Sophie Kolston (she/they)
Biography
I obtained my BSc at the University of Auckland in Geographic Information Science. In my second year I built a codebase for translating spatial 360° video files to immersive experiences for natural conservation work. My final year project was analysing the effects of spatial and temporal resolution on air pollution exposure metrics.
After graduating I briefly worked in engineering consulting, then returned to the University of Auckland to further my work in pollution exposure through the development of a spatial segmentation algorithm.
Currently, I'm a BSc(Honours) student in Geography at the University of Auckland, funded through the Resilience to Nature's Challenges National Science Programme. My research focuses on improving our understanding of human behaviour in response to cliff erosion in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand through the development of an agent-based model that combines human and physical processes.
My main research interest is applying complex system science theory to the coastal environment. I am passionate about free and open-source software, geospatial data science (particularly network analysis and automation) and teaching.