Cool Scientists
Dr. Nancy Maynard
Name: Nancy Maynard
Born:
Organization: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Environment and Health
Cool Science: Biological Oceanographer
Who I Am:
Dr. Nancy Maynard is a senior research scientist in the Cryospheric Sciences Branch with an interest in the use of remote sensing to observe changes (environment, climate, land use/cover) in the Arctic and their impacts on populations and human health.
My Cool Science:
Dr. Maynard has recently moved to the Cryospheric Sciences Branch from the GSFC Environment and Health Program, where she was responsible for creating and managing a NASA interdisciplinary environment and health initiative, the purpose of which was to enable the use of NASA's remotely-sensed Earth science data important to public health issues such as infectious and vector-borne diseases, air and water quality, pollutant/pathogen transport via the atmosphere, oceans, ice, etc. In addition, she created a NASA LCLUC pilot project ReindeerMapper which brought together scientists and reindeer herders from the US, Russia, and Norway to create a system for integrating remote sensing, ground-based, and indigenous data and knowledge in the Russian Arctic. She has also worked on remote sensing of ice edge biota, management of large interdisciplinary science programs at NASA HQ, and science policy at the WH Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP).
My Connections with GoNorth!
The collection of snow depth, snow water equivalent data and snow crystals along with temperature readings made by the students participating in WCCY will be very helpful to two projects that I am associated with. In the first place, I am a member of the SNOWFLAKE project team (Principal Investigator is Dr. Peter Wasilewski of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center). SNOWFLAKE is an IPY project that is simultaneously a science program and an education program aimed at the manifestations of a global network of snowflake observers. When the validation of the procedures (collection and identification of the type of snowflakes and the associated satellite image archive, as a serial record of a storm) is achieved, then the program becomes a scientific resource. Critical to education and outreach will be the integration of data entry into a web-based site that will allow tracking of snowstorms as they travel across the globe.
Secondly, I am Co-Investigator on a Norwegian/Sami IPY Project called "EALAT: Reindeer Pastoralism in a Changing Climate", which is now connected with my NASA "Reindeer Mapper" project. My research on these is to help integrate remote sensing and GIS-based information with knowledge from Northern Russian and Scandinavian indigenous reindeer herders to delay or mitigate the decline of reindeer husbandry resulting from environmental, climate, and human-induced changes. Snow is unquestionably the most important environmental factor in reindeer husbandry as it determines the availability of forage and, in late winter, the mobility of herds.
My Cool Publications (selected):
Maynard, N.G. (2006) "Satellites, Settlements, and Human Health", In: Remote Sensing of Human Settlements (Ridd, M. and J.D. Hipple, Eds.) Manual of Remote Sensing. American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. 3rd Edition, Vol. 5. Bethesda, MD. pp. 379-399.
Maynard, N.G., B.S. Yurchak, Y.A. Sleptsov, J.M. Turi, and S. Mathiesen. (2005) "Space Technologies for Enhancing the Resilience and Sustainability of Indigenous Reindeer Husbandry in the Russian Arctic". Proceeding of the 31st International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, Global Monitoring for Sustainability and Security, June 20-24, 2005. St. Petersburg, Russia.
Yurchak, B.S., and N.G. Maynard. (2005) "Time-Series SAR Observations of Chukotka Sub-Arctic Lakes and Forest-Tundra Fire Scars". Proceeding of the 31st International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, Global Monitoring for Sustainability and Security, June 20-24, 2005. St. Petersburg, Russia.
Maynard, N. G. (2002). "Remote Sensing for Public Health: Surveillance and Response." Earth Observation Magazine. August 2002 (Special NASA Earth Science Enterprise Issue): 43-45.
Hay, S. I., M. F. Myers, N. Maynard, D.J. Rogers (2002). "From Remote Sensing to Relevant Sensing in Human Health." Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing 68(2): 109-114.
Maynard, N. G., Ed. (2002). Native Peoples-Native Homelands Climate Change Workshop Report. U.S. National Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, NASA GSFC.134 pp.
Vicente, G. A., N.G. Maynard, R. Aissi-Wespi (2002). Health Monitoring from Space - Challenges for NASA's Earth Science and Public Health Program. In Proceedings 29th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 2002.
