People


Timothy D. Baird	Associate Professor	Human/environment interactions, East Africa, information and communication technologies, sustainability.
John Boyer	Senior Instructor	World regions, viticulture, geography of wine, agricultural geography, educational technology.
Anamaria Bukvic	Assistant Professor	Climate change impacts, adaptation, and disaster risk reduction; population displacement, resettlement, and relocation; coastal hazards and disasters, transdisciplinary research
James B. Campbell	Professor	Remote sensing, soils and geomorphology, quantitative methods.
David Carroll	Instructor	Meteorology, forecasting, severe weather.
Laurence W. Carstensen Jr.	Professor	GIS, cartography, wireless telecommunications modeling, unmanned vehicle navigation, GIS uncertainty, spatial decision-support in GIS.
Thomas W. Crawford (Tom)	Professor and Department Chair	Geographic Information Science & Systems, Coastal Geography, Human-Environment Interactions, Hazards, Geospatial Health Applications.
Andrew W. Ellis	Associate Professor	Meteorology, hydroclimatology, drought, climate change, water resources.
Luke Juran	Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies	Human Ecology of Water, WASH & HWTS, Hazards & Disasters, Reconstruction, South Asia.
Lisa M. Kennedy	Associate Professor	Long-term environmental change, biogeography, vegetation dynamics, fire history and ecology, human-environment interactions, tropical America, Caribbean, Appalachians/US southeast. .
Korine N. Kolivras	Associate Professor	Medical geography, climate and health, climatology.
Robert Oliver	Associate Professor	The Geography of the Modern City, Urban-Political Geography, Mega-Event Planning and Politics (Sport Development).
Thomas Pingel	Associate Professor	GIS, geovisualization, and geospatial programming.
Craig Ramseyer	Assistant Professor	Climate Modeling, Hydroclimatology, Tropical Climatology, Artificial neural network applications in the Atmospheric Sciences
Lynn M. Resler	Associate Professor	Biogeography, alpine treeline, mountain environments, field methods, digital image analysis.
Santosh Rijal	Collegiate Assistant Professor	Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing, Spatial Analysis, Land condition disturbance, Ecosystem Services, Natural Resource Management.
Stewart Scales	Instructor	Cartography and Map Design, Appalachia, Virginia, Physical Geography, Pyrogeography & Fire Ecology
Yang Shao	Associate Professor	Remote sensing, GIS, land use and land cover change, watershed assessment and modeling.
Kenneth L. Stiles	Instructor	Intelligence Operations, Counterterrorism , Geospatial applications used in the Intelligence Community
Stephanie Zick	Assistant Professor	Tropical meteorology, tropical cyclones, precipitation, numerical weather prediction, shape analysis


Maria Elisa Christie	Director, Women and Gender in International Development, Office of International Research, Education, and Development (OIRED)	Gender, Agriculture, and Development, Cultural and Political Ecology, Geography of Food, Cuisine, and Kitchenspace, Qualitative Research Methods, Participatory Mapping.
Randel L. Dymond	Associate Professor Environmental and Water Resources Engineering	Sustainable Land Development, Urban Stormwater Quality & Quantity, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Spatial Decision Support Systems, Watershed Management, Civil Infrastructure Systems, Land Use Change Impacts, and Visualization of Geospatial data.
Charles M. Good	Emeritus Professor	Medical, Africa, Third World Development, Immigration.
Lawrence S. Grossman	Emeritus Professor	Caribbean, development, political ecology, colonial environmental history.
Robert W. Morrill	Emeritus Professor	Geographic education, North America, political.
Bonham C. Richardson	Emeritus Professor	Historical, Caribbean, human ecology.
Joseph L. Scarpaci	Emeritus Professor	Latin American Studies, International Development, Place Promotion, Heritage, International & social marketing.


Karen Bland	kbland@vt.edu	Administrative assistant.
Katherine Pritchard	kpritcha@vt.edu	Instructional technical assistant for John Boyer.
Julie Burger	jcburger@vt.edu	Student Services Coordinator and Undergraduate Adviser.

Name	Degree	Email	Previous Institution	Advisor	Research Interests
Karla Boza Cabonell	M.S.	karlabc@vt.edu	Manhattanville College	Luke Juran	Coffee, food systems, feminism, Latin America
Ozzy Campos	Ph.D.	aocampos@vt.edu	US Air Force Academy	Yang Shao	Remote sensing of conflict zones
Sam Carani	M.S.	scarani@vt.edu	Northern Illinois University	Thomas Pingel	Hazards, remote sensing, GEOINT, GIScience
Hudson Chase	M.S.	hudson6@vt.edu	Radford University	Thomas Pingel	GEOINT, point cloud manipulation, geospatial ML
Peter Forister	M.S.	phf25@vt.edu	Virginia Tech	Lynn Resler	Local thunderstorms, biogeography
Gretchen Goeke Dee	M.S.	ggretch@vt.edu	Virginia Tech	Lynn Resler
Jack Gonzales	M.S.	jgonzales@vt.edu	University of South Carolina	Thomas Pingel	Coastal hazards, geomorphology, photogrammetry, infrastructure, transportation
Ryley Harris	M.S.	rcharris@vt.edu	Radford University	Lisa Kennedy	Landscape dynamics, plant ecology, remote sensing, sUAS
David Jensen	Ph.D.	ajdavid6@vt.edu	North Carolina State University	Lynn Resler	Cryosphere, polar environments, remote sensing
Jen Kern	M.S.	jmkern@vt.edu	Appalachian State University	Luke Juran and Lynn Resler	Mountain and water geography
Scott Klopfer	Ph.D.	sklopfer@vt.edu	Virginia Tech	Lynn Resler	Landscape ecology, wildlife habitat, natural resources management
Colleen Lewis	M.S.	lewiscp19@vt.edu	James Madison University	Thomas Pingel	Archaeology, least cost path analysis, Inca civilization, Amazon Basin
Michael Marston	Ph.D.	mlmarston@vt.edu	Virginia Tech	Andrew Ellis	Hydroclimatology, preciptation intensity extremes
Molly McKnight	M.S.	mxm@vt.edu	Virginia Tech	Korine Kolivras	Medical geography, spatial data visualization, infectious diseases, computer science
Md Sariful Islam	Ph.D.	shariful@vt.edu	Kent State University	Tom Crawford	Coastal hazards, remote sensing, food security, machine learning
Allison Mitchell	M.S.	malli98@vt.edu	Virginia Tech	Anamaria Bukvic	Coastal geography, water resouces, disaster recovery/mitigation, floods
Lindsey Morrison	M.S.	lpmorr13@vt.edu	Virginia Tech	Stephanie Zick	Tropical cyclones, precipitation, flooding
Balaji Ramesh	M.S.	balajiramesh@vt.edu	College of Engineering, Guindy	Korine Kolivras	Medical geography, epidemiology, remote sensing, data science
Alexander Rosenman	M.S.	zaninatr@vt.edu	Virginia Tech	Yang Shao
Diana Simpson	M.S.	dianaes4@vt.edu	Virginia Tech
Kyler Stanley	M.S.	stanleyk@vt.edu	Michigan State University	Lynn Resler	Physical geography, Geodiversity, Geomorphology, Geovisualization
Josh Starner	M.S.	starner@vt.edu	Virginia Tech	Bill Carstensen	Network analysis route optimization
Zachary Van Tol	M.S.	zaccv97@vt.edu	Virginia Tech	Andrew Ellis	Urban microclimates
Heng Wan	Ph.D.	heng@vt.edu	University of Connecticut	Yang Shao	Remote sensing, land use land cover change, hydrologic modeling
Eric West	M.S.	ewest@vt.edu	Indiana University	Bill Carstensen	Movement/network analysis in GIS, recreation ecology, geography of cider and beer
Aaron Whittemore	M.S.	awhitt19@vt.edu	UNC-Chapel Hill	Andrew Ellis	Water resources, drought, climate change, sustainability
James Young	M.S.	jryoung3@vt.edu	Radford University	Thomas Pingel	Landslide detection algorithms
Holly Young	M.S.	hollyyoung@vt.edu	University of Kentucky	Korine Kolivras	Hydrology, medical geography, infectious diseases, watershed epidemiology

Year	Student	Degree	Advisor(s)	Title of Thesis or Dissertation
2019	Elizabeth Weaver	Ph.D.	Kolivras	Investigating the Valley Fever – Environment Relationship in the Western U.S.
2019	Damien Geffroy	M.S.	Oliver	A City of Projects: Grand Paris, The 2024 Summer Olympics, and the Jurisdictional Negotiation of Contemporary Paris
2019	Yong Huang	M.S.	Campbell	VIrginia Urban Dynamics Study Using DMSP/OLS Nighttime Imagery
2019	Nathaniel Lawrence	M.S.	Resler and Saladyga	Fire History of an Acidic Barrens Complex: A Methods Assessment of Fire Return Intervals
2019	Veronica Scott	M.S.	Juran and Ling	Strontium in Drinking Water: Assessing Strontium as a Drinking Water Contaminant in Virginia Private Wells
2019	Megan Stevenson	M.S.	Kolivras	The Effects of Land Cover Change on the Spatial Distribution of Lyme Disease in Northern Virginia since 2005
2019	Kelly Summers	M.S.	Baird	Mobile Phones, Social Relations, and the Gatekeepers to Women's Empowerment in Maasai Households
2019	Yanshen Sun	M.S.	Carstensen	Evaluating the Quality of Ground Surfaces Generated from Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) data
2019	Aaron Updike	M.S.	Zick	A Modeling Study of the Principal Rainband in Hurricane Matthew and the Influence of Remote Terrain on Hurricane Structure During its Intensification in the Southern Caribbean
2019	Helen White	M.S.	Resler	Biotic and Abiotic Factors of Picea rubens (Red Spruce) Seedling Regeneration in Disturbed Heathland Barrens of the Central Appalachians

2018	Sanam Aksha	Ph.D.	Juran and Resler	Assessing Vulnerability and Multi-Hazard Risk in the Nepal Himalaya
2018	Allison LeBlanc	Ph.D.	Kennedy	Lake Sediment-Based Reconstructions of Late-Holocene Lowland Environments on Dominican Republic and Barbuda, Northern Caribbean
2018	Shreejana Bhattaria	M.S.	Kolivras	Understanding the Relationship between Land Use/Land Cover and Malaria in Nepal
2018	Timothy Greene	M.S.	Ellis	The Impact of Synoptic Weather on the Ice Phenology of Maine Lakes, 1955-2005
2018	Jessica Kirkland	M.S.	Zick	Regional Differences in the Spatial Patterns of Precipitation Bands in Hurricanes Through Landfall along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coasts of the United States
2018	Callie Lambert	M.S.	Resler and Shao	Spatio-Temporal Vegetation Change as Related to Terrain Factors at Two Glacier Forefronts, Glacier National Park, Montana
2018	Suzanna Lindeman	M.S.	Ellis	Assessment of Model Forecast Temperature Bias During Cold-Air Damming in the Central Appalachian Mountains
2018	Erik Olson	M.S.	Oliver	Rescinding a Bid: Stockholm's Uncertain Relationship with the Olympic Games.
2018	Breeanna Prince	M.S.	Juran	Access to Water: Advancement of Multidimensional, Multiscalar, and Participatory Methods of Measurement in the Global South
2018	Kaitlyn Spangler	M.S.	Christie	When He Comes Home, then He Can Decide: Male Out-Migration, the Feminization of Agriculture, and Integrated Pest Management in the Nepali Mid-Hills
2018	Logan Stevens	M.S.	Kolivras	Future Lyme Disease Risk in the Southeastern United States Based on Projected Land Cover
2018	Ruoyu Zhang	M.S.	Shao	An Evaluation of a Data-Driven Approach to Regional Scale Surface Runoff Modelling

2017	David Fox	M.S.	Baird	Settlement Patterns and their Potential Implications for Livelihoods among Maasai Pastoralists in Northern Tanzania
2017	Taylor Meade	M.S.	Campbell	Analyzing Spatial Locations of the Common Agricultural Policy’s Subsidy Areas in Romania with Landsat Imagery
2017	Julia Sherry	M.S.	Juran	Perceptions of Water Services and Innovations to Improve Water Services in Tanzania
2017	Andy Skeen	M.S.	Shao	Estimating Impervious Surface Cover in Flathead County, Montana
2017	Jessica Suggs	M.S.	Ellis	Long-Term Changes in Synoptic-Scale Air Mass Persistence across the United States

2016	J.T. Bandzuh	M.S.	Juran and Kolivras	Perceptions of Measures to Control Aedes Mosquitoes and Mosquito-Borne Diseases in Costa Rica
2016	Austin Cooner	M.S.	Shao	Detection of Urban Damage Using Remote Sensing and Machine Learning Algorithms: Revisiting the 2010 Haiti Earthquake
2016	Mario Garza	M.S.	Resler	Biophysical and Climate Analysis of the Mountain Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) Infestations in the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem, 1962-2014
2016	Michael Marston	M.S.	Ellis	Analysis of Extreme Reversals in Seasonal and Annual Precipitation Anomalies across the United States, 1895-2014
2016	Camille Martineau	M.S.	Oliver	Still Last on the List: Examining Patterns of Economic Distress in Appalachia
2016	Amanda Michaels	M.S.	Resler	Land Use and Land Cover Change in the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem
2016	Trevor White	M.S.	Carstensen	Dual-Doppler Derived Vorticity as a Predictor of Hail Size in Severe Thunderstorms

2015	Ashley Athey	M.S.	Ellis	Verification of Satellite-Derived Precipitation Estimates over Complex Terrain: A Ground Truth Analysis for Nepal
2015	Leyang Feng	M.S.	Shao	Sensitivity Analysis of Hot/Cold Pixel Selection in SEBAL Model for ET Estimation
2015	Lauren Freelander	M.S.	Kolivras and Hill	Socio-Demographic and Environmental Influences on the Prevalence of Childhood Obesity in North Carolina
2015	Leslie Harwood	M.S.	Carstensen	Identifying Environments in which Vehicle-to-Vehicle Safety Application Alerts were Affected by the Surrounding Topography
2015	Bailey Kyle	M.S.	Oliver	The Road to Rio: Infrastructure, Image, New Media, and the 2014 FIFA World Cup
2015	Ashley Lewis	M.S.	Baird	Human-Wildlife Conflict and Mobile Phone Use among Maasai Pastoralists near Tarangire National Park, Northern Tanzania
2015	Rachael Lubitz	M.S.	Kennedy	A Late Holocene Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction of a Coastal Lake in Northeastern Dominican Republic
2015	Daniel Moore	M.S.	Carstensen	Zone-Based Multiple Regression Models to Visualize GPS Locations in a Network Camera Image
2015	Brandon Wheeler	M.S.	Shao	Evaluating Time-Series Smoothing Algorithms for Multi-Temporal Land Cover Classification
2015	Suwen Zhao	M.S.	Shao and Campbell	Simulating Urban Growth for Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area by Coupling SLEUTH Model and Population Projection

2014	David Kramar	Ph.D.	Carstensen	Evaluation, Assessment, and Determination of Risk to High Trophic Level Piscivores in the Mid-Atlantic: A Spatial and Comparative Case Study of Mercury in Virginia and New England Bald Eagle Populations
2014	Ayanda Masilela	M.S.	Kolivras	Discerning Neighborhood Characteristics as Contributing Factors to Infant Mortality in Rural Northern Plains Communities
2014	Paul Miller	M.S.	Ellis	The Utility of Total Lightning in Diagnosing Single-Cell Thunderstorm Severity in the Central Appalachian Mountains Region
2014	Jayashree Surendrababu	M.S.	Kolivras	Modeling the Impact of Projected Land Cover on Lyme Disease Emergence
2014	Haitao Wang	M.S.	Kennedy and Shao	Monitoring Vegetation Dynamics in Zhongwei, an Arid City of Northwest China