Centering Equity and Environmental Justice in the Context of Climate Adaptation

My research team is preparing for workshops on urban heat island mapping that are part of the Urban Climate Change Research Network’s (UCCRN) Urban Design Climate Workshop series.

Recently, I advised the New York City Council’s Data Operations Unit on their data science strategy as they integrated Landsat 8 imagery into their temperature mapping initiatives. I am also advising the City of Chicago Department of Public Health as it integrates MODIS satellite data into an air quality focused dashboard that is currently in development.

I serve as co-investigator on a research project that will produce new data products, providing new information and insights on the role of coastal marshes in the global carbon and nutrient cycles. Coastal marshes are highly valued for the ecosystem services they provide, yet they are disappearing at an alarming rate worldwide due to seawater intrusions. The submergence of coastal marshes transforms them from sinks to sources of greenhouse gases, further accelerating climate change and rates of sea-level rise.