HERO Biographies
Rachel Shmookler, Undergraduate '09
Personal:
I live in Buffalo, NY and am a senior at Clark studying Environmental Science. I enjoy all sorts of outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, canoeing, and kayaking, as well as playing ultimate frisbee and soccer. I like to read books about military history and war in general, and of course Harry Potter.
HERO Experience:
I worked with three other fellows in the Massachusetts Forest Monitoring Program
to implement a methodology for detecting land change using satellite imagery.
This new method sought to back date and update one land cover map, instead of
detecting change between two completely separate maps. This is a much more
efficient and accurate way of monitoring land change. We also conducted field
work in western Massachusetts to validate the forest classes of the 2000
land-cover map to make sure it adequately classified differences between
deciduous, mixed, and coniferous forests. This was a rewarding experience that
helped me better understand the scientific method and the necessary components
of research. After I graduate with a B.A. I will pursue Masters degree in GIS at
Clark.