PEEP Awards

Elias Manos, University of Connecticut

Thank you to the USPA PEEP committee for the awards and generous financial support. At the 2021 RCOP, I presented my undergraduate research on deep learning-based automated mapping of ice-wedge polygon troughs and built infrastructure across the Alaskan North Slope using sub-meter resolution satellite imagery. This was my first time attending and presenting at a professional scientific conference, and even though this was a virtual experience, I was very excited to have the opportunity to share my work with and learn from permafrost experts. In Fall 2022, I will begin pursuing a master’s in remote sensing at the University of Connecticut. Throughout my graduate research, I hope to fuse artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and big image data to work towards pan-Arctic infrastructure mapping at a sub-meter spatial resolution, which will hopefully begin to provide the tools and create the information necessary to advance our understanding of the built environment's vulnerability to Arctic permafrost degradation, as well as its impacts on the natural environment. With the support I have received from the USPA, I can look forward to attending future conferences to present this work and further network with permafrost researchers.

Jaimy Schwarber, University of Alaska Fairbanks

I was a geological engineering graduate student at the time of RCOP. I am primarily interested in geohazards within Alaska, and during my education I have had the opportunities to participate with work on frozen debris lobes, landslides, and retrogressive thaw slumps. My thesis research focused on identifying and mapping landslides within parts of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK. I presented preliminary findings of the landslide inventory map for the first time at this conference. This work is the first step for more landslide research in the region. I am grateful to the USPA for the opportunity to attend RCOP to learn the latest studies, network with my peers, and hear from prominent researchers. I am also grateful for the various awards. 

Lawrence Vulis, University of California Irvine

I am a PhD student in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California Irvine studying how permafrost influences the morphology and hydrology of arctic river deltas. My research utilizes a combination of remote sensing imagery, in-situ observations, and climate reanalysis data to identify and quantify landscape patterns on arctic deltas and relate them to climate variability across deltas, which in turn is used to inform predictions of delta morphologic response to projected warming. This research is a multidisciplinary effort and involves supervision and collaboration with engineers, physicists, statisticians, and geomorphologists. I would like to thank the USPA and ASCE for hosting the 2021 RCOP and giving me and other students the opportunity to share our research. I would also like to thank the judges for their time in viewing and critiquing my presentation. The conference was an excellent opportunity to learn about ongoing permafrost research and connect with other scientists.

Yue Zhao, University of Alaska

My name is Yue Zhao, a Ph.D. student in Engineering based on a joint program between the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the University of Alaska Anchorage. My research is the prediction of climate change impact on highways in warm permafrost. With the help of USPA, I had the opportunity to present at the RCOP2021, even though it is a pre-recorded presentation. However, this is still a great experience in learning new ways to convey research findings. This meeting provides me an excellent chance to learn the latest research trends about permafrost and how to efficiently adapt to climate change and mitigate its associated hazards to the built infrastructure. Thank you again to USPA!