Jennifer Swenson

Jennifer Swenson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Data Science at William & Mary, where she also directs the Center for Geospatial Analysis. Her research focuses on terrestrial ecosystems, remote sensing, and geospatial analysis. She has held roles in NGOs, federal agencies, and academia, including 15 years at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. Her work addresses climate-driven ecosystem shifts, biodiversity patterns, and deforestation/afforestation impacts. Recent grants include NSF-funded projects on saltwater intrusion and NASA-supported studies on canopy biodiversity forecasting.

Swenson's research integrates LiDAR, hyperspectral data, and satellite imagery to analyze forest structure and monitor environmental changes. She teaches courses like 'Introduction to Remote Sensing' and has advised on projects such as ephemeral water mapping in southern Africa and Lyme disease spatial analysis. Her lab emphasizes open-source geospatial tools and collaboration with practitioners.

Key contributions include studies on tree size-climate relationships, forest reproduction dynamics, and the ecological impacts of logging concessions in the Amazon. She collaborates internationally, with recent work published in Ecology Letters, Nature Plants, and Global Ecology and Biogeography.