Current group members
Principal Investigator
Yaqian He
Ph.D. Geography, West Virginia University (2018)
Yaqian He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at Indiana University Bloomington. Before joining IU, she worked as an Assistant Professor at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and the University of Central Arkansas. Before that, she was a postdoctoral research fellow in Dr. Justin Mankin's group at Dartmouth College, closely collaborating with Dr. Jonathan Chipman.
She received her Ph.D. from West Virginia University supervised by Dr. Eungul Lee, holds a master's degree in Cartography and GIS from Beijing Normal University under Dr. Yanchen Bo, and a bachelor's in Surveying Engineering from China University of Mining and Technology.
MS Student
Seth Guidry
M.S. Geography, Indiana University Bloomington (in progress)
Seth is an Arkansas native with a passion for weather and climate research. His thesis focuses on comparing spatiotemporal patterns of surface and canopy urban heat island (UHI) effects within fast-growing cities. His primary research interest is applying GIS and remote sensing to study land surface-atmosphere interactions.
Outside of research, he enjoys listening to music, singing, playing the piano, and traveling. Seth was selected for the NOAA William M. Lapenta NWS Student Internship Program (June–August 2025).
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Rahul Durai
B.A. Environmental & Sustainability Studies and English, Indiana University Bloomington (in progress)
Rahul is working on a citizen science platform for collecting and mapping irrigation data. In addition to his work with the group, he contributes to social scientific projects on agriculture and public health through the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health.
Outside of research, he enjoys running, walking his dog, and reading.