Jennifer Swenson

Jennifer Swenson is an Associate Professor of Data Science at the College of William and Mary, part of the Arts & Sciences division. Her career spans academia and federal agencies, with prior roles including Professor of the Practice of Geospatial Analysis at Duke University's Nicholas School of Environment. She holds a Ph.D. in Forest Science from Oregon State University (2005), an M.A. from San Diego State University, and a B.A. from UC Santa Barbara.

Her research focuses on remote sensing applications in ecology, climate change impacts on forests, and conservation strategies. Key areas include forest reproduction dynamics, carbon sequestration modeling, and deforestation assessment in tropical regions like the Peruvian Amazon. She integrates LiDAR, hyperspectral imagery, and climate data to analyze ecosystem responses to disturbance and environmental shifts.

Swenson's work bridges ecological theory and applied conservation, with recent emphases on: (1) global tree fecundity-climate relationships, (2) certification impacts on logging concessions, and (3) ephemeral water systems monitoring in arid regions. Her publications frequently appear in leading journals across remote sensing, ecology, and environmental science.