I am an Assistant Professor in the Geosciences Department at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. I also direct our Geographic Information Science Certificate program. In addition to my primary appointment at FLC, I hold a faculty appointment as a Hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center.
My research focuses on understanding physical and biological processes in river systems using geospatial techniques. I am currently using GIS and remote sensing data to examine the impacts of large dams on the geomorphology, sediment transport, and land cover of the Colorado River corridor through the Canyonlands and Grand Canyon regions of the Southwestern U.S. I also conduct research into the role of in-channel wood in driving changes in stream morphology and fish habitat in rivers of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. In addition to these field-based projects, I’ve conducted laboratory and numerical modeling studies of river response to altered sediment and water supply.
At FLC, I teach courses in GIS/Remote Sensing, Python programming for spatial data analysis, and river eco-geomorphology.
For more information:
Get in touch at akasprak@fortlewis.edu.
PhD Watershed Science, 2015
Utah State University
MS in Earth Science, 2010
Dartmouth College
BS in Geology/Geophysics, 2008
Boston College
A subset of the research and teaching projects I’m working on at the moment
For a complete list, see my CV at the top of the page