Down To Earth: A podcast for Geoscientists by Geoscientist

They say parents have a huge impact on their children. In this episode, we learn how one person in Dr. Chayma Chaâbani’s life inspired her to become an avid traveler, which has since led to a career in natural disaster remote sensing.

Dr. Chris Schmullius has been a geoscientist since the 80s. From work in industry, to a professorship in academia, she’s seen a lot over her 40+ year career! In this episode, she shares some of the changes that she’s seen, both in forest mapping (her main scientific focus), as well as for geoscientists in general.

What happens when you decide to jump into the field of remote sensing late in your career? You carve your own path to success of course! In this episode, we follow Dr. Nkeiruka N. Onyia’s journey from complete novice to successful geoscience entrepreneur and researcher!

Africa I. Flores-Anderson, a research scientist at the Earth System Science Center, discusses her passion for environmental protection rooted in her Guatemalan upbringing. She shares her experiences with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology for monitoring ecosystems and the importance of disaster response. The conversation highlights her challenges in a male-dominated field and emphasizes the critical role of mentorship in empowering women in STEM. Africa's journey showcases resilience and the drive to make a legacy in environmental science.

Morgan Crowley, a PhD candidate at McGill University, dives into her innovative research on mapping forest fires using free satellite software. She discusses the impact of climate change on fire seasons in Canada and highlights techniques like the Bayesian updating algorithm for real-time fire monitoring. Crowley also emphasizes the importance of inclusivity in STEM, sharing insights on mentorship for women in geoscience. Her work aims to integrate ecological data for better forest management and improve emergency response to wildfires.