This website is in transition. We thank you for your patience.
Daniel M Griffith, Ph.D.
Past and founding members of WesGIS
Kim Diver, Ph.D., GISP
Current Students
Jenna Otaola, Earth & Environmental Sciences, B.A. ’22
Research Assistant, Digitization and analysis of islands from remotely sensed imagery
GIS Assistants (click to see list)
Alumni – thesis students
Katie Toner, Earth & Environmental Sciences, B.A. ’20
“Effects of projected sea level rise on the island biogeography of the Coiba islands, Panama,” now an Alliance for Watershed Education Fellow at Heritage Conservancy (Hartford, CT)
Tessa Hill, Earth & Environmental Sciences, M.A. ’17
“Community ecology of The Massasauga Provincial Park: Novel approaches within island biogeography,” now a Physical Scientist at the US Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab (Hanover, NH)
Will Speiser, Earth & Environmental Sciences, B.A. ’17 (co-advisor)
“Perched Pond Kinematics of the 1783, Laki Lava Flow Field, Iceland,” now a Ph.D. student of Hydrological Sciences at University of California, Davis
Emilie Sinkler, Earth & Environmental Sciences and Physics, B.A. ’14
“Declining water level in Lake Michigan–Huron and the effect on islands in the Massasauga Provincial Park,” now a Ph.D. candidate in Geophysics at University of Alaska Fairbanks
Manon Lefèvre, College of the Environment, B.A. ’14
“Mapping contamination in the Coginchaug Watershed: possibilities and limitations of visualizing information,” now a Ph.D. student at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Oliver James, College of the Environment, B.A. ’14
A Field Guide to the Birds of Wesleyan (Stethoscope Press), now a Master’s candidate in the Energy and Resources Group and the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley
Ryan Edgley, California State Polytechnic University, Geological Sciences B.S. ’14, Science Technology Society B.A. 2014, External Thesis Advisor
“GIS approach to water–level change: potential effects of water–level changes on island ecosystems,” received a M.S. in Hydrologic Sciences and Engineering at Colorado School of Mines; now a Water Resources Engineer, Paradigm Environmental
Alexis Jiménez, Universidad de Panama, Department of Geography, External Thesis Advisor, B.A. ’12
“Application of the theory of island biogeography in the study of island flora in Coiba National Park and its buffer zone using GIS”
Julissa Domínguez, Universidad de Panama, Department of Geography, External Thesis Advisor, B.A. ’12
“Use and application of GIS to analyze sea–level rise in Coiba National Park,” received a Master in Environmental Management, Universidad Interamericana de Panamá; now a Forest Technician for Forest Finance
Amanda Kyne, College of the Environment, B.A. ’11
“Climate change and autumn colors in New England’s forests,” now a Master’s candidate in the Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town
Alumni – research students
Leah Bournival, Geography, Mt. Holyoke College ’17
“A dendrochronological record of Twentieth Century water levels in Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada,” received a M.S. in Geography at Missouri State University; now a Forestry Technician at US Forest Service
Ezra Steinfeld, Earth & Environmental Sciences ’17
“A GIS approach to the effects of water-level change on soil properties and tree species richness,” now a Predator Technician at Nevada Department of Wildlife
Matthew Kelly, Geology, Beloit College ‘17
“Dendrochronology and water levels as indicators of recent climate change: Georgian Bay, Lake Huron (Ontario, Canada)”
Tessa Hill, Earth & Environmental Sciences ’16
College of the Environment Summer Research Internship, “Influence of overstory–understory relationships in island biogeography,” now a Physical Scientist at the US Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab (Hanover, NH)
William Speiser, Earth & Environmental Sciences ’17
College of the Environment Summer Research Internship, “Forest coverage digitization of islands in The Massasauga Provincial Park, Canada,” now a Ph.D. student of Hydrological Sciences at University of California, Davis
Dan Kim, Environmental Studies and Government ’16
College of the Environment Visualizing the Environment Summer Fellowship: “Energy Frontline Communities of America,” now a J.D. candidate at New York University School of Law
Sam Raby, Mathematics ’17
GIS Research Seminar: “Mapping Cultural Displacement,” now a Cartographer and Data Journalist, Research and Data Lead at JustFix.nyc
Mads O’Brien, Earth & Environmental Sciences and Science in Society ’16
Quantitative Analysis Center Summer Research Apprenticeship Program: “Modeling habitat degradation of the cerulean warbler using GIS: Ash tree decline and hydraulic fracturing,” now a Graduate Student (MESc) in Environmental Science, Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Tastea Kurtu, Geological Sciences, California State University Fullerton ‘14
“Potential effects of water-level changes on island ecosystems: A GIS spatiotemporal analysis of shoreline configuration”
Oren Cook, Earth & Environmental Sciences ’14
“Island biogeography of South Pond (Adirondacks),” now Owner and Founder, Red Team Solar, Greenwich (NY) and US Virgin Islands
William Martin-Black, Environmental Science, Trinity College ’12
Conservation, Research, and Education Opportunities International (CREOI) project, “Evidence of increased island area due to low lake levels in Lake Huron: implications for plant species invasions”
Ariela Knight, Earth and Environmental Science and Cognitive Psychology ’13
“Distributions of non-native plant species on islands of Georgian Bay, Ontario,” now a Development Associate, Elizabeth Peabody House
Alex Gumpel, Biology ’11
“Distributions of non-native plant species on islands of Georgian Bay, Ontario”
“Island biogeography in Coiba National Park, Panama”
Scott Williams, Environmental Studies, Denison University ’08
“Comparison of spatial variability between native and non-native plant species richness on islands in the Georgian Bay, Ontario”
Liz Strassman, Environmental Studies, Denison University ’08
“Factors influencing species richness of native and non-native plants on 19 islands of Georgian Bay, Ontario,” received a M.S. in Environmental Studies, Science Teacher Certification, Antioch University; now a sustainability teacher at Mount Anthony Union Middle School
Sarah (Kafer) Mill, Environmental Studies, Denison University ’07
“Homeless interactions with the built environment,” now at Gahanna Parks and Recreation