Introducing a New Generation of Ph.D. Scholars in Geographical Sciences
We are thrilled to welcome a new cohort of exceptional scholars to our Ph.D. program!
Spanning from Dongguan, China to Burlington, North Carolina, these students bring a wealth of perspectives and a shared determination to uncover new insights about our world over the next several years.
Their passion for geographical sciences is sure to spark new ideas and inspire others to look at the world through a new lens. Here they are:
My educational background: BSc. Civil Engineering, Technion-Israel; Masters' Biosystems Engineering, Washington State University, US.
What attracted me to geographical sciences: The free availability of huge amount of satellite data waiting to be mined to study my data scarce region in Ethiopia.
What I like to do when I am not studying: I like reading books about philosophy, law, and history, and watching the Japanese anime "One Piece."
My educational background: BS, School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China; MS, Faculty of Geographical Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
What attracted me to geographical sciences: The power to observe and analyze the Earth from various scales, from a single crop unit to the global level, in real-time, over past decades, and even to predict the future.
What I like to do when I am not studying: I love playing tennis (I'm still in the novice addiction phase) and trying out every new sport.
My educational background: B.E. Geo-Informatics, CEG, Anna University, India; MSc Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, ITC, University of Twente, The Netherlands.
What attracted me to geographical sciences: To monitor and analyze the Earth's changes using remote sensing, enabling me to integrate technology, environmental science, and policy to address critical global challenges.
What I like to do when I am not studying: Traveling and playing badminton.
My educational background: BA, Middlebury College (Geology, Spanish minor); MSc, University of Oregon (Earth Sciences).
What attracted me to geographical sciences: It's such an all encompassing topic of study, covering aspects of both the social and natural sciences. In some fields, it feels like there is a hard line where your work "stops" and becomes someone else's domain of expertise. In Geography, quantative and physics-based fields like remote sensing can be utilized to explore complex social questions such as the cultural and political drivers of changing land use patterns. I really enjoy how interdisciplinary it is.
What I like to do when I am not studying: Riding bikes, trail running, playing music.
My educational background: BSc in Geography and Environment, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh; MSc in Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba, Canada.
What attracted me to geographical sciences: The ability to think 'spatially'. The science of where is what attracts me most to Geography. The very fact that the Earth is my laboratory is fascinating.
What I like to do when I am not studying: Watching movies, riding my bicycle.
My educational background: BSc in Biology; MA in Educational Research (Universidad Veracruzana); and MSc in Marine Science and Climate Change (University of Gibraltar).
What attracted me to geographical sciences: The multidisciplinary approach and the emphasis it places on tackling socio-environmental challenges. The field’s ability to integrate diverse perspectives and apply them to real-world issues resonates deeply with me.
What I like to do when I am not studying: Traveling, outdoor activities, movies, reading, boardgames, buldering, biking, American football.
My city, country: Burlington, North Carolina, United States
My research topic: Agricultural LCLUC/data fusion
My advisor: Sergii Skakun
My educational background: Bachelors in Mathematics, Bachelors in Geography (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill); Masters in Geospatial Information Sciences (UMD-College Park).
What attracted me to geographical sciences: Seeing and understanding the world from a wider perspective, including how the physical aspects of the Earth and human/social dynamics are connected to each other and the past, present and future.
What I like to do when I am not studying: Biking, playing tennis/sports, puzzles, home renovation projects, doing my nails, being outside.
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