Kenneth McGwire

Dr. Kenneth McGwire serves as an Associate Research Professor in the Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences at the Desert Research Institute (DRI), Reno Campus. His work bridges hydrology, remote sensing, and ecological applications with significant contributions to federal research initiatives.

• Ph.D. in Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara (1992)
• M.A. in Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara (1987)
• B.A. in Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara (1986)

McGwire's research focuses on Hyperspectral Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems for ecological applications. His expertise spans Invasive Species mapping, Biodiversity assessment, and Geographical Epidemiology (notably Hantavirus studies). Current projects examine snow cover dynamics using lidar, riparian vegetation trends via Landsat archives, and sediment transport in saline rangelands. His work integrates NASA Earth-Observing data with field measurements to address water resource challenges in arid environments.

His 36+ peer-reviewed publications reveal strong trends in hydrological remote sensing and climate-ecosystem interactions. Recent articles (2015-2020) emphasize Landsat time-series analysis for groundwater-dependent ecosystems, lidar-based snow mapping in forested watersheds, and erosion modeling in the Mancos Shale formation. These studies consistently apply geospatial technologies to solve practical problems in rangeland management and water security.

McGwire has secured principal investigator roles for numerous grants from NASA, NSF, DOE, and EPA. His collaborative work spans disciplines from glaciology (WAIS Divide ice core project) to microbiology (Hantavirus spatial epidemiology). He has contributed to national initiatives including NASA's Earth-Observing-1 satellite science team and specialist meetings at the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis.

As a technical advisor for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and contributor to the Tahoe Integrated Information Management System, McGwire bridges scientific research with environmental management. His laboratory work focuses on hyperspectral data processing and integration of lidar with traditional remote sensing for terrain analysis in complex ecosystems.