With support from the William Penn Foundation, the CLUS established the Delaware River Basin Project- Land Use Dynamics in 2015. From 2015-2017, the research focus was on developing “A Land Cover Mapping, Modeling and Monitoring System for the Delaware River Basin in Support of Maintaining and Restoring Water Resources.” A second grant was later awarded by the Delaware Watershed Research Fund (2017-2020), expanding the focus to more widely consider climate change: “How will forest ecosystems and hydrologic processes in the Delaware River Basin be affected by climate change and land cover change?”
Reliable and regular land cover data are essential to address these challenges, as is the need for forecasting land cover changes in order to continually prioritize restoration and protection investments. These products need to be available Basin-wide in order to ensure conservation actions are targeted strategically. To address these needs, this project addresses three related components:
- High resolution Lidar-based land cover mapping
- Development of a Basin-wide land cover modeling tool
- Feasibility study for long-term land cover change monitoring
With support from the Delaware Watershed Research Fund, a team of scientists from Shippensburg University and Northern Arizona University will connect models of land cover change, climate change, hydrology and tree species to address the impact of future development and environmental change in the Delaware River Basin. Learn more.
Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne
Director
UVM Spatial Analysis Lab
With support from the William Penn Foundation, the University of Vermont Spatial Analysis lab is building a high resolution (1m x 1m) LiDAR-based land cover dataset for all 43 counties that cover the Delaware River Basin watershed.
Peter Claggett
Research Geographer
US Geological Survey
Chesapeake Bay Program
Together with our partners at the US Geological Survey, we are modeling future land use change based on existing data. These computer simulation tools are needed to evaluate and visualize land cover change forecasts under alternate future scenarios.
Scott Goetz, Ph.D.
Professor
School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems
Geospatial Research and Information Laboratory
Patrick Jantz, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor
School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems
Geospatial Research and Information Laboratory
Over the next three years, a team of scientists from Shippensburg University and Northern Arizona University will connect models of land cover change, climate change, hydrology and tree species to address the impact of future development and environmental change in the DRB.
Funding for this project comes from the William Penn Foundation. The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Greater Philadelphia region through efforts that increase educational opportunities for children from low-income families, ensure a sustainable environment, foster creativity that enhances civic life, and advance philanthropy in the Philadelphia region. In partnership with others, the Foundation works to advance opportunity, ensure sustainability, and enable effective solutions. Since inception, the Foundation has made nearly 10,000 grants totaling over $1.6 billion. The Foundation’s assets exceed $2.3 billion as of Nov. 30, 2014. More information about the foundation is available on its website at www.williampennfoundation.org.
Affiliate Scholars
Jacob Percey
Graduate Student Fellow
Jacob Percey is a second year Geoenvironmental Studies graduate student at Shippensburg University. He has a strong passion for both GIS and Geology and hopes to pursue these fields upon graduation. He is currently examining recent and potential forest loss from known and predicted transmission line development across the Delaware River Basin. In his spare time, Jake enjoys spending quality time with his family and pursing outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, and camping.
Projects: Delaware River Basin Project (2018)
Patricia Newdeck
Graduate Student Fellow
Trish applied her BS in Geosciences (Penn State) toward an environmental consulting career where she performed soil and groundwater investigations and designed remediations plans for industrial and petrochemical clients. As an SU graduate student, Trish is gaining GIS processing skills and and land use knowledge. At CLUS, she applies her analytical, project management and visual graphic skills to support a passion for land conservation and sustainable communities. When away from the computer, she adventures on land & water with her teenage sons or slings clay at the ceramic studio.
Projects: Minigrant storymap for the South Mountain Partnership (2017), DWRF Project (2018), ATC Demographics Project (2019), General CLUS Support (2018-2019)
Joshua Barth
Graduate Student Fellow
Joshua earned an A.S. in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Burlington County College and a B.S. in Geology from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. He is currently pursuing a M.S. in Geoenvironmental Studies at Shippensburg University. Joshua enjoys teaching through nature walks and other outdoor activities and works as an environmental educator at Palmyra Cove Nature Park.
Projects: Delaware River Basin Project (2015-2017), Poconos-Kittatinny Cluster Consulting (2017), Rhyolite Project for South Mountain Partnership (2018)
Caitlin Lucas
Undergraduate Student Fellow
Caitlin graduated in May 2017 from the Geoenvironmental Studies program with certification in GIS. She has expertise in mapping, and is pursuing a career in GIS applicable to conservation and environmental remediation. During her time with the CLUS, Caitlin gathered GIS-contact data, produced several maps, conducted analyses, and researched land use change related to energy infrastructure in the Delaware River Basin. She has studied a broad range of topics and has conducted student research in Sea Level Rise in the Eastern Shore Region of Virginia in addition to her research for our team.
Projects: Delaware River Basin Project (2015-2017)
Dorlisa Minnick, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Social Work & Gerontology
B.A. in Social Work from Shippensburg University
M.S.W. from S.U.N.Y. – Stony Brook
Ph.D. in Social Work from The Catholic University of America
Dr. Dorlisa Minnick believes social and environmental justice is inextricably tied together in order to build sustainable communities. She has experience in designing, implementing, and disseminating results from community assessments focused on the social environments of marginalized populations. She has co-led training to increase community organizing capacity of Science Festival Alliance membership in their efforts to make science accessible in their local communities.
- Tel: 717-477-1785
- Location: College of Education & Human Services
Tim Hawkins, Ph.D.
Professor and Graduate Program Coordinator, Department of Geography-Earth Science
B.A. from Colgate University
M.S. from Arizona State University
Ph.D. from Arizona State University
My research focus is hydroclimatology. Specifically, focus on future streamflow and watershed-wide hydrologic conditions in a changing climate. I also dabble in urban climatology.
- Tel: 717-477-1662
- Location: College of Arts & Sciences
Scott Drzyzga, Ph.D., GISP
Professor, Department of Geography-Earth Sciences
B.A. in Geography from State University of New York at Geneseo
M.A. in Geography from Michigan State University
Ph.D. in Geography from Michigan State University
Dr. Drzyzga is the GIScience Director for the CLUS. He is an experienced specialist in geographic information science and technology, is a certified Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP). Scott is also a certified Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) pilot that uses small drones to collect aerial photography.
- Tel: (717) 477-1307
- Location: College of Arts & Sciences
- Website: Link
Claire Jantz, Ph.D. – Director
Professor, Department of Geography-Earth Science
B.A. in College Scholars from University of Tennessee
M.A. in Geography from University of Maryland
Ph.D. in Geography from University of Maryland
Dr. Claire Jantz is the Director of the CLUS. She has extensive expertise in land use and land cover change analysis and modeling, and interdisciplinary research. Dr. Jantz has particular expertise within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, the Delaware River Basin, and the Delmarva Peninsula. She has participated in several collaborative research efforts funded by NASA, Maryland SeaGrant, NPS, and the William Penn Foundation.
- Tel: (717) 477-1399
- Location: College of Arts & Sciences
- Website: Link
Alfonso Yáñez Morillo
Research Analyst, Center for Land Use and Sustainability
A.S. in forest engineering from the Universidad Politecnica of Madrid
B.S. in biology from the Universidad Complutense of Madrid
M.S. in environmental management and administration from the Fundación Biodiversidad
Alfonso specializes in landscape ecology and connectivity and has over 10 years experience applying GIS to a wide range of environmental consultancy projects. Focus areas include environmental impact assessments, land use change, planning evaluation, forest fires, and ecological flows regimes. Alfonso is a certified Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) pilot.
- Tel: (717) 477-1517
- Location: College of Arts & Sciences
Antonia Price
Project Manager, Department of Geography-Earth Science
H.B.S. in Biology from University of Utah
Antonia received an Honors Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Utah, with Undergraduate Research Scholar designation. As Project Manager for the Center for Land Use and Sustainability, she oversees various research initiatives and leads communication efforts. Antonia has a background in community outreach and science education, and enjoys communicating science to diverse audiences.
- Tel: (717) 477-1519
- Location: College of Arts & Sciences