Sustainability Leadership Fellow Cohort: 2022-2023

Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Geosciences

Research Summary: I study how floodplains differ for diverse rivers in the USA. Floodplains are dynamic, as their shape and size can change depending on how much water flows during a flood. They capture water, sediment, and organic material, and provide habitat. I collect GPS data and soil samples from floodplain patches in the field, and digital elevation and multispectral images online that cover the field sites. I combine the data in mapping and statistical software in order to see how the floodplains differ between rivers. This informs floodplain restoration efforts on what a natural floodplain looks like and how it functions.

Advisor: Ellen Wohl