About me

Hi there! I am a PhD Student in Geospatial Analytics at NC State. I am currently conducting research with the Landscape Dynamics Group, and my primary advisors are Dr. Ross Meentemeyer and Dr. Chris Jones. My research interests lie in using big data, geospatial methods, and deep learning methods to find innovative solutions stopping the spread of invasive species - a grand environmental challenge threatening food security, economies, and ecosystems worldwide.

At NC State, my PhD research contributes to the Pest or Pathogen Spread (PoPS) Model developed by the Landscape Dynamics Group. PoPS is a data-driven, stochastic spatiotemporal model capable of producing near-real-time forecasts of invasive species spread across the contiguous US. These forecasts are used a decision support tools by federal and state agencies to identify optimal strategies that can best minimize damages from invasive species spread. My research focuses on improving the reliability of invasive spread forecasts by quantifying and reducing uncertainty in the forecast’s driver inputs (i.e. the main factors dictating where/how quickly an invader spreads).