aerial vievw of people in a boat

Christina

Appleby

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Research Assistant
Idaho State University & Boise State University
Jan. 2025 - Present
  • Evaluates the effectiveness of automated black-tailed jackrabbit detection in thermal drone footage by extracting and annotating frames from drone footage, training a YOLOv5 machine learning model, and evaluating model accuracy
  • Coordinates the manuscript writing process, ensuring scientific rigor, clarity, and alignment with journal submission guidelines


Data Scientist Intern
North Coast and Cascades Inventory & Monitoring Network
Feb. 2024 - Feb. 2025
  • Collaborates with stakeholders to design and build data models and develop ETL (extract, transform, and load) processes to ensure data quality and integrity
  • Develops user-friendly R scripts and packages to simplify the data publication process, including metadata creation
  • Leverages strong collaboration and communication skills to work effectively with stakeholders to create database models and ArcGIS Pro geoprocessing tools for monitoring protocols
  • Employs ArcGIS Pro geoprocessing tools to extract relevant data from feature classes and raster datasets, optimizing datasets for machine learning model input
  • Creates and updates Microsoft Access front-end applications for SQL Server databases using Visual Basic for Applications to simplify data loading and data entry
  • Performs QAQC checks of monitoring data in databases, verifying suspect entries with scanned datasheets and performing corrections, if necessary
  • Utilizes shared OneNote notebooks, Microsoft Teams, and email to communicate with remote coworkers and coordinate tasks


Career Pathways Intern
State of Idaho
May. 2023 - Jun. 2023
  • Assisted the Idaho Hazards Technical Working Group to identify authoritative GIS datasets
  • Worked with stakeholders to develop, improve, and refine draft standards for authoritative GIS datasets
  • Published chosen authoritative GIS datasets to ArcGIS Online, including metadata


Reactor Operator & Instructor
Idaho National Laboratory
Sep. 2020 - Jan. 2024
  • Developed in-person presentations and web-based training courses to enhance training curriculum
  • Trained operators on complex reactor plant systems, including classroom and hands-on training, resulting in increased operational efficiency and safety
  • Performed steady-state and transient reactor operations and handled special nuclear material as a certified reactor operator and fissile material handler


Coastal Fellow
University of Rhode Island Environmental Data Center, Kingston, RI
May 2017 - May 2018
  • Researched the effectiveness of using unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for natural resources mapping
  • Planned UAS missions to efficiently collect quality imagery for mapping and used imagery to create maps
  • Created web map applications in ArcGIS Online to share geospatial information with the public


Electronics Technician Nuclear (E7)
United States Navy
Aug. 2001 - Aug. 2012
  • Supervised a team of 12 personnel to operate and maintain a nuclear power reactor, a position normally held by a commissioned officer
  • Scheduled reactor equipment maintenance work and assignments for a team of 26 personnel with 100% on-time completion
  • Coordinated between reactor department operations manager and five project teams for the preparation and execution of operational audits to ensure peak performance
Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID
M.S. in Geographic Information Science

December 2024

GPA 3.96/4.0

Select Coursework:

  • Advanced GIS Programming - utilized Python, Jupyter Notebooks, and Google Colab to perform geospatial data analysis, including machine learning
  • Geostatistical Spatial Data Analysis - analyzed UAS imagery to identify prairie dog burrow locations using machine learning, analyzed UAS thermal footage to automatically detect black-tailed jackrabbits
  • Advanced Remote Sensing - analyzed various remotely sensed data, including multispectral imagery, radar, and thermal data
  • Advanced Analysis Methods of UAS Data - processed LiDAR data for mapping landslides, detecting individual trees, identifying Golden Eagle nesting locations, and canopy height models
  • GPS/GNSS Applications in Research - collected coordinates using GNSS devices and conducted sagebrush surveys



University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI
B.S. in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics

May 2018

GPA 3.97/4.0

Select Coursework: Natural Resource Economics, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Econometrics, Programming for Data Science, Statistical Methods in Research I, Calculus I