Environmental Studies Department

Rud Platt

Professor

Environmental Studies

Contact

Box

Campus Box 2455

Address

Science Center
Room 154 I
300 North Washington St.
Gettysburg, PA 17325-1400

Education

BA Bowdoin College, 1996
MA University of Colorado, Boulder, 2001
PhD University of Colorado, Boulder, 2004

Academic Focus

spatial analysis, GIS, remote sensing, coupled human-environmental systems, land use and land cover change

I am Professor of Environmental Studies and Director of the GIS lab at Gettysburg College. I teach a variety of courses including: ES312 Environmental Applications of GIS, ES363 Remote Sensing, ES230 Introduction to GIS, ES121 Environmental Issues, and ES400 Automobile and its effects on American Culture and Environment.
 
My research interests relate to land systems science, the study of land cover and land use as a coupled human-environment system.  I am particularly focused on the dynamics of the Earth’s wildland-urban interface (WUI), where human-built structures abut or mix with naturally occurring vegetation types.  I am also interested in studying land systems through novel applications of remote sensing and GIS, including hyperspectral remote sensing, object-based image analysis, and trend analysis. My study areas are situated within the Rocky Mountain West, the Marcellus Shale Region of Pennsylvania, and the Terai Arc Landscape of India.
 
If you are a current or prospective student interested in GIS, Remote Sensing, or the Environmental Studies Department at Gettysburg College, please check out my website and feel free to contact me!