Curriculum Vitae

Education

Ph.D in Earth and Environmental Sciences, CUNY Graduate Center, 2023
M.S. in Biology, New York University, 2011
B.S. in History and International Relations, Brandeis University, 2009

Work Experience

2020 - Current: Research Scientist
The City College of New York
• Developing vegetation structural models from combined satellite and drone imagery
• Integrating data from radar, lidar, and optical/IR imagery to quantify forest carbon capacity
• Coordinating drone flight and data acquisition activities in support of NASA science objectives
• Producing reports, proposals, and conference presentations to advance project goals

2019 - Current: Environmental Consultant
TerraSigma LLC
• Advising on carbon and biomass potentials for nature-based solutions within the forestry and agriculture sectors
• Producing tailored reports of tropical deforestation and regrowth activities, customized for NGOs and non-profits
• Guide assessments of carbon potential for landowners and project developers for participation in carbon markets

2019 - 2020: Research Intern
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Assessed experimental thermal imagery acquired from the International Space Station and derived measures for tropical forest mapping applications
• Fused complementary Earth observation datasets for study of thermal regimes and water stress in terrestrial systems in collaboration with the Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems group
• Conducted drone operations and processed imagery to enhance precision agriculture through integration with satellite data acquisitions

2012 - 2024: Faculty in Science and Mathematics
The City University of New York
• Facilitated the startup of Guttman Community College, developed curriculum and taught inaugural classes
• Managed compliance with New York State sustainability regulations and supervised reporting as University liaison
• Established study abroad initiative, securing $200K+ in funding for research program on Ecuador rainforest biodiversity
• Served on governing bodies to establish procedures guiding accreditation, institutional operations, and state-mandated activities

2011 - 2012: Laboratory Technician and Teaching Adjunct
New York University
• Established procedures for biological sample prep, DNA extraction, and genetic analysis to support research projects
• Trained laboratory staff, faculty, and research students in best practices and protocols
• Managed biological and chemical inventories and conducted equipment inspections in accordance with environmental safety standards

Skills

Hard Skills
Geospatial Analysis | Data Processing | Machine Learning | Scientific Computing | Environmental Modeling | Ecological Investigations | Drone Operation

Transferable Skills
Proposal Development | Grant Writing | Data Visualization | Project Management

Soft Skills
Dynamic Presenter | Effective Communicator | Collaborative Team Player | Rapid Learner

Languages

Advanced Spanish

Certifications

• Drone Operator, Airman Certificate, Federal Aviation Administration, 2019
  
• Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), Advanced Modeling, Texas A&M, 2018
  
• Counter Threat Awareness Training, Office of Foreign Affairs, U.S. Department of State, 2023

Collaborations and Affilations

• Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems Group, NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, Pasadena, CA
• NISAR Wetlands Science Team, NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, Pasadena, CA
• Harvard Forest Long Term Ecological Research Site, Petersham, MA
• Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco, Quito, Ecuador
• Itapoa Reserve and Conservation Project, Colombia and Ecuador
• Keck Institute of Space Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
• Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The City College of New York, NY
• American Geophysical Union

Selected Presentations

• Assessment of tropical deforestation in the Ecuadorian Chocó associated with Home Depot supplier logging activities. Home Depot Headquarters, Atlanta, GA, September 2023
  
• Usando sensores remotos satelitales para mapeo de ecosistemas y biodiversidad del Chocó. El Municipal del Cantón Puerto Quito Festivales de Ciencia, Conservación, y Cultura, Puerto Quito, Ecuador, November 2022
  
• Perspectives of the Chocó Rainforest from Space to the Understory. New York Society for Ethical Culture. New York, NY, August 2022.
• Assessment of landcover type and thermal regimes utilizing SAR and ECOSTRESS in the Chocó Biodiversity Hotspot, Ecuador. NASA ECOSTRESS Science and Applications Team Meeting, Pasadena, CA, April 2022
  
• Fusing NASA ECOSTRESS and NOAA GOES-16 datasets for study of thermal regimes and water stress in terrestrial systems. AGU Fall Meeting, San Franscico, December 2019
  
• Resiliency and regeneration of the forestry and agriculture sector towards a circular economy in the Pannonian region of Hungary. The Institute for Advanced Studies, Koszeg, Hungary, October 2018.
  
• Integrated approach to inform the New York City water supply system coupling SAR remote sensing observations and the SWAT watershed model. AGU Fall Meeting, New Orleans, December 2017
  

Selected Publications

1. Tesser, D., E., Tremlett, C.J., Newell, F.L., Villa-Galaviz, E., Blüthgen, N., Shafer, M., Podest, E., McDonald, K.C., 2024. Monitoring tropical forest disturbance and recovery with multi-decade spaceborne synthetic aperture radar in the Chocó biodiversity hotspot, Ecuador. (Manuscript in preparation).
2. Tesser, D., Nieto, R., McDonald, K.C., 2024. Structural and thermal assessment of tropical forest transition to oil palm agriculture in the Chocó ecoregion using sUAV. (Manuscript in preparation).
3. Tesser, D., Podest, E., McDonald, K.C., 2024. Characterization of ecosystem functional types utilizing integrated SAR, LiDAR, and ECOSTRESS observations to identify priority regions for biodiversity conservation. (Manuscript in preparation).
4. Davitt, A., Tesser, D., Gamarro, H., Anderson, M., Knipper, K., Xue, J., Kustas, W., Alsina, M.M., Podest, E. and McDonald, K., 2022. The complementary uses of Sentinel-1A SAR and ECOSTRESS datasets to identify vineyard growth and conditions: a case study in Sonoma County, California. Irrigation Science, pp.1-27.
5. Holtzman, N., Anderegg, L.D., Kraatz, S., Mavrovic, A., Sonnentag, O., Pappas, C., Cosh, M.H., Langlois, A., Lakhankar, T., Tesser, D. and Steiner, N., 2021. L-band vegetation optical depth as an indicator of plant water potential in a temperate deciduous forest stand. Biogeosciences Discussions, pp.1-26.
6. Tesser, D., Steiner, N., Horna, V., Vicentini, A., Campos, P. and McDonald, K.C., 2019. Characterization of Ecosystem Structure in Tropical Forests Using Point Clouds Derived from LIDAR and Drone to Support Interpretation of Radar Imaging Data Sets. In AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts (Vol. 2019, pp. B11E-2382).
7. Brown, H., Armstrong, P., Csuvar, A., Gossler, J., Herrera, G., Ibraham, T., Kasz, K., Leone, J., Kurucz, K., Molohides, L., Murai, M., Rajczi, A., Stryker, K., Tesser, D., Turani, J., Vajda, V., Vorosmarty,C., Kerekes, S., 2019. Resiliency and regeneration in the Pannonian region of Hungary: towards a circular economy for Koszeg and beyond. City College of New York and the Institute of Advanced Studies Koszeg.
8. Tesser, D., Steiner, N. and McDonald, K.C., 2018. Multiscale Characterization of Tropical Forest Structure Integrating SAR Remote Sensing, Drone Mapping, and Microclimate Analysis. In AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts (Vol. 2018, pp. B33N-2862).