Nivedita Priyadarshini Kamaraj

IGC FELLOW    |   Global Change Center

Ph.D. Student  •  Geosciences

Advisor: Dr. Manoochehr Shirzaei

Research Interests: Remote sensing of water quality, eutrophication assessment, detecting phytoplankton community composition, geospatial data analysis 

niveditakamaraj@vt.edu • LinkedIn • Google Scholar • X

Nivedita is a PhD student in the Earth Observation and Innovation (EOI) Lab at Virginia Tech. Her research focuses on using optical remote sensing to analyze spatio-temporal changes in water quality, with a particular emphasis on detecting eutrophication and exploring the ecological and environmental factors that drive these conditions. She integrates machine learning and geostatistical techniques to monitor water quality across large estuaries, such as the Chesapeake Bay.

Nivedita holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geoinformatics Engineering from Anna University, India, and a Master’s degree in Geoinformatics from Bharathidasan University, India. She also completed a second Master’s degree at the Institute for Geoinformatics, University of Münster, Germany. Throughout her academic journey, she has gained valuable experience through internships with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), as well as working on research projects funded by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Her work spans diverse applications of remote sensing, including urban areas, forestry, grasslands, and now aquatic ecosystems. As a long-term goal, she aims to continue her academic career in remote sensing as a post-doctoral researcher, contributing to transdisciplinary Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) training. Through the Interfaces of Global Change IGEP and its collaborative network, Nivedita aims to integrate her expertise in remote sensing and geospatial science with the principles of global change to develop holistic solutions for addressing complex environmental challenges.