Pratikshya is originally from Jaljala, a remote village in Nepal. Her journey in geospatial science began with an undergraduate degree in Geomatics Engineering from Kathmandu University, followed by a master’s degree in Geospatial Systems Engineering from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi.

She is currently a PhD candidate in Geospatial Analytics at North Carolina State University. Her research focuses on the geomorphic impacts of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, where I use LiDAR, UAV imagery, satellite data, and geospatial modeling to understand terrain change, debris movement, and altered drainage patterns after extreme events.

Through her work, she aims to develop geospatial methods and decision-support tools that can help communities, scientists, and emergency managers better prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters.

Michelle combines passion and experience in public health, climate change, community development, food systems, and policy. her niche is in quantitative methods and urban data science, including GIS and machine learning/Artificial Intelligence applications. Her research interests are in health and the built environment, food systems, applied epidemiology for public policy, climate resiliency, community development and health disparities. Michelle aims to apply my work toward equitable people-based and place-based policies and interventions. Michelle holds a BS, MS, and MPA from the University of Delaware, and a PhD in Planning, Design, and Built Environment from Clemson University.

Gabrielle Capone is a senior a the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign studying Geography and GIS, with minors in Computer and Political Science. She channels her passion for global issues into action by leading Illinois YouthMappers and the Geographical Honors Society.

Caroline Petersen is a student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville pursuing a major in Geospatial Information Science and a minor in Data Science. She is a highly motivated and detail-oriented individual, passionate about the intersection of geospatial information science and environmental science.

Dr. Alameh is an award-winning industry-recognized geospatial leader and visionary withproven business building and scaling experience in industry and nonprofits. She focuses in bridging technology and policy at a national and global scale. She has an extensive global network across industry, government, academia, and non profit sectors, spanning geospatial, earth observations, data science, AI, and climate. Dr. Alameh is a seasoned board member, startup advisor, and young professional mentor. She has an PhD in Geographic Information Systems from MID, a Masters of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and a Master in City Planning.

Danielle is the Director at the Center for GeospatialScience and Technology at California State University- Northridge, and the founder of Women in GIS. Danielle is GIS leader and professional with more than 25 years experience in the field. Early in her career Danielle noticed that there weren’t much resources for women in the field, and found herself at a conference with a group of women who were interested in joining forces for good, or just for coffee. Danielle has a Bachelors Degree in Nature and Cultureform the University of California, Davis, and a Masters in Geography from California State University, Northridge.

In our third episode of the Award Series, I speak with Devika Jain, the recipient of the Distinguished Contributions Award from Women in GIS for 2025. Devika tells me about why she came to GIS and how her interest in systems to address real world problems drove her pursuit of knowledge in the geospatial realm. We also discuss her work applying Machine Learning to millions of tweets and what the data showed her team about sentiments in different locations.

Listen to hear her concerns about big data, when not to scale up, and how to approach big data biases.

If you're interested in learning more about grant and scholarship opportunities from Women in GIS, check us out always at womeningis.org.

Kris Manske is an emerging GIS Professional, with extensive experience in data management and communications. She discusses with us the challenges faced when laid off from a job, how jiu jitsu has helped her job hunt, and what advice she has for those who might be interested in changing their career trajectory.

In our second episode of the Award Series, I speak with Dolphine Mogina and Hannah Permaul Flores, who were both selected for the Young Professionals Award from Women in GIS in 2025. Together we discuss Hannah's lifelong fascination with maps and how Dolphine's grandmother affected her decision to pursue GIS as a tool. We also talk about tools they use to share their results, the impact of their continuing work, and what their plans are next!

Listen to hear how Dolphine is planning to bring 100% electrification to all of Africa and Hannah's thoughts on Nature as healthcare.

If you're interested in learning more about grant and scholarship opportunities from Women in GIS, check us out always at womeningis.org.

Hannah Permaul Flores is a published researcher and environmentalist whose work bridges geography, resilience, and the arts. She is currently pursuing her MSc in Geography at the University of Toronto, where she explores environmental determinants of health through a spatial lens. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from the U of T with a double major in Biology and Forest Conservation Science, and was named one of Canada’s Top 25 Environmentalists Under 25. Hannah has worked for leading organizations, including National Geographic and The Nature Conservancy, on climate-focused projects, and presented her undergraduate thesis on mapping wildfire smoke and cardiorespiratory health outcomes in the Amazon at the 2024 Esri User Conference. Her work combines field studies, spatial analysis, and storytelling to deepen our understanding of human–environment interactions and climate justice. She also serves on the University of Toronto President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability, where she creates opportunities for students to become leaders in sustainability. Hannah will travel to the Amazon in 2026 to conduct her master's thesis fieldwork on the spatial patterns of access to clean drinking water in Peru.
Beyond her academic accolades, she is a celebrated spoken word poet and TEDx speaker who has collaborated with global brands such as NIKE, the Toronto Raptors, and FIFA, using her artistry to champion equity, inclusivity, and environmental awareness. As a proud Black and Latina scholar and artist, Hannah’s practice is grounded in amplifying underrepresented voices and creating barrier-free opportunities for communities to connect with the land, and each other.Dolphine Mongina is a Geospatial Data Scientist at VIDA, a company focused on accelerating electrification across Africa while assessing climate risks to critical infrastructure. In her current role, she provides high-quality geospatial data and analysis that underpin VIDA’s impact-driven work in energy access and climate resilience.

Previously, Dolphine worked at Dalberg Research on a Climate Action Project aimed at advancing a climate-positive growth agenda in Africa. She led and supported key workstreams, including assessing renewable energy and green hydrogen potential across the continent, as well as strategies for decarbonizing the steel and aluminum sectors. Insights from this work were featured at the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi.

Dolphine is particularly interested in leveraging cutting-edge geospatial technologies, machine learning, and primary research to mitigate the impacts of climate change in developing countries. She recently led a project focused on boosting economic growth and shaping livelihoods in the agricultural sector using machine learning in Kenya and Malawi, which was presented at the 2023 ESOMAR Annual Congress in Amsterdam. Her contributions to renewable energy research have also earned her recognition as a Global 30 Under 30 honorees by Significant Insights.

Outside of work, Dolphine enjoys watching and participating in theatre productions and finds listening to poetry a simple and relaxing way to unwind.