معرفی
Dr. Ian Walker is a Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). He specializes in physical geography and geomorphology, with expertise in sediment transport, coastal and aeolian processes, environmental fluid dynamics, and dune ecosystem restoration. He holds a B.Sc. in Geography and Environmental Science from the University of Toronto and a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Guelph, Canada. Prior to UCSB, he served as faculty at Arizona State University and the University of Victoria (Canada).
His research focuses on coastal and desert environments, employing field and lab methods such as terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), unmanned aerial systems (UAS), wind tunnel simulations, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Key projects include dust emissions mitigation at Oceano Dunes (collaborating with California Department of Parks) and invasive plant removal studies in Humboldt Bay. He has secured over $6M in research funding and advised over 40 students/post-docs.
- Education: B.Sc. (University of Toronto), Ph.D. (University of Guelph)
- Editorial Roles: Earth Surface Processes & Landforms, Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Journal of Coastal Research
- Professional Affiliations: Member of NASEM Scientific Advisory Panel for Owens Valley Dust Studies
His articles emphasize coastal morphodynamics, restoration strategies, and climate change impacts. Notable work includes comparing UAS/TLS methods for geomorphic change detection and modeling airflow over dunes using CFD. He teaches courses on physical geography, geomorphology, and remote sensing.
Grants and partnerships include collaborations with US Fish & Wildlife Service, NOAA, and state agencies. His lab focuses on integrating geospatial technologies with field experiments to address coastal sustainability challenges.
