This past summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in a Student Research and Creative Activity (SRCA) Fellowship Grant to conduct research using remote sensors and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to analyze the Urban Heat Island effect in smaller urban areas. Together with my fellowship partner, Emmett Bird, and my faculty advisor, Dr. Ashley Allen of the Geography and Sustainability Department, we undertook a multiweek structured experience to learn the pertinent skills to carry this out, and had the chance to collect and work with data.
Final Project Outcome
This is research poster is the culmination of our work over the summer and wat presented at SUNY Oneonta's SRCA showcase. It outlines the rational of our project, its objectives, methodology, results, and conclusion. The figure on the left of the poster, displaying present day urban heat island variables, is part of what I created for this project!
What I did
The project involved multiple stages, beginning with a literature review on urban heat islands and using what I learned to search for relevant data layers and files. I then helped visualize potential data collection sites in Oneonta and completed several GIS tutorials to build the necessary skills for analysis. This was followed by conducting field data collections, organizing and preparing the data for ArcGIS Pro, and then using Kriging-based interpolation to predict temperature isotherms across our areas of study. This all culminated into our attached research poster, which I wrote and organized.
What I learned
To say I have learned something from this project would be an understatement. Getting the opportunity to conduct student research provides a great deal of insight, not only on your topic and relevant skill sets, but on the intracity involved in coordinating such an experience as well. The opportunity to dive into a GIS-related project like this has expanded my technical skills beyond the classroom. I would say that it was comparable to taking an entire specialized course over the summer, the only thing is, it was so engaging that you don't realize you're learning. This experience has not only allowed me to further my skillset outside of the classroom — placing me in a firm footing for post-graduation — but it has prepared me for any similar experiences in the future.
