Although my position does not involve research, I am involved in various projects and initiatives with a research component. These initiatives include the GeoSPACE Field Program, MER PORTAL, and smaller-scale projects related to geoscience education, geospatial environmental analysis, and coastal sciences.
Below, you’ll find a brief description of some of these projects, and I encourage you to contact me for more details if you are interested in additional information.
I am a Collaborator on the GeoSPACE Field Program, led by Dr. Anita Marshall, working to create an accessible and hybrid field experience for volcanology and planetary science. In this position, I teach students about remote sensing, photogrammetry, structure from motion, and scientific communication skills for their academic and professional development. I also share my experiences in the graduate application process, navigating my educational and professional career as a person with a highly apparent physical disability, and guiding students on Independent projects during and after the conclusion of the field season. I am passionate about mentoring undergraduate and graduate students as they prepare for conferences and present their research. I love talking about how remote sensing can be used to analyze diverse research questions. Please check the GeoSPACE Field Program Website for more details about this program.
As a consultant on this project, I ensure that all the materials are available to the public and to everyone interested in legacy science with the Mars Exploration Rover. Under the leadership of Dr. Shoshana Cole at the Space Science Institute, I am working to ensure that all materials are available in multimodal formats to be available for technical scientists and the public.
For more details, please check the MER PORTAL Website.
Our project at the College of Staten Island (CUNY) focuses on developing a comprehensive geospatial database of campus trees in collaboration with CSI Sustainability and student researchers. This initiative supports the Arbor Day Foundation's Higher Education Tree Campus designation by integrating GPS data collection, tree identification, and spatial analysis to enhance campus sustainability efforts. Through this project, students gain hands-on experience in geospatial technology, ecological data management, and urban forestry practices. The data collected will contribute to a long-term tree care management plan, identifying areas for new plantings and supporting research on the environmental benefits of campus green spaces, such as carbon sequestration and energy efficiency. If you are interested in assisting us with this project, please contact me.
In this position from 2022 to 2024, I assisted with the organization's daily operations and arranged leadership meetings, planed community meetups, presented our mission to the geoscience community at GSA and AGU, and communicated various updates to our Executive Board and Community through our listserv. I also assisted the Executive Director to enhance organizational efficiency and oversaw program initiatives, particularly with the Chair of the Student Community and our Student Ambassadors, who represent the organization at their home institutions, professional conferences, and other activities to create a more inclusive geoscience community.
Consulted with Dr. Rennermalm from Rutgers University in the Department of Geography in 2022 to 2023 to create an accessible physical geography field course with accessibility in mind. This is the first time this course has run in the past 20 years, and when initially designed, it had limited to no considerations for those with disabilities. Revamping this course allowed me to collaborate with like-minded individuals to ensure that all students could participate in this course, meaning that we scouted field sites in advance, thought critically about the technology needed, provided structured guidance to students on fieldwork methodology, and challenged their perspectives on what a physical scientist could look like. It was a privilege to collaborate with Dr.Rennermalm and Jing Xaio.