Project Index
Click on a project title to link directly to the project description.
Project SP19a: Regional and Remote Forcing of Melt on the Greenland Ice Sheet: Interactions with Sea Ice and Atmospheric Circulation – position filled
Project SP19b: Tropical Climate Change Adaptation I: GIS Mapping – position filled
Project SP19d: Tropical Climate Change Adaptation II: Systematic Literature Review – position filled
Project SP19e: Corridors, conservation, and development in the Mesoamerican tropics – position filled
Project FA18f: Mapping post-fire tree cover using object-based image analysis – position filled
Project FA18g: Relationship between display fidelity and task performance in VR – position filled
Project FA18h: Pesticides and Agrobiodiversity in Emerging Market Production Systems in the High Atlas (Morocco) – position filled
Project SP19a: Regional and Remote Forcing of Melt on the Greenland Ice Sheet: Interactions with Sea Ice and Atmospheric Circulation
Researcher: Julie Sanchez jms1286@psu.edu
Position type: GIS, MatLab coding, data analysis
Application deadline: position filled
Project and position description
This project will attempt to detect the physical mechanisms as to why the Greenland Ice Sheet is melting. Tasks include downloading and processing climate data from ERA-Interim and analyzing the data using ArcGIS.
Desired qualifications
Applicants should have interests in climatology and GIS. Applicants should have a background in climatology and/or meteorology (e.g., successful completion of GEOG 310, 417; METEO 201 or higher) and possess strong GIS, data management, and coding skills (e.g., successful completion of GEOG 363 and GEOG 365 or METEO 273) .
This project will require 45 hours of work over the course of the semester, and the successful applicant may earn 1 credit for the spring term.
Project SP19b: Tropical Climate Change Adaptation I: GIS Mapping
Researcher: Michelle Ritchie mar550@psu.edu
Position type: GIS, cartography
Application deadline: position filled
Project and position description
Mirroring an ongoing systematic literature review of climate change adaptation in the Arctic, this project seeks to bridge knowledge of climate change adaptation across latitudes. Prior research assistants laid the groundwork by collecting, organizing, and analyzing peer-reviewed journal articles using qualitative analysis – much of which is complete.
The UROC candidate will be responsible for creating visuals for publication and educational purposes. Creativity is encouraged! These include but are not limited to:
- a map of the study area (base map, topography, climate)
- a map of knowledge production vs. extraction
- a map of adaptation strategies
Deliverables will include a complete ArcGIS Pro project package of all maps and the data referenced in its layers as well as a detailed metadata document.
We will meet weekly, beginning with an overview of the project background and goals. If time, effort, and interest permit, other related tasks may arise.
Desired qualifications
Applicants should have an interest in climate change adaptation. Applicants should possess strong GIS, data management, and cartographic skills, as evidenced by grade of B or higher in GEOG 361.
This project will require 90-135 hours of work over the course of the semester (~5-8 hrs/wk), and the successful applicant may earn 2-3 credits for the spring term.
Project SP19c: Land cover classification and analysis of land cover change along an irrigated watershed in southwestern Peru
Researcher: Ramzi Tubbeh rmt5319@psu.edu
Position type: remote sensing/GIS
Application deadline: open until filled
Application URL: https://sites.psu.edu/uroc/undergrads-apply-for-a-project/
Project and position description
Land use and land cover in arid agricultural landscapes depends largely on precipitations, glacial melt, irrigation infrastructure, meso- and micro-scale water management practices, and local livelihoods, among other factors. In the southwestern Peruvian Andes, glacial retreat is exacerbating seasonal and interannual variations in water availability. On the other hand, large-scale hydraulic infrastructure has altered water flows while drastically reducing seasonal and interannual variations in water availability. Water policies are encouraging efficient irrigation practices and increasing government supervision of local water distribution. My research analyzes the effects of hydraulic infrastructure and water policy and management on arid irrigated landscapes and farmers’ livelihoods. The UROC student will use satellite images to quantify land cover and vegetation health change in the upper and lower Colca-Siguas watershed, in southwestern Peru, from the 1970s to 2018. The UROC student will also write a report on the observed changes. Because preliminary findings will feed into a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Association of Geographers (AAG), products will be needed by the second half of March. Depending on workload and availability of time, the UROC student may choose to do additional work involving analysis of interannual variations in NDVI values for one additional credit.
Desired qualifications
Applicants should have experience with remote sensing (successful completion of GEOG 362, FOR 455, GEOSC 482, or METEO 477), land cover classification, GIS, programming in R or similar software, and good communication skills. A genuine interest in the research topic is very appreciated.
This project will require 90 hours of work over the course of the semester, and the successful applicant may earn 2 credits for the spring term. If the student chooses to work on an additional product, an additional credit may be earned for approximately 45 more hours of work.
Project SP19d: Tropical Climate Change Adaptation II: Systematic Literature Review
Researcher: Michelle Ritchie mar550@psu.edu
Position type: qualitative data analysis, literature review
Application deadline: position filled
Project and position description
Mirroring a systematic literature review of climate change adaptation in the Arctic, this project seeks to bridge knowledge of climate change adaptation across latitudes. Prior research assistants laid the groundwork by collecting, organizing, and analyzing peer-reviewed journal articles using qualitative analysis – much of which is complete.
The UROC candidate will be responsible for finishing the qualitative analysis, reviewing and polishing prior results to ensure rigor, and drafting a paper for publication using a given template. Deliverables will include a detailed Excel spreadsheet and accompanying codebook (much of which is already complete) as well as a draft manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal article, of which the UROC candidate will be a co-author.
We will meet weekly, beginning with a crash course in qualitative analysis and an overview of the project background and goals. If time, effort, and interest permit, other related tasks may arise.
Desired qualifications
Applicants should have an interest in climate change adaptation. Applicants should possess strong written, organizational, and communication skills. Ideally, applicants should have completed GEOG 30 or 230 and ENGL 15 with grade of B+ or higher.
This project will require 45-90 hours of work over the course of the semester, and the successful applicant may earn 1-2 credits for the fall term.
Project SP19e: Corridors, conservation, and development in the Mesoamerican tropics
Researcher: Ruchi Patel rdp20@psu.edu
Position type: Literature review, data processing, qualitative data analysis
Application deadline: position filled
Project and position description
In global conservation, biological corridors have been designed and promoted widely as tools to achieve both biodiversity conservation and sustainable human development. As the most densely populated country in Central America lying at the heart of the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot, El Salvador is a unique case study for corridors because of its rich biodiversity and highly human-modified landscape. This project examines the past and present discourse surrounding corridors in the dry tropics of El Salvador to understand their viability as frameworks for future conservation and development efforts in the country as well as the greater Mesoamerican region.
The undergraduate research assistant will conduct various activities in support of the project including a review of literature on key intersectional themes, data processing, and analysis of maps and other qualitative data collected in the field. The research assistant will be expected to work highly independently, but we will communicate regularly throughout the semester and meet weekly to discuss progress. As part of the UROC program, the student will be required to prepare and present a 5-7 minute final presentation at the end of the semester, which we will work on together.
Desired qualifications
Native or advanced Spanish fluency is required. Successful candidate will be capable of working independently and have interest in conservation, sustainable development, and/or Latin American geography.
This project will require 90 hours of work over the course of the semester, and the successful applicant will earn 2 credits for the spring term.
Project FA18f: Mapping post-fire tree cover using object-based image analysis
Researcher: Jamie Peeler jjp5689@psu.edu
Position type: remote sensing/GIS
Application deadline: position filled
Project and position description
This project will map post-fire tree cover at three recent fires in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Time permitting, the project can be extended to include pattern analysis of the maps using FRAGSTATS. Results will be used to support research on how landscape context supports post-fire forest recovery. The undergraduate assistant will be expected to work independently. However, we will meet weekly to discuss progress and other interests in physical geography. The undergraduate assistant will also be expected to give a 5-minute presentation alongside other UROC participants in April 2019.
Desired qualifications
Successful completion of GEOG 414 and familiarity with ArcMap 10.5.
This project will require 45 hours of work over the course of the semester, and the successful applicant may earn 1 credit for the spring term.
Project SP19g: Relationship between display fidelity and task performance in VR
Researcher: Jiawei Huang jzh87@psu.edu
Position type: experiment assistant
Application deadline: open until filled
Application URL: https://sites.psu.edu/uroc/undergrads-apply-for-a-project/
Project and position description
If you are interested in interacting with people and disentangling the complex relationship of the cognitive processes in VR, this UROC is for you. In this project, you will be helping to run experiments related to VR. For example, one of the research questions is whether higher visual realism in VR can help people build a better memory palace and develop a better spatial understanding. You will learn how to use VR equipment and conduct experiments with me or independently, including participant recruitment, IRB submission, helping to run experiment using VR equipment (explain the procedure to the participants, answer questions and facilitate the experiment). Depending on your interest, you might also work on data analysis, although this is up to you. You have the opportunity to present the result from this work on different venues such as AAG. On the weeks without experiments, the work can be flexible depending on your interests, options include literature review, VR development, 3D modeling, etc.
Desired qualifications
Successful applicants will be organized, highly motivated, able to learn independently, and pay great attention to detail.
This project will require 45-135 hours of work over the course of the semester, and the successful applicant may earn 1-3 credits for the spring term.
Project SP19h: Pesticides and Agrobiodiversity in Emerging Market Production Systems in the High Atlas (Morocco)
Researcher: Zachary Goldberg zag5022@psu.edu
Position type: transcription, data analysis
Application deadline: position filled
Project and position description
This project investigates farm management and knowledge in apple and other production systems in the mountainous regions in Morocco. The student will work alongside the researcher in transcribing and coding interviews and focus groups, creating greater reliability and depth to my qualitative analysis. Upon completion of the semester, all data will be successfully transcribed and coded. Additionally, the student may choose related side projects including archival research, cartography, GIS analysis, follow-up interviews, and outreach.
Desired qualifications
The main qualifications for this position are attention to detail, solid work ethic, and a genuine interest in supporting smallholder agriculture in Morocco. Additional skills in cartography, remote sensing, language (French, Arabic), data processing and analysis would be appreciated. 1 credit hour would cover transcribing and coding while additional credit hours are available if student seeks to pursue additional side projects (see above).
This project will require 90-135 hours of work over the course of the semester, and the successful applicant may earn 2-3 credits for the spring term.