By: Alli Sweigard, VISTA F3 Communications Coordinator
08/16/23
Dr. Erin Hestir has been selected to lead as the Director for the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) & the Banatao Institute at the University of California, Merced as of Aug. 16, 2023. She previously held the Associate Director position for the institute. In this role, Dr. Hestir will continue CITRIS’s mission to address California’s most pressing societal and environmental problems by leveraging cutting-edge technologies, developing novel research, and conducting inspiring outreach with attention to applications in natural resources management information systems, agtech and expanding diversity and gender equity in tech. She will build programs around campus and her expertise in environmental sensing. Geomatics is crucial to managing agricultural and ecological systems, and as an expert in geomatics, Hestir has been growing skills in students and developing cutting-edge methods and useful tools for water quality managers, wildlife managers and growers.
“Professor Hestir is a great fit for the position,” said Dr. Gillian Wilson, Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Economic Development, “She brings extensive experience in geomatics and sensing, a track record of working with federal agencies and industry, and a deep commitment to balancing ecosystem health with a need for water and food security. Hestir’s work fully embraces the CITRIS mission of fostering rich interdisciplinary research that benefits society. I look forward to her leadership in bringing together brilliant minds from across our campus and at our partner institutions to tackle the pressing societal issues of our day.”
Dr. Hestir’s research portfolio will grow campus’ strengths in geomatics, and the study of the earth. She currently leads NASA’s first biodiversity campaign, The Marine, Freshwater, and Terrestrial Biodiversity Survey of the Cape (BioSCape). BioSCape will help the world better understand biodiversity in the Greater Cape Floristic Region in South Africa and new ways that technology can monitor and manage nature’s benefits to people. The campaign will focus on linking field observations with data collected from satellites and airplanes. The campaign launched in Western Cape, South Africa, on Tuesday, Oct. 17.
“BioSCape exemplifies the spirit of CITRIS, to advance information technology in the interest of society,” Hestir said.
Hestir is dedicated to the communication of research and to those who need it to make decisions and who will be affected by the findings. Through BioSCape, Hestir is engaging communities in the conservation of the natural resources and through her research in the Sacramento River Delta, she’s sharing with the Delta Stewardship Council key findings.
“Planet Earth is special,” Hestir said. “It is still the only place we know of in the universe that hosts life. And it is the diversity of that life on Earth that supports our ability to live and thrive here.
Hestir has also dedicated her remote sensing and spatial analysis skills to the NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC) for the Internet of Things for Precision Agriculture (IoT4Ag). Which unites faculty and students from the University of Pennsylvania, Purdue University, the University of California at Merced, and the University of Florida with government and industry partners, establishing a convergence of expertise in agronomy, agricultural engineering, socioeconomics, environmental science, and the science and engineering of physical and cyber-physical systems needed to transform agriculture. The goal of this center is to ensure food, energy, and water security by advancing technology to increase crop production while minimizing the use of energy and water resources and the impact of agricultural practices on the environment.
Through the Valle!: Get your start in Tech program, Hestir championed and led as associate director. UC Merced and Merced College students will now have greater access to internships, graduate school and careers in STEM.
Dr. Hestir’s research interests focus on earth observations to address the multiple stressors acting upon the earth’s systems under threat for water and food security and biodiversity. Topics that she has done work for include changing hydroclimate, land use, agriculture, water quality, and sediment, nutrient and carbon transport. She has expertise in using geospatial technologies and techniques such as multi-spectral satellites, airborne hyperspectral sensors, imaging spectroscopy, LiDAR, in-situ sensor networks and long-term monitoring programs.
“Dr. Hestir has given me immense support from start to finish during my time here and has gone beyond giving me advice on research but has continued pushing me out of my comfort zone,” said Brittany Lopez Barreto, PhD Candidate of Environemtal Systems at UC Merced. “I have been able to communicate my work in different states and abroad, receive a coveted research grant, and continue to have the opportunity to teach because of her efforts.” Hestir holds a B.A. in Geography (2004) from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Geography (2010), from UC Davis. She has been with UC Merced for over six years. In 2017 she joined the School of Engineering and was promoted to associate professor in 2019.
She has also been an adjunct senior lecturer at the University of Southern Queensland and maintaining relationships in Australia since January 2013. During her time at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia. She successfully finished a three-year postdoctoral fellowship focused on Environmental Earth Observation. In this role, she took the lead in a research program aimed at enhancing the systematic monitoring of water quality and aquatic ecosystems at a national level, utilizing Earth observations as a key tool. Before joining UC Merced, Hestir was an assistant professor and Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence Fellow at North Carolina State University.