Using Estimation Programs. Toxics, 12(8), 592. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12080592

Schweitzer, C. E., R.M. Feldmann, D. Audo, S. Charbonnier, R.H.B. Fraaije, O.D. Frantescu, M. Hyzny, H. Karasawa, A.A. Klompmaker, J. Luque, C.M. Robins, F.R. Schram, G. Schweigert, and D. Tshudy. 2024. Part R, Revised, Volume 1. Generalized external adult Decapoda morphology. Treatise Online 179:1–125, 136 fig. https://doi.org/10.17161/to.vi.22462.

Morgan, J. M., Franţescu, O., Sebastiani, J., Mulcahy, M. 2024. Climate Change Connections. QUBES Educational Resources. doi:10.25334/6C0A-AM91.

Schram, F.R., Koenemann, S., and Frantescu O.D. 2021. Evolution and Phylogeny of Pancrustacea – A Story of Scientific Method. Oxford University Press, 840 pages, ISBN: 9780195365764.

Schweitzer, C.E., R.M. Feldmann, I. Lazăr, G. Schweigert, O.D. Franţescu. 2018. Decapoda (Anomura; Brachiura) from the Late Jurassic of the Carpathians, Romania. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen, 288(3):307-341.

Franţescu, O.D., R.M. Feldmann, C.E. Schweitzer, I. Lazăr, M. Stoica. 2018. New lobsters and lobster-like decapods (Crustacea) from the Jurassic and Cretaceous of Romania. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen, 287(1):45-60.

Schweitzer, C.E., I. Lazăr, R.M. Feldmann, M. Stoica, O.D. Franţescu. 2017. Decapoda (Anomura; Brachyura) from the late Jurassic of Dobrogea, Romania. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen, 286(2):207-228.

Schweitzer, C.E., R.M. Feldmann, W.L. Rader, and O.D. Franţescu. 2016. Early Cretaceous (Albian) decapods from the Glen Rose and Walnut formations of Texas, USA. Bulletin of the Mizunami Fossil Museum, no. 42 (2016), p. 1-22.

Franţescu, O.D., R.M. Feldmann, C.E. Schweitzer. 2016. Cretaceous fossil Raninoida De Haan, 1839 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) from northeast Texas. Journal of Paleontology, 90(6), 1118-1132.

Franţescu, O.D. 2014. Fossil decapods from the Cretaceous (late Albian) of Tarrant County, Texas. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen, 273(3):22-239.

Franţescu, O.D. 2014. Fossil mudshrimps (Decapoda: Axiidea) from the Pawpaw Formation (Cretaceous: Albian), northeast Texas, USA. Bulletin of the Mizunami Fossil Museum, 40:13-22.

Franţescu, O.D. 2013. Cretaceous lobsters from the Pawpaw Shale of northeast Texas. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen, 268(3):341-359.

Feldmann, R.M., C.E. Schweitzer, A.L. Franţescu, O.D. Franţescu, A. Klompmaker, G. Logan, C.M. Robins, A.D. Waugh. 2012. Lobster-bearing concretion formation in the Bearpaw Shale (Late Cretaceous) of Montana. PALAIOS, 27:842-856.

O.D. Franţescu. Nodosculda Fisherorum, New Genus and New Species of Mantis Shrimp (Stomatopoda: Sculdidae) from the Cretaceous (Late Albian) of Texas, USA. Journal of Crustacean Biology, 32(5):774-779

Schweitzer, C.E., R.M. Feldmann, O.D. Franţescu, and A. Klompmaker. 2012. Revision of Etyidae Guinot and Tavares, 2001 (Crustacea: Brachyura). Journal of Paleontology, 86(1):129-155

Feldmann, R.M., C.E. Schweitzer, O. Bennett, O.D. Franţescu, N. Resar, and A. Trudeau. 2011. New Eocene Brachyura (Crustacea: Decapoda) from Egypt. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen, 262(3):323-353.