Environmental and preservation planning at the intersection of disasters, GIS, Black cemeteries

a doctoral student at Texas A&M University in the Urban Development and Regional Science program. As a graduate student at Texas A&M University, I am studying cemetery management in unincorporated, historically African American cemeteries in Southeast Texas. Specifically, measuring the scale of recovery for cemeteries that have been impacted by natural disasters such as flooding. I wish to understand how geospatial technology can improve cemetery management because it is an excellent tool for mapping the blueprint of a cemetery, managing new burials, and reinternment if needed. It is important that underserved communities are exposed to geospatial technology for cemetery management in order to properly maintain the burial grounds of their loved ones. I also wish to encourage women of color to learn and apply geospatial technology in their careers to increase their representation as geographic information system users across all academic and professional disciplines.

Being a native of New Orleans, LA, my experience with Hurricane Katrina greatly influenced my career path and interests in college. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, however, science was my favorite subject in school. After Hurricane Katrina, I was learned about environmental science and how I can make a career out of pursuing environmental issues ranging from social environmental issues (environmental justice and racism) to land management. I have experience in working in desert landscapes, mountainous terrain, coastal swamps, and rural landscapes.

As a Black woman, STEM can be intimidating to navigate at times. I strongly recommend finding a mentor AND a mentee. Regardless of your age or degree status, you can always help the next POC women in STEM. It is important to create a supportive community full of supportive women because STEM is a male-dominated field.

kickboxingtrying new foodspending time with family and close friendspracticing self-care techniques (like painting my nails and journaling)

Definitely GIS! My research interests change pretty often because I do not like to box myself into one research topic and GIS technology allows me to do so. GIS is an excellent tool to show an abundance of information. I’ve used GIS to map regeneration patterns of pine trees following a high severity fire, the density of seagrass beds in the Pascagoula River in coastal Mississippi, and analyze the risk cemeteries face in Cancer Alley Louisiana due to their proximity to multi-hazards in the area. Along with GIS, I think public speaking is another important skill that has contributed to my success. The research produced in STEM is often life-changing but is of no value if the knowledge produced cannot be shared with a non-professional or academic audience. To that point, teaching is a great space to practice speaking and sharing information in a digestible manner.