Researcher of the Month
June 2010
Katherine Schwarting
Geosciences & Studio Art majors, Class of 2011
URECA Summer Program 2010
Research Mentor: Dr. Deanne Rogers, Geosciences
As a double major in Geosciences and Studio Art, Katherine Schwarting has a facility
and passion for research AND creative activities – and in fact, doesn't view these as two separate cultures or
incompatible, conflicting pursuits. She has excelled in both spheres, and has continued
to infuse her art with science, and her science with art, and to seek out creative
and analytical challenges that surface in both disciplines. Take the work she exhibited
at URECA’s 2009 art exhibition in the SAC Gallery, “Crystals" (sculpture) — a project that was inspired by a mineralogy class Katherine took in spring semester
of that year. In her creative project description, Katherine describes her fascination
with crystal structures:"...Their colors and variety have the ability to capture the imagination. I would
like to create an installation that is my interpretation of crystals. I would like
to capture some of 
their beauty and intricacies …I will install them in a floor to ceiling case in the
Earth and Space Sciences Building. The case is long enough that it will give the feeling
of a landscape. They are meant to inspire those who see the crystals to be interested
in the science that they are based upon."
Working together with Studio Art Professor Nobi Nagasawa, Katharine followed through
with her goal to complete a mineralogy-based installation for the Earth and Space
Sciences Building that would remain on exhibit for several months in 2009. Asked about
the interplay between art and science, Katherine reflects: “I don’t see myself doing art without the science. That’s one reason why I never chose
one over the other. Because they both influence me. When I did my crystals, I was
hoping people would be inspired to take classes and learn about the different structures
that they’re organized in—and the shapes and colors ... ”
Katherine had earlier participated in the 2008 URECA art exhibition which featured
a work she had done during a class with ProfessorHowardena Pindell called "Josephine's Feather" (drawing, shown above) that was inspired by a macaw she'd encountered at Sweetbriar Nature Center. For the last 5 years, Katherine, a resident of the
nearby community of St. James, has served as a volunteer at Sweetbriar Nature Center
where she aids in the care and rehabilitation of a variety of animals (including parrots,
quail, etc.), as well as educational outreach activities for children.
When Katherine was given the opportunity to start doing research in 2009, after taking
a remote sensing class with Professor Deanne Rogers, she immediately volunteered.
And so, for the past year, Katherine has been working with her mentor, Professor Deanne
Rogers, on a project that involves "Characterizing Vegetation Abundance Trends during
2000-2009 in the Long Island Pine Barrens usingRemote Sensing and Meteorological Station
Data"— a project that draws heavily on visual interpretation as well as data analysis.
The investigation uses the Moderate Resolution Imaging System (MODIS) sensor aboard
the Earth Observing System Terra satellite to obtain the Normalized Difference Vegetation
Index (NDVI), an estimate of vegetation canopy density and health for the region.
The analysis showed a negative correlation between vegetation abundance and nighttime
surface temperatures. This past April, Katherine presented her findings on the project
at the Long Island Geosciences Conference, as well as at the on-campus URECA Celebration.
This summer, Katherine will continue her work with Prof. Rogers on the Long Island
Pine Barrens vegetation abundance project, with support from URECA: she will be expanding
on the previous work she started last summer by examining a longer time scale, enhancing
the precision of variables, and incorporating other factors which affect NDVI data.
Reflecting on her undergraduate college years, Katherine is very happy that she came
to Stony Brook, and has enjoyed taking a diverse range of classes. She has also enjoyed
being involved as vice president of the Undergraduate Geology Club which, as with
the Geosciences department, has a close-knit, family atmosphere. Following graduation
in spring 2011, Katherine plans to go to graduate school and is considering continuing
to explore the use of Remote Sensing tools to do conservation work in the future as
well as continuing to merge her art and science interests. Below are excerpts of Katherine's
interview with Karen Kernan, URECA Director.
Karen: Tell me about your current research.
Katherine: I was taking a class in remote sensing and geology and Prof. Rogers said she had
an opportunity to do research on a project last summer, investigating trends in vegetation
abundance in the Long Island Pine Barrens using remote sensing and meteorological
station data. Right away, I thought it was a great idea. The project dealt with environmental
issues. And I‘ve always been interested in nature and conservation. So the research
during the summer was a wonderful opportunity to get some background in conservation
work and in trying to figure out how climate change is affecting the vegetation on
Long Island. It’s also given me more practice with the remote sensing — with processing
images, and using the different software and data analysis techniques…
Were you examining data from a particular time period?
The data goes back to 1973. But we started by focusing on the data from 2000 to 2009.
And now, this summer, we want to expand the time period that we used, and look at
the earlier data. We want to compare our data with some of the other research that
has been done in the same field. … and go through and make sure that our variables
(precipitation data, etc.) are correct. We want to analyze further some of the trends
we noticed to see: is this something that follows through, beyond the short term?
What trends have you noticed so far in your data analysis?
There appears to be a negative correlation between nighttime surface temperatures
and the vegetation abundance, which may have been caused by drought, infestations,
or changes in the respiration rate of the plants due to changes in the air temperature.
This is something that will be addressed during the summer work.
How has doing the research project augmented your education?
It really expanded my range of thinking. I’ve learned to think about these problems
and how to focus myself on certain problems. It’s been useful also, just learning
how to deal with the data, with errors in the data. For example, there are days when
there is no data. How do you make up for it? How do you work with that…? ...It was
also really good for me, personally, because it gave me a path to take in the future.
Before I wasn’t totally sure what I wanted to do with the geology major. But now,
I can see that I would like to pursue graduate study in the future. I can see that
with my previous interests in conservation, and my current work in geology, that I
will be able to use the techniques I’ve learned with remote sensing to do conservation
work in the future. That’s the direction I want to go in now.
I know your mentor has been very supportive of you and of these pursuits too!
Yes, and it’s been really great to have one on one experiences with the research.
I learn a lot from the advice that my professor, Dr. Deanne Rogers, gives me on how
to do different projects, and the goals she sets week to week on the project.
What’s been the high point of your research experiences so far?
Getting to present the work at the Long Island Geology Conference! I went this past
April, and did a powerpoint presentation. I’m not somebody who does a lot of public
speaking or usually enjoys it very much. But I challenged myself to do it. And it
turned out to be a great opportunity. I got to present the work to people who are
interested in the field, and to get a little bit of feedback. It was a really good
experience!
You also had a poster presentation at URECA also this past April.
That was a really good experience too. I had a lot of interesting questions, and talked
to people from many different departments. I had people come up to talk to me who
knew the Pine Barrens area well and could give me detailed feedback on what they saw
going on in the region.
I know you’ve presented at URECA’s art exhibitions too in past years. Tell me a little
about that.
I‘ve been working really hard at both the art and the science. And I had the chance
to participate in the URECA art exhibitions in 2008 and 2009. The first time was a
project I’d done for a class with Prof. Pindell [inspired by a macaw from Sweetbriar]
and the second was through a class with Prof. Nagasawa. The second time I exhibited
a crystal project I had been working on. It was something I was very interested in,
something that really combined my art and my science and was based on crystal structures
I had learned about in my mineralogy class. It also led to my doing a large display
in the Earth and Space building. It was on view for several months last year and part
of the installation that lives on in the Geology Club room.
Do you see a lot of cross-over or connection generally between art & science?
I think I look for it. I don’t see myself doing art without the science. That’s one
reason why I never chose one over the other. Because they both influence me. When
I did my crystals, I was hoping people would be inspired to take classes and learn
about the different structures that they’re organized in—and the shapes and colors
and everything.
Your research itself is very visually based.
That was one of the things that really drew me to it in the first place and drew me
to the class. I’m used to taking art history classes where you’re looking at images,
analyzing the images. That’s something I brought over with me to the remote sensing
project, where I’m looking at the images. When we first analyzed the dip in the vegetation,
I had seen it on the images… I could see the difference, even though at first it was
subtle and didn’t look like anything till you put the numbers in. But then you really
realize that what was going on was probably significant.
You’re also been active as vice president of the Undergraduate Geology club.
We go on a lot of trips. We try to get the students out of the classrooms and see
things out in the real world. We take them to caves. I helped organize trips to places
like Kentucky and Virginia, to several of the cave systems like Mammoth Caves, and
some of the different geological formations there...as well as the Smithsonian museum
in D.C. We have social events too, to give students a chance to come and talk to other
students who have similar interests. We do tutoring for students and recently had
a session for Geology 102 students after being approached by one of the students taking
the class. It’s kind of a family.
And you’ve also continued to work as a volunteer at Sweetbriar Nature Center?
Yes, I’ve been there for ~5 years. Since high school. I help care for the parrots
and emotionally rehab them. A lot of them were given up by former owners. I help provide
the enormous amount socialization, care and time that these birds demand. I also help
care for other animals, and I am currently caring for three quail chicks. I spend
most of my Saturdays there answering any questions that visitors might have about
the animals.
What initially drew you to Stony Brook?
I came here for several classes when I was in high school. And originally, I wanted
to come here because astronomy was offered and I wanted to incorporate this interest
in my future. At first, I kept trying to decide between the art and science and I
could never really make up my mind. I like both of them so much. I took all sorts
of classes to get a diverse background including archeology, astronomy, and art history.
I enjoy doing all of them. But eventually I found geoscience, which has such range
of courses and applications that it united many of my interests.
I'd say SB has worked out for you!
It really has! It’s been an amazing time! I remember when I first came here and we
had the introduction and somebody said: “You can either get through and just have
your college experience, or you can really make it something.” And I feel like that’s
something that I set out to do from the very beginning here. I was going to become
involved in clubs and organizations. I was going try to do research. I was going to
do as much as I could to make use of the time. . . The research has definitely given
me the ability to kind of do everything—to draw in and connect a lot of my interests.
It’s been great!