Luke Juran, Ph.D.

Water & Hazards Working Group at Virginia Tech

Paramita is an M.S. Geography student with interests in water, hazards, and sustainability. Paramita completed a B.A. in Political Science and B.A. in Education from the University of Calcutta (India) as well as an M.A. in Political Science from Rabindra Bharati University (India). Paramita was previously employed at Missionaries of the Word teaching courses on social and political geography. She also served as a research assistant on poverty reduction among suburban Calcutta students.

Tara is pursuing a B.S. in Ecological Restoration with minors in GIS and Blue Planet. She was awarded an Odyssey Fellowship through the Honors College to conduct a project on rain barrels Tara recently completed a course through Tulane University in Ecuador where she tested water quality and counted macroinvertebrates. Tara will begin working on climate projection and botany projects in Dr. Metzgar's lab at the Virginia Tech Massey Herbarium in Fall 2024. 

Dr. Aksha completed a Ph.D. in Geospatial & Environmental Analysis at Virginia Tech studying multihazard vulnerability and resilience in Nepal. Prior, Sanam completed an M.S. in Risk & Environmental Hazards in the Department of Geography at Durham University (UK) as well as an M.S. and B.S. in Environmental Science at Tribhuvan University (Nepal). Sanam’s dissertation research was funded by Google and the Open Society Foundation. Sanam is now a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the University of Central Florida.

Arpita completed a B.S. in Public Health. She worked at the Carey Lab focusing on freshwater ecosystems at the Beaverdam and Falling Creek Reservoirs, and she worked at the Cohen Lab focusing on water quality. Arpita conducted research on the effects of climate change on waterborne diseases in South Asia with Dr. Juran as her practicum supervisor. Arpita is now pursuing a Master of Global Public Health at New York University. 

Jen completed a B.S. in Geography, Community & Regional Planning at Appalachian State University before beginning the M.S. Geography program at Virginia Tech. In between, Jen worked at Esri as an intern and then a GIS Analyst. Jen has traveled to the Peruvian Andes on a field expedition to analyze receding glaciers and has also led service experiences focused on regenerative farming practices. Jen’s M.S. thesis research focused on glacier dynamics in Glacier National Park, and she is now employed at Blue Raster.

Breeanna completed an M.S. in Geography with a focus on water resources at the nexus of hazards/disasters and humans. Breeanna had previously earned a B.A. in Geography at Virginia Tech focusing on geospatial technologies. Upon graduation, Breeanna began a job in Northern Virginia supporting the Army Corps of Engineers through High Resolution 3D Aerial and Terrestrial Imagery. After three years of rigorous travel to the Middle East and Africa, Breeanna pivoted to become a Senior GIS Analyst with Image Matters, LLC. Currently, she supports the federal government through various location-based analyses.

Julia Sherry earned a B.S. in Environmental Policy & Planning, B.A. in International Studies, and Spanish minor from Virginia Tech before going on to complete an M.S. in Geography, Master of Public Health, and graduate certificate in Global Planning & International Development. Julia’s research focused on user perceptions of emerging technologies to improve access to water in Tanzania. Upon graduation, Julia worked in program design and evaluation for Water Mission, a nonprofit that implements safe water solutions in developing nations and disaster affected areas. Julia has conducted fieldwork in Latin America, Caribbean, east Africa, and southeast Asia with a focus on safe water, sanitation, hygiene, and health. Currently, she is a Lecturer in the Dept. of Public Health Sciences and Internship Coordinator for the Language & International Health Program at Clemson University.   

Lauren is pursuing a B.S. in Water Resources, Policy & Management with a minor in Sustainability. Lauren is an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for the Orion Science Living-Learning Community. She completed an internship with the Virginia Water Resources Research Center and is Co-President of Virginia Tech’s American Water Resource Association (AWRA). Lauren will be conducting research on tsunami warning systems and evacuation using an Undergraduate Research Fellowship.