Current Graduate Students
2026-'27
Jack Buehner
M.S. Candidate
jack.buehner@vt.edu
Advisor: Fangzheng Lyu
Previous: Ferman University
Interests: geospatial data analysis and visualization, LiDAR remote sensing, human-centered climate resilience
Matthew Angel
Matthew Angel
M.S. Candidate
mrangel828@vt.edu
Advisor: Junghwan Kim
Previous: North Carolina State
Interests: urban planning, remote sensing, historical geography
Udit Bhatta
Ph.D. Candidate
uditbh@vt.edu
Advisor: Narcisa Pricope
Previous: Mississippi State University
Interests: community and critical infrastructure resilience, disaster risk analysis and communication, geospatial decision-support systems, open-source intelligence
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
Pengyu Chen
Ph.D. Candidate
penyuc@vt.edu
Advisor: Fangzheng Lyu
Previous: University of South Carolina
Interests: Geospatial Data Science, Spatial Statistics, Machine Learning, Representation Learning
Jessica Davis
M.S. Candidate
jkdavis14@vt.edu
Advisor: Luke Juran
Previous: Western Carolina
Interests: Spatial risk modeling, human-environment interactions, vulnerability, hazards, and disasters.
Sandesh Sharma Dulal
Ph.D. Candidate
sandesh339@vt.edu
Advisor: Junghwan Kim
Kathmandu University (Nepal)
Interests: Web development with integrated AI framework, LLM, GeoAI
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
Max Griffiths
M.S. Candidate
maxg27@vt.edu
Advisor: Junghwan Kim
Previous: Virginia Tech
Interests: geospatial data science, remote sensing, human mobility
Alice Hale
M.S. Candidate
alicehale@vt.edu
Advisor: Luke Juran
Previous: Rhodes College
Interests: GIS, water, land changes, and geospatial analysis
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
Will Jones
Will Jones
M.S. Candidate
willj98@vt.edu
Advisor: Mengxi Zhang, Junghwan Kim
Previous: Virginia Tech
Interests: remote sensing, spatial data science, data visualization, landscape ecology
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
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
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
Sutton Marks
M.S. Candidate
smarks27@vt.edu
Advisor: Junghwan Kim
Previous: Virginia Tech
Interests: GeoAI, spatial statistics, spatial data science, historical geography
Lena Miller
M.S. Candidate
lenam@vt.edu
Advisor: Andrew Ellis
Previous: N.C. State
Interests: GIS, Environmental Science, Remote Sensing, Spatial Analysis, Landscape Change, Extreme Weather Impacts
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
Tyler Morrow
M.S. Candidate
tlmorrow@vt.edu
Advisor: Stephanie Zick
Previous: Penn State University
Interests: Tropical Cyclone structure and dynamics, rapid intensification, modeling, precipitation, climate change
Maryum Murtaza
Ph.D. Candidate
maryum@vt.edu
Advisor: Luke Juran
Previous: University of the Punjab
Interests: hydro climatology and its effects on water, sanitation and hygiene.
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
SK Nafiz Rahaman
Ph.D. Candidate
nafiz@vt.edu
Advisor: Nacissa Pricope
Previous: Mississippi State University
Interests: Spatial Analysis, Remote Sensing, Spatial-temporal Analysis, Machine Learning, Land System Science, Geospatial Applications
Md Zakiur Rahman
Ph.D. Candidate
mdzrahman@vt.edu
Advisor: Eranga Galappaththi
Previous: University of Twente, The Netherlands
Interests: Geospatial Analysis; Urban Environment and Health; DRR & Climate Change; Community Wellbeing and Sustainability
Md Abdur Rahman
M.S. Candidate
ad19@vt.edu
Advisor: Eranga Galappaththi
Previous: Khulna University
Interests: Application of advanced geospatial techniques in urban and environmental analytics, Climate change and disaster risk management, Rethinking urban planning in the face of uncertainty
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
Casey Siregar
M.S. Candidate
shardi1@vt.edu
Advisor:
Previous:
Interests: human geography, socio-environmental systems, political ecology, geographic mobility
Sophie Sallot
M.S. Candidate
ssophie26@vt.edu
Advisor: Craig Ramseyer
Previous: University of Missouri
Interests: Earth system interactions, human-environment interactions, Climate change, Remote sensing
Nishat Shermin
Ph.D. Candidate
nishats@vt.edu
Advisor: Narcisa Pricope
Previous: Mississippi State University
Interests: Environmental Analysis, Public Health, Uncrewed Aerial Systems, Vegetation Monitoring, Remote Sensing
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
Nelakshi Vindya
M.S. Candidate
nelakshivindya@vt.edu
Advisor: Eranga Galappaththi
Previous: University of Peradeniya
Interests: human-environment interactions, climate change adaptation, Indigenous knowledge systems, food security, GIS and remote sensing applications
Grace Woerner
M.S. Candidate
gwoerner04@vt.edu
Advisor: Craig Ramseyer and Stephanie Zick
Previous: N.C. State
Interests: Ocean & Atmospheric Coupling and Dynamics, Extreme Meteorological Event Impacts, Climatology & Hydroclimate Variability, Microphysics-Climate Dynamics
Junru Xie
