Research Biography
Heather was a  PhD student in the BASAL lab. She completed her undergrad in 2012 at the University of Rhode Island where she received a B.S in Environmental Science and Management. During her undergrad, she worked for 4 years as a research assistant in the URI Environmental Data Center, working on a number of GIS related projects. After receiving her B.S, she worked as an invasive species intern for the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex and then a GIS Specialist for Assateague Island National Seashore. In 2013, she started working on her Master's at the University of New Hampshire with Russell Congalton. Her thesis focused on mapping land cover change on Assateague Island following Hurricane Sandy using Landsat 8 imagery. After completing her Master's in 2015, she stayed on in the BASAL lab to continue working towards a PhD in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies. Her dissertation work focused on improving the quality of forest inventory information extracted from unmanned aerial system (UAS) imagery and assessing the use of UAS for understanding anthropogenic influences on forest edge communities and structure.   Currently, Heather is employed as the GIS Coordinator in New Hampshire for the US Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Heather is a proud Rhode Islander, born and raised. In her free time she can be found wandering the woods with her camera or participating in historical reenactments. She is always available to answer people's geospatial questions and  show anyone pictures of her dog.

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