Victor Gutierrez

I investigate how climate variability and human use of the land interact to transform the biosphere and its capacity to support life. Applications include the use of remote sensing, geospatial intelligence, and data-intensive modeling to study changes in ecosystems and biodiversity, fire dynamics, disease risk and survival, and spatio-temporal variations in air quality. My research integrates diverse data sources, methods, and disciplinary perspectives for environmental monitoring and modeling while fostering collaborations across scientific and knowledge traditions to understand human-nature relationships. I also contribute with the development of data and information infrastructure to inform decisions that align human well-being and the conservation of nature.

My research includes 1) the identification of land system change in urban and rural environments, 2) the understanding of social, climatic, and biophysical drivers of land system change, 3) the analysis of interactions between climate and land system change in relation to broader ecological and environmental processes including changes in biodiversity, the proliferation of fires and air pollution, and the spread of infectious disease vectors, and 4) the production of spatial information, infrastructure, and knowledge that inform decisions to promote ecological integrity and people's well-being.

I have a master’s degree in Geographic Information Science from Clark University and a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology from Columbia University.