Current Graduate Students
2024-'25
Maureen Agada
Maureen Agada
M.S. Candidate
maureena@vt.edu
Advisor: Lisa Kennedy
Previous: University of Maiduguri, Nigeria
Interests: long term environmental change, paleoecology, human-environment interactions, climate-fire links
Meghan Albritton
Meghan Albritton
Ph.D. Candidate
mjalbritton@vt.edu
Advisor: Korine Kolivras
Previous: Virginia Tech
Interests: health geography, global health, participatory mapping
Matthew Angel
Matthew Angel
M.S. Candidate
mrangel828@vt.edu
Advisor: Junghwan Kim
Previous: North Carolina State
Interests: urban planning, remote sensing, historical geography
Timothy Babchak
M.S. Candidate
tbabchak@vt.edu
Advisor: Tim Baird
Previous: University of Richmond
Interests: Geoscience, geovisualization, environmental remote sensing, GIS
Raj Bhattarai
Raj Bhattarai
M.S. Candidate
iamrajbhattarai@vt.edu
Advisor: Fangzheng Lyu
Previous: Kathmandu University
Interests: Rapid damage assessment, environmental and urban changes, GeoAI
Bristow
Cole Bristow
Ph.D. Candidate
colebristow@vt.edu
Advisor: Lynn Resler
Previous: Virginia Tech
Interests: Biogrography, GIS applications for environmental science
Ozzy Campos
Ph.D. Candidate
aocampos@vt.edu
Advisor: Yang Shao
Previous: US Air Force Academy
Interests: Remote sensing of conflict zones
Alexander Dyer
M.S. Candidate
alexdpdyer@vt.edu
Advisor: Lisa Kennedy
Previous: Ohio State
Interests: Biogeography, GIS, vegetation dynamics, climate change
Kaylin Fleenor
Kaylin Fleenor
M.S. Candidate
kaylinfleenor@vt.edu
Advisor: Lynn Resler
Previous: University of Tennessee
Interests: ecological biogeography, GIS, ice age refugia, high elevation Appalachian ecosystems, climate change
Hannah Garbutt
Hannah Garbutt
M.S. Candidate
hannaheg@vt.edu
Advisor: Eranga Galappaththi
Previous: Virginia Tech
Interests: climate change adaptation, vulnerability, resilience, Indigenous knowledge systems, sustainability
Suyog Gautam
M.S. Candidate
suyoggtm@vt.edu
Advisor: Santosh Rijal
Previous: Kathmandu University (Nepal)
Interests: Remote sensing, GIS
Ryley Harris
Ph.D. Candidate
rcharris@vt.edu
Advisor: Lisa Kennedy
Previous: Radford University and Virginia Tech
Interests: Landscape dynamics, plant ecology, remote sensing, sUAS
Ryan Holgerson
Ryan Holgerson
M.S. Candidate
ryanh19@vt.edu
Advisor: Craig Ramseyer
Previous: Virginia Tech
Interests: climate data analytics, climate change, synoptic meteorology, geographic information science
Shuqi Jin
M.S. Candidate
shuqij@vt.edu
Advisor: Yang Shao
Previous: Queen's University (Canada)
Interests: geospatial data analytics, urbanization mapping and modeling, coastal environment
Head shot
Muna Khatiwada
Ph.D. Candidate
munak@vt.edu
Advisor: Andrew Ellis
Previous: East Carolina University
Interests: Precipitation variability, climate change, geospatial analysis, hydroclimatology, naturla hazards
Pratirakshya Koirala
M.S. Candidate
pratirakshyak24@vt.edu
Advisor: Maria Elisa Christie
Previous: Tribhuvan University (Nepal)
Interests: Forest and landscape dynamics, climate change, geospatial analysis and modeling
Rafia Khan
Rafia Khan Lia
M.S. Candidate
rafialia@vt.edu
Advisor: Robert Oliver
Previous: Khulne University of Engineering and Technology (Bangladesh)
Interests: environmental design, human-environment interactions, smart cities, urban planning, planning analytics, sustainability, disaster resilience, GIS
Emily Litrakis
M.S. Candidate
elitrakis@vt.edu
Advisor: Andrew Ellis
Previous: University of Tennessee
Interests: Climatology, climate change, natural hazards, emergency management, hydrometeorology
Paige Luo
Taige Luo
M.S. Candidate
taige@vt.edu
Advisor: Yang Shao
Previous: Nanjing Forestry University (China)
Interests: AI-driven image interpretation, smart/digital urban modeling, vegetation dynamic
Millicent Mackie
Millie Mackie
M.S. Candidate
millicent@vt.edu
Advisor: Tim Baird
Previous: University of Dundee (Scotland)
Interests: geospatial analysis, climate change, human-environment interactions/ecology, sustainable development, migration
Sithuni Mimasha
Sithuni Mimasha
Ph.D.. Candidate
sithunimimasha@vt.edu
Advisor: Eranga Galappaththi
Previous: Virginia Tech
Interests: Indigenous food systems, governance, GIS and RS applications, food security
Joe Newman
M.S. Candidate
jmano7@vt.edu
Advisor: Craig Ramseyer
Previous: Virginia Tech
Interests: spatial data analysis, geospatial programming, decision support application development, transportation safety
Michael Ojo
Michael Ojo
M.S. Candidate
ojomichael@vt.edu
Advisor: Korine Kolivras
Previous: Ekiti State University (Nigeria)
Interests: Medical geography, human geography, climate effects on societies
Kaitlyn Osworth
Kaitlyn Osworth
M.S. Candidate
krosworth22@vt.edu
Advisor: Anamaria Bukvic
Previous: Virginia Tech
Interests: coastal adaptations and resilience, population displacement and relocation, disaster risk management
Erin Redding
Erin Redding
M.S. Candidate
eredding02@vt.edu
Advisor: Craig Ramseyer
Previous: University of California-Berkeley
Interests: geospatial data science, machine learning, resource management, aquatic ecology
Sandesh Sharma Dulal
M.S. Candidate
sandesh339@vt.edu
Advisor: Junghwan Kim
Kathmandu University (Nepal)
Interests: Urban Planning, generative AI, data science
Casey Siregar
M.S. Candidate
shardi1@vt.edu
Advisor:
Previous:
Interests: human geography, socio-environmental systems, political ecology, geographic mobility
Rory Smith
Rory Smith
M.S. Candidate
gsrory70@vt.edu
Advisor: Junghwan Kim
Previous: Auburn University
Interests: Cartography, GIS, geospatial intelligence, remote sensing, land use and cover changes
Jacob Snawder
Jacob Snawder
M.S. Candidate
jacobs25@vt.edu
Advisor: Korine Kolivras
Previous: James Madison University
Interests: biogeography, GIS, human geography, human-environment interactions, water, medical geography, geography of jewelry
Junru Xie
