Beth Tellman

I am a human-environment geographer seeking to understand, map, and mitigate the causes and consequences of global environmental change with and for marginalized populations. I engage in a wide array of disciplines and methods from land system science, to hydrology, to the social sciences. My current research focuses on illicit activities, flood risk, water scarcity, and land use change. Most of my research involves satellite imagery, news media, and other data streams to quantify change, analyzed with causal inference or machine learning techniques. I like to develop and apply science in partnership with NGOs, businesses, governments, and communities to scale their solutions and innovations to build a more socially just world. Current and ongoing research projects include: NASA LCLUC: Making the Hidden Visible: Accelerated Land-Use Change and Degradation Caused by Narco-Trafficking In and Around Central America’s Protected Areas NASA THP: Mapping flood impacts using multi-sensor satellite data fusion in urban areas The Earth Institute, Columbia University: Agricultural flood index insurance in Bangladesh using satellites. Past research projects include: Rainwater harvesting feasibility in Mexico City, assessing the role of electoral politics on informal urban expansion and land titling in Mexico City, ecosystem services for urban water security in Latin America cities, and land use planning for flood mitigation in El Salvador.

Degrees

• PhD, Geography, Arizona State University