Graduate Students
Graduate students funded by assistantships through the Center for Geospatial Analytics enjoy office space in the center and contribute invaluably to its cutting-edge research programs.
Current Students
Jenna Abrahamson
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Josh Gray
- Research: Integrating remote sensing and modeling to monitor short-term inundation/flooding and its impact on greenhouse gas emissions in coastal plains
- jnabraha@ncsu.edu
Luke Allen
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Sandra Yuter
- Research: Examining winter storms in the Northeast to better understand the dynamics associated with embedded heavy snow bands
- lrallen3@ncsu.edu
Randi Butler
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Natalie Nelson
- Research: Analyzing satellite remote sensing data to better understand sweet potato production trends and bring in a rich perspective of on-the-ground challenges
- rbutler4@ncsu.edu
Emma Butzler
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Co-advisors: Georgina Sanchez and Ross Meentemeyer
- Research: Understanding the impacts between humans and natural systems
- ebutzle@ncsu.edu
Grace Choi
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Josh Gray
- Research: Understanding our ecosystem’s response to, and possible outcomes caused by, climate change
- echoi4@ncsu.edu
Elyssa Collins
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Ross Meentemeyer
- Research: Forecasting the spatial redistribution of people and infrastructure following sea level rise
- ecollin@ncsu.edu
Rebecca Composto
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Krishna Pacifici
- Research: Using satellite imagery to examine effectiveness of adaptation and resilience efforts
- rcompos@ncsu.edu
Raja Das
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Karl Wegmann
- Research: Developing remote-sensing-based geostatistical models for geohazard prediction and analysis
- rdas3@ncsu.edu
Christopher Dunstan
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Co-advisors: Aaron Hipp and Laura Tateosian
- Research: Analyzing how people participate in physical activity
- cdunsta@ncsu.edu
Mark Feinberg
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Ross Meentemeyer
- Research: Analyzing the spread and impacts of invasive species and pathogens; studying the societal impacts of golf courses on nearby areas in Los Angeles and Wake Counties
- mfeinbe@ncsu.edu
Mollie Gaines
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Mirela Tulbure
- Research: Examining surface water connectivity and how it may change with forecasted changes in climate and land use
- mdgaines@ncsu.edu
Xiaojie Gao
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Josh Gray
- Research: Studying the environmental impacts of global warming, with aims to understand human-nature interactions and global climate change
- xgao26@ncsu.edu
Louis Goodall
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Robert Scheller
- Research: Assessing how ecosystem services in forests respond to shifting climatic conditions and forest management practices
- lagoodal@ncsu.edu
Nick Grokhowsky
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Helena Mitasova
- Research: Solving problems where the environment and society converge, including how to detect chemicals affecting water supplies, how public sentiment affects environmental justice, and identifying locations where the most effective research is being performed
- ngrokho@ncsu.edu
Caitlin Haedrich
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Helena Mitasova
- Research: Developing tools and models for flooding and sea level rise to help stakeholders understand the impacts of climate change
- chaedri@ncsu.edu
Truffaut Harper
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Ross Meentemeyer
- Research: Analyzing the increased impacts of flooding caused by climate change and its effects on development
- tsharpe2@ncsu.edu
Izzi Hinks
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Josh Gray
- Research: Developing and assessing remote sensing algorithms to optimize the productivity of sustainable agriculture amidst environmental change
- irhinks@ncsu.edu
Eli Horner
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Ross Meentemeyer
- Research: Modelling the spread and control of invasive pests and pathogens
- eahorner@ncsu.edu
Jamie Huerta
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Chris Osburn
- Research: Analyzing and graphing chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) concentrations along the coast of North Carolina
- jhuerta@ncsu.edu
Byron Ifediora
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Bethany Cutts
- Research: Understanding how communities recover from disasters by measuring social cohesion and social vulnerability factors
- bifedio@ncsu.edu
Kate Jones
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Jelena Vukomanovic
- Research: Integrating geospatial technologies with ecological modeling to understand forest disturbance and climate adaptation
- kejones8@ncsu.edu
Kimia Karimi
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Dan Obenour
- Research: Modeling watersheds and water quality to assess eutrophication trends under historical and projected scenarios
- kkarimi2@ncsu.edu
Brit Laginhas
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Ross Meentemeyer
- Research: Understanding invasion dynamics and forecasting the spread of invasive pests and pathogens
- blaginh@ncsu.edu
Margaret Lawrimore
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Ross Meentemeyer
- Research: Examining urban development and displacement of human populations under varying climate change scenarios, specifically focusing on flood events
- malawrim@ncsu.edu
Vishnu Mahesh Vivek Nanda
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Co-advisors: Perver Baran and Laura Tateosian
- Research: Modeling trees from point clouds using deep learning for solar energy potential estimation in urban contexts
- vvivekn@ncsu.edu
Martine Mathieu
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Jennifer Richmond-Bryant
- Research: Performing geospatial and statistical modeling of particulate matter (PM) and environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) concentrations
- mmathie@ncsu.edu
Venkata Matli
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Dan Obenour
- Research: Developing geostatistical models to study large-scale aquatic systems (e.g., modeling hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico) with limited available in situ data
- vmatli@ncsu.edu
Shannon McAvoy
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Katie Martin
- Research: Studying hydro-ecological systems to better understand the benefits of different forest management strategies
- smcavoy@ncsu.edu
Ian McGregor
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Josh Gray
- Research: Using remote sensing to improve near real-time deforestation monitoring in the sub-tropics
- imcgreg@ncsu.edu
Katie McQuillan
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Katie Martin
- Research: Investigating how the distribution and ecosystem function of forests and vegetation protect and sustain water resources for people and biodiversity now and into the future
- kmcquil@ncsu.edu
Uchenna Osia
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Bethany Cutts
- Research: Examining the crossroads between social justice and data science
- unosia@ncsu.edu
Annie Paulukonis
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Co-advisors: Tom Purucker (US EPA) and Helena Mitasova
- Research: Developing tools and analyses used in pesticide risk assessments for threatened wildlife species, particularly pollinators and amphibians
- epauluk@ncsu.edu
Christina Perella
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Co-advisors: Adam Terando and Jelena Vukomanovic
- Research: Quantifying habitat connectivity in the Southeast under a range of future land use and climate change scenarios
- cdperell@ncsu.edu
Deja Perkins
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Caren Cooper
- Research: Identifying spatial patterns in citizen science participation to engage underserved communities in environmental monitoring
- djperkin@ncsu.edu
John Polo
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Co-advisors: Chris Jones and Ross Meentemeyer
- Research: Modeling the spread of and potential control options for plant pathogens in space and time
- japolo@ncsu.edu
Stacie Reckling
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Helena Mitasova
- Research: Transforming our understanding of how environmental factors and social influences interact with human health
- skreckli@ncsu.edu
Shannon Ricci
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Del Bohnenstiehl
- Research: Developing automated processing techniques to analyze passive acoustic data collected in marine environments
- swbrown@ncsu.edu
Ariel Saffer
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Ross Meentemeyer
- Research: Understanding and forecasting the global spread of plant pests and pathogens
- asaffer@ncsu.edu
Felipe Sanchez
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Gustavo Machado
- Research: Investigating spatial, temporal and spatiotemporal disease dynamics in livestock animals
- fesanche@ncsu.edu
Paul Schrum
Forestry and Environmental Resources Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Stacy Nelson
- Research: Leveraging computational geometry to improve geospatial modelling techniques and algorithms
- ptschrum@ncsu.edu
Andrew Shannon
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Robert Scheller
- Research: Examining landscape change, assessing management practices and modeling ecosystem dynamics in forested environments
- ashanno@ncsu.edu
Owen Smith
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Josh Gray
- Research: Efficiently computing and analyzing global land use and food security
- osmith2@ncsu.edu
Varun Tiwari
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Mirela Tulbure
- Research: Studying surface water and flooding dynamics under climate change scenarios
- vtiwari@ncsu.edu
Laura Tomkins
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Sandra Yuter
- Research: Studying snow bands and winter storm dynamics in the Northeast United States
- lmtomkin@ncsu.edu
Corey White
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Co-advisors: Ross Meentemeyer and Helena Mitasova
- Research: Developing a serious game (TomorrowNow) using participatory modeling to inform decisions in smart and connected communities
- ctwhite@ncsu.edu
Thom Worm
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Ross Meentemeyer
- Research: Examining human-driven changes in landscapes and forecasting ecological change in a growing world
- tworm@ncsu.edu
Alexander Yoshizumi
Geospatial Analytics Ph.D. student
- Advisor: Jelena Vukomanovic
- Research: Investigating how best to make energy and transportation systems more equitable, sustainable, efficient, and resilient
- ayoshiz@ncsu.edu
