Prospective Students

I am looking for 1-2 MA or PhD students who are interested in developing remote sensing methodologies and machine learning algorithms for quantifying ecosystem response. Some areas of research could include:

• Mapping vegetation and monitoring seasonal changes in vegetation

• Measuring vegetation response to disturbances such as drought

• Developing algorithms and methodologies for image processing that transform the data into manageable and applicable information

• Exploring synergies between optical, thermal, and active remote sensing data sources

Students working with me will take coursework in Geography and other disciplines, such as Biology/Ecology, Biostatistics, and Computer Science. PhD students are typically funded through teaching assistantships. I make every attempt to support students on research assistantships on my projects. The ideal candidate for graduate study should have some combination of the following skills: programming/statistical computing (MATLAB, python, R, etc.), remote sensing, GIS, machine learning, or ecology.

Please contact me via email (susan-meerdink@uiowa.edu) if you are interested in applying to work with me on a MA or PhD. In the email, describe what type of remote sensing research is of particular interest to you, what led you to your interest in geography, and attach a resume/CV. We can then set up a phone call or Zoom call to chat in more detail. Our department only accepts students for the Fall semester. If interested please email me the fall prior to the desired fall semester. All of the information about how to apply to the MA or PhD program in Geographical & Sustainability Sciences is available on the departmental website.