Stories

Fieldwork was the highlight of my PhD. I traveled to Rwanda and Kenya, working closely with local institutions and communities. One of the most memorable parts was using a little inflatable kayak to collect water samples in small wetland reservoirs. I would also like to mention the work we did with local institutions and, through them, with user communities. Consider establishing links, working closely with locals, and collecting their feedback.

My interest in GIS, remote sensing and the whole GEO field grew over time. I knew that I wanted to be in this realm and use my computer science background with topics like artificial intelligence and machine learning. [...] I thought that going into academia and teaching would be a fun experience, and then I decided to do a Master’s.

We were the first GEM students to go to the Sloth Conservation Foundation in Costa Rica for an internship, and we definitely recommend it to future students. During our internship, we met really nice people and discovered a beautiful region.

For my internship project, I used GIS to develop a strategic plan for future canopy bridge installations in Costa Rica. We used satellite imagery to identify forest patches and suggest locations for new bridges.

I’m starting an internship in September with the World Resources Insitute for monitoring deforestation in Europe with the Global Forest Watch tool. The conference and my thesis experience have made me consider continuing in research, but I’m keeping my options open for now.