Diane M. Styers

Diane M. Styers is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources at Western Carolina University's College of Arts and Sciences. Her work integrates geospatial technologies with community engagement to address global climate resilience challenges through human-centered research approaches.

Her educational qualifications include:

• Postdoctoral Research in Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis, University of Washington
• Ph.D. in Forest Ecology, Auburn University
• M.A. in Geography, Georgia State University
• B.S. in Human Development & Family Studies, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Dr. Styers specializes in public participatory GIS (PPGIS) to incorporate local landscape knowledge into climate adaptation strategies. Her technical expertise spans LiDAR data analysis, object-based image analysis (OBIA), MODIS/Landsat time series, multi-sensor integration, forest ecology, and dendroecology. She investigates how social-ecological processes drive landscape changes affecting Earth's resources, with particular focus on community resilience against climate-related risks.

Her publication record reveals strong thematic trends in applying geospatial methods to socio-ecological systems, with increasing emphasis on rivercane conservation, forest community dynamics in Appalachia, biodiversity education using NEON data, and vector-borne disease mapping. Recent works demonstrate sophisticated integration of remote sensing with community-based adaptation frameworks.

Dr. Styers actively mentors students through co-authored publications and teaches diverse courses including Introduction to Geospatial Analysis, Remote Sensing, GIS applications, and field-based programs like Sustainability in Costa Rica. Her instructional approach emphasizes authentic science engagement using big data resources.