Meet the LIT GEO students

MS Student

MS Student

Post Baccalaureate Student

Post Baccalaureate Student

Preserving historic cemeteries, like Hickory Grove Missionary Church Cemetery in Chapel Hill, NC is a meaningful way to connect with the past, but it comes with challenges. Many burial sites are incomplete or difficult to locate due to missing headstones, unmarked graves, or natural overgrowth. To address this, our project uses high-tech tools including drones and 3D modeling, to create detailed maps of these spaces. By combining drone imagery with historical and geographic data, we aim to uncover hidden graves and improve cemetery documentation. This effort, a collaboration between geoscience and history experts at North Carolina Central University, not only honors these sacred sites but also lays the groundwork for broader initiatives in cultural preservation, environmental justice, and community planning.

Post Baccalaureate Student

Dams are vital infrastructure supporting energy production, water management, and recreation, but they also pose serious risks when compromised. North Carolina, home to over 6,000 dams, faces unique challenges due to aging infrastructure, a warming climate, and increased precipitation. Of particular concern are the state's 194 "high hazard" dams in poor or unsatisfactory condition, which threaten nearby population in the event of failure. Climate change intensifies these risks by increasing extreme rainfall, leading to flooding that can overwhelm dam capacities. This is compounded by urbanization and environmental changes that exacerbate flood impacts downstream. Events like Hurricane Helene in 2024 have demonstrated the destructive potential of these combined factors. This research aims to identify the communities most vulnerable to dam failures, focusing on those disproportionately affected due to socioeconomic and demographic factors. By utilizing flood inundation mapping and the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), which considers variables like income, education, and minority status, populations in dam inundation zones can be analyzed to highlight groups at higher risk. By integrating environmental justice principles, this project seeks to inform equitable disaster preparedness and recovery strategies. The findings will help policymakers, emergency responders, and community leaders better protect vulnerable communities and mitigate the impacts of high-hazard dam failures in North Carolina. 

Post Baccalaureate Student

This project examines the far-reaching effects of hurricanes Katrina, Maria, and Helene on marginalized communities, including people of color and those experiencing economic hardship. These hurricanes were selected for their varied impacts based on the length of time communities had to recover and the unique challenges posed by their respective locations. Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, exposing systemic racial and economic disparities; Maria caused widespread destruction in Puerto Rico, highlighting the compounded challenges of colonial legacies; and Helene’s impact underscored the vulnerabilities of many states along the east coast, and shredded light on how communities and the country respond to disasters. These communities often bear the brunt of natural disasters, facing challenges like displacement, limited access to recovery resources, and systemic barriers that prolong rebuilding efforts. Through storytelling, data collection, and community engagement, this project highlights the lived experiences of those most affected by these hurricanes. By bringing their voices to the forefront, it aims to uncover overlooked needs and advocate for equitable disaster response strategies. The project also seeks to reveal the resilience within these communities, celebrating their strength while addressing the structural inequalities that exacerbate their vulnerabilities. The ultimate goal is to amplify these voices, ensuring they play a central role in shaping recovery efforts and influencing policies that promote fairness and long-term resilience. By fostering awareness and collaboration, this work aspires to build a more just approach to disaster response, one that prioritizes the perspectives and needs of marginalized communities. This initiative serves as a call to action for advocates, policymakers, and the public to recognize and address the systemic inequities that persist in disaster preparedness and recovery

Post Baccalaureate Student

Post Baccalaureate Student

Post Baccalaureate Student

Post Baccalaureate Student