Texas Tech University

Matthew Jackson

Photo Description

Biography

I grew up in Carrollton, TX and received my Bachelor's in geography from The University of Texas at Austin. As an undergraduate, I focused on physical geography by assisting a climate research project studying soil cores as well as interning with meteorologists at a local television station. After graduating, I interned at San Diego National Wildlife Refuge in southern California providing GIS support to refuge managers and an interagency team during a large-scale wildfire event. Following that, I worked as a GIS Specialist in the oil and gas industry in Houston, TX for over eight years. I also volunteered at Anahuac NWR east of Houston banding geese, clearing debris after Hurricane Ike, providing maps to refuge managers, serving as president of the Friends of Anahuac Refuge, among other things.

I am interested in tracking landscape change following large disturbance events like wildfires or hurricanes. I plan to apply my background in geography towards research tracking vegetation and wildlife change across a landscape. After graduating with my MS degree, I hope to work with an agency helping to manage protected lands.