We are thrilled to announce that Nick Carpenter, a student of our department's GIS Certificate Program and Master's candidate in Ocean & Earth Sciences (OES) at Old Dominion Uni,versity, has achieved outstanding recognition at the VAMLIS GeoCon 2025 Map Showcase. VAMLIS, the Virginia Association for Mapping and Land Information, held its annual professional conference, GeoCon, in Harrisonburg, Virginia, October 7-8.
Nick's innovative project, "Online 3D Application for Exploring Marsh Terracing in the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, VA," earned two prestigious awards: 1st Place - Best Geographic Analysis
and 2nd Place - Best Student Web Application. This cutting-edge web application showcases Nick's exceptional skills in geospatial technology, 3D geovisualization, and coastal environmental analysis. The interactive tool provides an immersive exploration of proposed marsh terracing in Back Bay, Virginia Beach, demonstrating the powerful intersection of GIS technology and coastal conservation. You can explore the
Published Research
Nick's work extends beyond the modeling and simulation realm into peer-reviewed scholarship. Their recent publication in Water (2025 special issue on sea level rise), entitled "Evaluating the Long-Term Effectiveness of Marsh Terracing for Conservation with Integrated Geospatial and Wetland Simulation Modeling" (co-authored with Drs. Laura Costadone and Thomas R. Allen), examines the ecological effectiveness of marsh terracing and provides critical insights for future coastal conservation implementation in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Nick's achievements exemplify the caliber of research and innovation fostered within our programs, combining advanced geospatial analysis with meaningful environmental applications. We couldn't be prouder of Nick's remarkable accomplishments!