People

PEOPLE

Jennifer J. Swenson, Ph.D. Professor of the Practice CV
I am interested in tracking changes in terrestrial Earth's living surface at the landscape to region scale with remote sensing and geospatial analysis. Interest include: how forested patterns and canopy structure are effected by drought, deforestation, and other factors, patterns and shifts of ecosystem biodiversity, and how to provide access to practitioners to remotely sensed data and analysis. I have been at Duke for 13 years, prior to that I have worked in the NGO world as well as for US federal agencies.

Aurelia Allen, Doctoral Student

Visiting PostDoc Danica Schaffer-Smith NatureNet Science Fellow with the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes at Arizona State University and The Nature Conservancy, Durham NC

Former PostDoctoral Researchers

Tong Qiu, PhD, PostDoctoral Researcher w/ Jim Clark
NASA-AIST Remote Sensing & Data Analytics
Phd. UNC Geography 2020

Dr. Amanda M Schwantes 2017-2019
(NASA-AIST Remote Sensing and Data Analytics). Currently PostDoctoral Researcher U Toronto, Fortin lab

Dr. Mariano Gonzalez-Roglich 2016-2017
Remote Sensing Analyst for drought mapping (USDA)Currently Director of Ecosystem Analysis @ Conservation International

Former Phd Students
Dr. Danica Schaffer-Smith 2018. ENV Spatiotemporal variability of inland water bodies along the Pacific Flyway using 30+ years of Landsat (NASA, NSF)
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Dr. Amanda Schwantes, 2017. UPE. Forecasting and monitoring forest response to a changing climate: drought-induced tree mortality in Texas
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Dr. Mariano Gonzalez-Roglich, 2016. ENV Spatio-temporal dynamics of woody plant encroachment in semiarid rangelands of Argentina: changes in C stocks and climate change implications (NASA & NSF); Drought-induced canopy loss in Texas (USDA-AFRI) Currently Director of Ecosystem Analysis @ Conservation International

Fantastic 2017 presentation on connectivity and a Peruvian primate! start@1m

MEM Nathan Walker working with Proyecto Mono Tocon in Peru 2016

Doctoral Students (committees)
Greg Larson, Patrick Gray, Ana Nordseth, Christopher Kilner, Lane Scher, Rubén Palacio, Renata Poulton Kamakura, Jacqueline Gerson (2021), Emily Ury(2021), Amelia Meyer (2021), Emily Rains (Sanford Pubpol), Bijan Seyednasrollah ENV (2017), Binbin Li (2017) UPE, Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela ENV (2016), German Forero Medina UPE (2012), Alana Belcon EOS (2012), Scott Loarie UPE (2010), Lucas Joppa UPE (2011), Nicolette Cagle (2008)

Master’s Projects Advised (MEM) (links to Duke Library’s DukeSpace)

Grace Hancock, Alex Vanko & Mingfei Xiong 2020. Planning a Sustainable Tree Canopy for Durham (co-advised with Nicki Cagle)
Krista Erdman, Kimberly Meyers, Virginia Patterson & Zifeng Wang, 2020 Designing A Biological Corridor in Oaxaca, Mexico (co-advised with John Poulsen and Liz Shapiro)
Jannette Morris, Gabriella Garcia, & Ga-on Lee, 2020 Flows of Water and Wildlife in KAZA (co-advised with Marc Jeuland, Sanford)
Shuyue Li 2018. Seagrass Mapping and Human Impact Evaluation Using UAV and SmallSat imagery at Core Banks, NC.
Teagan Rostock & Sean Ireland. 2018. Sacred Groves’ Contributions to Forest Loss Prevention and Habitat Connectivity in Southwest India.
Janet Larsen, 2017 Agricultural Drivers of Land Use Change in Paraguay
Nathan Walker, 2017 I mproved connectivity analysis using multiple low-cost paths to evaluate habitat for the endangered San Martin titi monkey (Callicebus oenanthe) in north-central Peru
Sarah Hagan, 2017 (co-advised w/Nicki Cagle) Effects of stand attributes in evaluating even-aged loblolly pine volume with LiDAR 
Paulina Arroyo, 2017 Governance and Management in a Complex Landscape: Learning from the Yasuni National Park
Andrew Pericak, 2016. Improving Equity through Passive Recreation in Northeastern North Carolina .
Kelly Meehan, 2016. Object Based Image Analysis Technique for Distinguishing Tropical Native Forest from Plantations: A Landcover Classification Analysis of Patches Surrounding the Serra do Brigadeiro State Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Will Norton & Dan Plechaty, 2015. Connecting People with Nature Through a Network of Large Natural Areas.
Maggie Ernest, 2015. Habitat quality and integrated connectivity for Callicebus oenanthe in San Martin, Peru
Stephanie Panlasigui, 2015. Evaluating the impact of Forest Stewardship Council certification on forest loss rates in Cameroon’s logging concessions.
Ying Zhong, 2015. [co advised by Steffen Foerster EvAnth]. Spatial Analysis of Chimpanzee Habitat Quality Based on Vegetation Food Availability in Gombe National Park, Tanzania
Anthony Dibiase, 2014. Simulating seasonal weather influences on wildfire behavior in Glacier National Park, Montana
Jennifer Santoro 2013 American chestnut (Castanea dentata) habitat modeling: identifying suitable sites for restoration in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Kevin Dick 2013 Species Distribution Modeling for Bog Turtles (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) in North Carolina
Jennifer Moore 2013 Conservation of Marojejy National Park: Lemur Population Surveys and Habitat Disturbance Assessments with Remote Sensing
Jeremiah Jolly 2013 Assessing riparian condition and prioritizing locations for streamside reforestation projects: Northern Manabí Province, Ecuador
Elizabeth Norment, Malissa Hubbard, Paul Gerlach. 2013. Land Use Land Cover in the Western Ghats, India
Stephanie Roe 2013 Spatial Prioritization of REDD+ sites in the Philippines
Ben Riegel 2012 (co-advised with Emily Bernhardt) A Comparison of Remote Sensing Methods for Estimating Above-Ground Carbon Biomass at a Wetland Restoration Area in the Southeastern Coastal Plain
Sam Baraso 2012 An analysis of landscape characteristics influencing livestock depredation by lions, hyenas, and leopards in Loibar Siret, Tanania
Jill Derwin 2012 Temporal trends in secondary forest carbon sequestration
Brook Massa 2011. Predicting conflict over scarce resources: Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) and Fulɓe pastoralists
Cory Anco 2011 Habitat suitability and reintroduction potential for Puma concolourin the state of Georgia
Rachael Carnes 2011 Mexican wolf recovery: habitat suitability and dispersal potential
Jennifer Hushaw 2010. Searching for Eastern Old Growth: Modeling Primary Forest in Western North Carolina Using Terrain Attributes and Multispectral Satellite Imagery.
Matt Poti, 2010. Identifying Priority Conservation Areas in Georgetown County, South Carolina
Brian Tarpinian. 2010. Prioritizing proposed wilderness areas for wilderness designation
Ginevra Ryman 2010. More than Bucks and Acres: Assessing the Value of Conserved Lands
Julia Gruber. 2009. Targeting Potential Conservation Sites for Swallow-tailed Kites (Elanoides forficatus) in Levy County, Florida.
John Vetter. 2009. Impacts of Deforestation on the Conservation Status of Endemic Birds in the North Maluku Endemic Bird Area from 1990-2003.
Lisa Poser 2009. Setting Standards for Sustainable Tourism: An analysis of US tourism certification programs
Lindsey Smart 2009. Characterizing Spatial Pattern and Heterogeneity of Pine Forests in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain using LiDAR
Lincoln Smith. 2009. Modeling Land-Use in Georgia: Threats to Biodiversity and Opportunities for Conservation.
Kala Wolfe 2009. Monitoring Key Biodiversity Indicator Species in Southwestern El Salvador: Changes in Bird Populations during Five Years in the Apaneca Biological Corridor
Anne Rosenbarger 2009. Community-based forestry in Kalimantan: An assessment of authority, policy, and capacity.
Adam Bausch 2008. A Characterization of Spring Vegetation Phenology Using MODIS Imagery for the Piedmont of North Carolina from 2000 to 2007
Cesar Ignacio Delgado. 2008. Is the Interoceanic Highway Exporting Deforestation? A comparison of the intensity of regional Amazonian deforestation drivers within Brazil, Bolivia and Peru.
John Kerkering. 2008. Mapping Past and Future Permafrost Extent on the North slope Borough, Alaska.
Chris McPhee. (w/ Coleman Doggett). 2008 Managing an Urban Preserve
Seth Kirby. 2007. Identifying Sites for Protected Areas Based on Endemic Species Richness and Threat in Madre de Dios, Peru.
Seth Factor. 2007. Effects of Per-Vehicle Entrance Fees on U.S. National Park Visitation Rates