Defense Presentation Title: Disaster Nonprofit Relief, and Housing Recovery, Using GIS Techniques Advisor: Dr. Bethany Cutts, faculty fellow and associate professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management Abstract: Volunteer organizations contribute to household disaster recovery through coordinated networks. North Carolina Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (NCVOAD) is the North Carolina chapter of…

Defense Presentation Title: Facilitating Civic Engagement in Rapidly Urbanizing Regions through Geospatial Participatory Modeling Co-Advisors: Dr. Helena Mitasova, Associate Director of Earth and Environmental Sciences Applications, Center for Geospatial Analytics; Dr. Ross Meentemeyer, Director, Center for Geospatial Analytics Abstract: Rapid urbanization and the increasing frequency of extreme precipitation events are leading to communities vulnerable to flooding and…

Defense Presentation Title: Estimating and Modeling Structural Characteristics of Trees Within Aerial LiDAR Data Co-Advisors: Dr. Perver Baran, faculty fellow and teaching professor, Center for Geospatial Analytics; Dr. Laura Tateosian, faculty fellow and associate teaching professor, Center for Geospatial Analytics Abstract: The transparency and shape of tree crowns in urban areas play a critical role…

Defense Presentation Title: Estimating and Forecasting the Spatio-Temporal Hypoxia Dynamics in Northern Gulf of Mexico Advisor: Dr. Daniel R. Obenour, Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering Abstract: Hypoxia is an environmental issue affecting the northern Gulf of Mexico. Models studying the causes and consequences of hypoxia in this…

Defense Presentation Title: Quantifying on-farm reservoir dynamics: an Earth observation and hydrological modeling approach Advisor: Dr. Mirela G. Tulbure, Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources Abstract: On-farm reservoirs (OFRs) are artificial water bodies that enable farmers to store water during the rainy season to support irrigation activities during…