Communicating Science to Policy Specialists

June 2020 - Present

Much of my work outside of graduate school has entailed wrangling data and conducting geospatial analyses for policy specialists. These specialists then use their expertise to communicate this science in the most effective way possible. Hence, our analyses must balance between scientific rigor and simplicity for the general public.

The map shown below represents the dammed river network for Washington state. Datasets used here are NHDplus V2 and National Inventory of Dams (NID). Using a tool in ArcGIS, I was able to build “Functional River Networks”, which are connected river networks up until the last dam. Hence, one can make inferences about the quantity and quality of habitat that will be restored if a barrier is removed. The ability to offer simple yet powerful science to our stakeholders is what helps them make the most informed and effective decisions for conservation.