Hey, I’m Clara :)️ I’m from close to Frankfurt am Main and studied Geography at Martin-Luther-Universität Halle. I chose this course because I am fascinated by how natural and social sciences intertwine in shaping our world. Some of my academic study subjects in this regard have been the coal phase-out in Mitteldeutschland, glacial processes and mining in Norway, snow dynamics and hydropower in the Tian Shan mountains and harvesting dynamics in Central Asia. At the intersection of remote sensing, environmental and social science is where the magic happens, and I am keen to understand systems at large. I have been applying the knowledge from my studies and research to volunteer work for the Local Conference of Youth, Germany, where we voice the concerns of the German youth and aim to contribute to shaping climate politics.

Travels to the Himalayas, the Scandinavian mountains and the Tian Shan have sparked my interest in polar and cold region research. During an internship and subsequent bachelor thesis at the Polar and Cold regions team of the German Aerospace Center I have been able to dig deeper into the topic and get insights into the mode of operation of a research institution. At first I had a hard time, getting into programming with R, Python and Google Earth Engine, but “no master has fallen from the sky yet” (German saying) and with time I have come to appreciate coding as a valuable tool. I am excited to learn about acquiring and using UAV data, learn more about radar data and the intersection of remote sensing and human rights. I’m happy to start this new chapter in Würzburg full of remote sensing, afternoon runs, enjoying coffee with friends and listening to investigative journalism podcasts!

Background image: Svalbard