My GISc research focuses on web mapping, environmental restoration, developing spatial databases, and developing scripts for automating and visualizing spatial data. Most recently, I was a research assistant on a disaster mitigation project using remotely sensed imagery in Guatemala. Scroll down for more information regarding these research interests.
Estimating FINGER LAKES soil erosion
Project Overview
Soil erosion can degrade and comprise land productivity and lead to non-point source pollution entering waterways. A recent report released by the Finger Lakes Land Trust emphasizes "the need to address both excessive nutrient runoff into the region’s lakes and sprawling rural development that threatens farmland, vistas, water quality, and recreational resources." This project is an initial spatial analysis of soil erosion on a small watershed in the Finger Lake's Conesus Lake. The analysis devies raster calculations in a GIS for the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE).
View the project presentation. Contact me for more information.
Soil erosion can degrade and comprise land productivity and lead to non-point source pollution entering waterways. A recent report released by the Finger Lakes Land Trust emphasizes "the need to address both excessive nutrient runoff into the region’s lakes and sprawling rural development that threatens farmland, vistas, water quality, and recreational resources." This project is an initial spatial analysis of soil erosion on a small watershed in the Finger Lake's Conesus Lake. The analysis devies raster calculations in a GIS for the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE).
View the project presentation. Contact me for more information.
Risk Mitigation
in Guatemala
Project Overview
This internship project is part of an interdisciplinary research study led by Principal Investigator, Dr. Elia Machado, entitled, “Improving Preparedness to Extreme Natural Hazards Events in Lake Atitlán Region: A Bottom-up Approach” with the goal to research risk perception and perform an integrated spatial analysis of vulnerability to extreme rain events in the Santa Catarina Ixtahuacán municipality. Since Guatemala has historically endured natural disasters, the main objective of this project is to map and assess the impact of resettlement processes in the Tzojomá subwatershed from 1998-2013 associated with recent extreme rain events.
View the project presentation and poster. Contact me for more information.
This internship project is part of an interdisciplinary research study led by Principal Investigator, Dr. Elia Machado, entitled, “Improving Preparedness to Extreme Natural Hazards Events in Lake Atitlán Region: A Bottom-up Approach” with the goal to research risk perception and perform an integrated spatial analysis of vulnerability to extreme rain events in the Santa Catarina Ixtahuacán municipality. Since Guatemala has historically endured natural disasters, the main objective of this project is to map and assess the impact of resettlement processes in the Tzojomá subwatershed from 1998-2013 associated with recent extreme rain events.
View the project presentation and poster. Contact me for more information.
'Hacking Education'
Project Overview
DonorsChoose.org connects public school classrooms in need with donors to fund innovative projects that support student learning. The organization maintains open data on project funding. This data is ripe for spatial exploration. This project demonstrates just some of that exploration within New York City.
View the project presentation. Contact me for more information.
DonorsChoose.org connects public school classrooms in need with donors to fund innovative projects that support student learning. The organization maintains open data on project funding. This data is ripe for spatial exploration. This project demonstrates just some of that exploration within New York City.
View the project presentation. Contact me for more information.
Python Scripting
for GIS
Project Overview
The US Census Bureau provides a wealth of demographic and geographic data. In order to provide researchers and journalists with automated ability to visualize racial segregation across the US, this project explores utilizes Python scripting in ArcGIS. When complete, based on user input, one will be able to visualize US metropolitan areas racial makeup by census tract. The script pulls data directly from the web, develops basic demographic statistics, and creates visualization across US metropolitan areas.
View the Project Presentation with script samples (and eventually) the full script. Contact me for more information.
The US Census Bureau provides a wealth of demographic and geographic data. In order to provide researchers and journalists with automated ability to visualize racial segregation across the US, this project explores utilizes Python scripting in ArcGIS. When complete, based on user input, one will be able to visualize US metropolitan areas racial makeup by census tract. The script pulls data directly from the web, develops basic demographic statistics, and creates visualization across US metropolitan areas.
View the Project Presentation with script samples (and eventually) the full script. Contact me for more information.
Real Time Mapping
311 Data
NOTE: Reworking this projects code.
A Leaflet-inspired real time map using NYC Open Data. The output continuously updates the previous 7 days' 311 complaints for Grafitti or Dirty Conditions in the borough of the Bronx. The map uses Font Awesome and Maki Markers icons on the Stamen Terrain Background basemap.
View the Real Time Mapping of 311 Data. Contact me for more information.
A Leaflet-inspired real time map using NYC Open Data. The output continuously updates the previous 7 days' 311 complaints for Grafitti or Dirty Conditions in the borough of the Bronx. The map uses Font Awesome and Maki Markers icons on the Stamen Terrain Background basemap.
View the Real Time Mapping of 311 Data. Contact me for more information.
Speed Cameras Around NYC Schools
Project Overview
Recent legislation in New York State allowed New York City to increase the number of speed cameras to 140 surrounding public schools in the city. These camera locations are not posted. Are these speed cameras making streets safer as part of Mayor Bill De Blasio's Vision Zero Action Plan? Or are the just generating revenue? Or, maybe, expanding surveillance within New York City neighborhoods?
View the Project Presentation and CartoDB visualization to learn the results of the projects spatial analysis. Contact me for more information.
Recent legislation in New York State allowed New York City to increase the number of speed cameras to 140 surrounding public schools in the city. These camera locations are not posted. Are these speed cameras making streets safer as part of Mayor Bill De Blasio's Vision Zero Action Plan? Or are the just generating revenue? Or, maybe, expanding surveillance within New York City neighborhoods?
View the Project Presentation and CartoDB visualization to learn the results of the projects spatial analysis. Contact me for more information.
New York City Oyster Bed Restoration
Project Overview
This GIS‐based analysis develops a spatial and thus visual model for informing stakeholders of suitable locations for near future native oyster bed reintroduction efforts along the Bronx and Queens shorelines on the East River/ Western Long Island Sound (LIS). Oysters are considered valuable coastal engineers and play a key role in many human and natural processes.
As such, this GIS‐based analysis utilized natural and built environmental parameters to determine suitable future oyster habitat reintroduction efforts led by conservation groups. It is economically and ecologically essential to improve the water conditions in the New York City metropolitan area. This GIS‐based analysis builds upon habitat suitability and habitat restoration research, coupled with GISc modeling to develop a priori recommendations on suitable locations to foster continued managed oyster reintroduction efforts.
The GIS‐project emphasizes habitat ranked parameters including physical environmental indicators, particularly dissolved oxygen, salinity, bathymetry, and turbidity, alongside public accessibility to the shoreline to maintain the managed oyster beds. The end product is an analysis of GIS as a practical decision‐support tool that informs stakeholders targeting near future oyster bed reintroduction efforts.
View the Map Outputs or the Project Poster to learn the results of the projects spatial analysis. Contact me for more information.
This GIS‐based analysis develops a spatial and thus visual model for informing stakeholders of suitable locations for near future native oyster bed reintroduction efforts along the Bronx and Queens shorelines on the East River/ Western Long Island Sound (LIS). Oysters are considered valuable coastal engineers and play a key role in many human and natural processes.
As such, this GIS‐based analysis utilized natural and built environmental parameters to determine suitable future oyster habitat reintroduction efforts led by conservation groups. It is economically and ecologically essential to improve the water conditions in the New York City metropolitan area. This GIS‐based analysis builds upon habitat suitability and habitat restoration research, coupled with GISc modeling to develop a priori recommendations on suitable locations to foster continued managed oyster reintroduction efforts.
The GIS‐project emphasizes habitat ranked parameters including physical environmental indicators, particularly dissolved oxygen, salinity, bathymetry, and turbidity, alongside public accessibility to the shoreline to maintain the managed oyster beds. The end product is an analysis of GIS as a practical decision‐support tool that informs stakeholders targeting near future oyster bed reintroduction efforts.
View the Map Outputs or the Project Poster to learn the results of the projects spatial analysis. Contact me for more information.
THE BRONX: Digital Terrain Modeling
Project Overview
The Hunts Point Slave Burial Ground (HPSBG) Project seeks to definitively locate and commemorate the lives of slaves that lived in Hunts Point, Bronx, New York. Though the graves may have been obliterated their lives shall be remembered. The project works with students from PS 48, a New York City public school, alongside local historians, community organizations, museums, and city agencies to investigate the final resting place of the slaves from various historical and prominent New York families.
Using a Trimble GPS Pathfinder, 219 elevation data point were collected within Joseph Rodman Drake Park in the Hunts Point neighborhood of The Bronx, New York. The elevation data was interpolated to create a digital terrain model (IDW, Spline, and kriging) of the current terrain of the park. A 3D model was developed in ArcScene. The modeling aids the HPSBG Project in documenting the site of the lost slave burial site. Future efforts will entail enhanced interpolation method exploration and georeferencing historic maps from the 19th century.
View the project presentation and 3D animation. Contact me for more information.
The Hunts Point Slave Burial Ground (HPSBG) Project seeks to definitively locate and commemorate the lives of slaves that lived in Hunts Point, Bronx, New York. Though the graves may have been obliterated their lives shall be remembered. The project works with students from PS 48, a New York City public school, alongside local historians, community organizations, museums, and city agencies to investigate the final resting place of the slaves from various historical and prominent New York families.
Using a Trimble GPS Pathfinder, 219 elevation data point were collected within Joseph Rodman Drake Park in the Hunts Point neighborhood of The Bronx, New York. The elevation data was interpolated to create a digital terrain model (IDW, Spline, and kriging) of the current terrain of the park. A 3D model was developed in ArcScene. The modeling aids the HPSBG Project in documenting the site of the lost slave burial site. Future efforts will entail enhanced interpolation method exploration and georeferencing historic maps from the 19th century.
View the project presentation and 3D animation. Contact me for more information.
Earthquake Mitigation Planning
The project examined the local earthquake risk for the New England region of the United States. The project utilized and compared datasets for assessing local areas most at risk for possible future earthquakes with the intent to describe how such mapping could determine future use of risk mitigation governmental funding allocations. Data was obtained from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the United States Census Bureau's Tiger Products, and Global Rural-Urban Mapping Project. The project limitations were associated with not taking into account earthquake depths, magnitude, and the county level aggregation of Census data.
View the Earthquake Hazard Mitigation Project presentation and map outputs. Contact me for more information.
View the Earthquake Hazard Mitigation Project presentation and map outputs. Contact me for more information.