Elizabeth Prior

Ph.D., Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2025 Expected

B.C.E., Civil Engineering, Auburn University, 2019

08/19 – present    Graduate Research Assistant, Biological Systems Engineering Depart., Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

08/20 – present    National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow (NSF GRFP), National Science Foundation

08/19 – present    Remote Sensing Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program (RS IGEP) Fellow, Graduate School, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

03/24 – present    National Science Foundation Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students (NSF INTERN) Fellow, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA

09/23 – 02/24      National Science Foundation Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students (NSF INTERN) Fellow, USGS Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Flagstaff, AZ

05/21 – 08/21      DOE SULI Intern, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Earth & Environmental Sciences Division; Earth Systems Observations (EES-14); Atmosphere, Climate and Ecosystem Science Team; virtual

08/19 – 08/20      Student Co-Lead of the Remote Sensing and GIS Fall & Spring Seminar Series, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

01/19 – 08/19      Undergraduate Research Fellow, Office of Undergraduate Research, Auburn University, Auburn, AL

08/18 – 12/18      DOE SULI Intern, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Environmental Sciences Division, Aquatic Ecology Group, Oak Ridge, TN

05/18 – 08/18      Undergraduate Researcher, Texas A&M University, Costa Rica NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

08/17 – 05/18      Undergraduate Research Assistant, Civil Engineering Depart., Auburn University, Auburn, AL

08/17 – 12/17      Undergraduate Laboratory Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Hydraulics, Civil Engineering Depart., Auburn University, Auburn, AL

05/17 – 08/17      Engineering Intern, US Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, CO

08/16 – 05/17      Undergraduate Research Assistant, Erosion and Sediment Control Testing Facility, Auburn University, Auburn, AL

01/16 – 01/17      Student Assistant, First Year Experience Office, Academic Initiatives, Auburn University, Auburn, AL

05/15 – 08/15      Student Laboratory Assistant, National Soil Dynamics Laboratory, USDA ARS, Auburn, AL

• Outstanding PhD Student, Virginia Tech Biological Systems Engineering Department – awarded 2023
• National Science Foundation (NSF) Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students (INTERN) grant, NSF  – awarded 
• PEO Scholar Award, P.E.O.  – awarded 2022
• NSF International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) Program for Graduate Training in Advanced Techniques for Water Management at Utrecht University & Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands, University of New Orleans and The Water Institute of the Gulf. Awarded 2022; more information
• Frank Woeste Scholarship, Biological Systems Engineering Department, Virginia Tech – awarded 2021
• Virginia Space Grant Consortium Graduate Fellowship, Virginia Space Grant Consortium – awarded 2021 & 2022
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, National Science Foundation – awarded 2021
• Instrumentation Discovery Travel Grant , CUAHSI – awarded 2020
• Remote Sensing Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program Fellowship, Graduate School, Virginia Tech – awarded 2019
• Pratt Fellowship, Biological Systems Engineering Department, Virginia Tech – awarded 2019
• Walts Fellowship, Biological Systems Engineering Department, Virginia Tech – awarded 2019

• Spring 2025, guest lectured for NC State Extension continuing education river course on modeling for stream restoration
• Spring 2020, Spring 2021, guest lecture for GIS for Engineers (BSE 4344, BSE 5344), Virginia Tech Biological Systems Engineering
• January 2018-May 2018, Laboratory Teaching Assistant for Hydraulics (CIVL3110), Auburn University Civil Engineering
• January 2016-December 2016, Assistant for Auburn University’s Academic Initiatives in the First Year Experience Office

Program Focus

My dissertation research revolves around wielding remote sensing data at different scales to better model and understand geomorphic processes. This spans from utilizing drone lidar data for various 2D hydrodynamic modeling research questions (floodplain vegetation friction, computational mesh & topographic mesh resolution changes, and stream restoration assessment) to understanding how legacy sand from pre-dam flows is moving in the Grand Canyon due to hydropower dam operations & canyon physiography,  and how to better estimate Manning's roughness for rivers using data from the recently launched SWOT satellite.

Peer - Reviewed Journals

In preparation: E.M. Prior, J.B. Sankey, J. Caster, A. Kasprak. “The effect of canyon physiography and dam operations on Grand Canyon dunefields”. Submitting to Earth and Space Science.

In preparation: E.M. Prior, R.P.M. Frasson, C.H. David, M.T. Durand. “Deriving river discharge friction from SWOT observations”. Submitting to Water Resources Research.

E.M. Prior, N. Michaelson, J.A. Czuba, T.J. Pingel, V.A. Thomas, W.C. Hession (2024). Lidar DEM and Computational Mesh Grid Resolutions Modify Roughness in 2D Hydrodynamic Models. Water Resources Research. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR037165

N.D. Christensen, E.M. Prior, J.A. Czuba, W.C. Hession (2024). Stream restoration that allows for self-adjustment can increase channel-floodplain connectivity. Journal of Ecological Engineering Design. https://doi.org/10.21428/f69f093e.e8ffa1a3

E.M. Prior, V.A. Thomas, R.H. Wynne (2022). Estimation of mean dominant height using NAIP digital aerial photogrammetry and lidar over mixed deciduous forest in the southeastern USA. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, Volume 110, 102813, ISSN 1569-8432, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2022.102813.

E.M. Prior, G.R. Miller, K. Brumbelow (2021). Topographic and Landcover Influence on Lower Atmospheric Profiles Measured by Small Unoccupied Aerial Systems (sUAS). Drones, 5(3), 82. https://doi.org/10.3390/drones5030082

E.M. Prior, C.A. Aquilina, J.A. Czuba, T.J. Pingel, W.C. Hession (2021). Estimating Floodplain Vegetative Roughness for Hydrodynamic Modeling using Drone-Based Laser Scanning and Structure from Motion Photogrammetry. Remote Sensing, 13(13), 2616. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/13/2616

E.M. Prior, F.C. O’Donnell, C. Brodbeck, W.N. Donald, G.B. Runion, S. Shepherd (2020). Measuring high levels of total suspended solids and turbidity using small unoccupied aerial systems (sUAS) multispectral imagery. Drones, 4(3), 54. https://doi.org/10.3390/drones4030054

E.M. Prior, F.C. O’Donnell, C. Brodbeck, G.B. Runion, S. Shepherd (2020). Investigating sUAS multispectral imagery for total suspended solids and turbidity monitoring for small streams. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 1-26. doi: 10.1080/01431161.2020.1798546

E.M. Prior, K. Brumbelow, G.R. Miller (2019). Measurement of above‐canopy meteorological profiles using unmanned aerial systems. Hydrological Processes, 34(3), 865-867. doi: 10.1002/hyp.13631

Other Publications

W.C. Hession, L. Lehmann, T.J. Pingel, J.A. Czuba, E.M. Prior, N.D. Christensen, Y.C. Kobayashi, J.P. Resop. (2023). Virginia Tech StREAM Lab Winter 2021 Drone Lidar Survey. Distributed by OpenTopography. https://doi.org/10.5069/G9348HK3

Contributed figures to Chapter 9 Lidar and Chapter 18 Forestry in Campbell, James B., Randolph H. Wynne, Valerie A. Thomas. Introduction to remote sensing. Sixth Edition. Guilford Press, 2022. ISBN: 978-1-4625-4940-5

E.M. Prior, J. Schwenk, J. Rowland (2022): VotE-Dams: a compilation of global dams' locations and attributes (v1). A Global, High-Resolution River Network Model for Improved Flood Risk Prediction, ESS-DIVE repository. Dataset. doi:10.15485/1843541

Oral and Poster Presentations

E.M. Prior, R.P.M. Frasson, C.H. David, M.T. Durand (2024). “Informing river discharge friction from SWOT observations”. Poster Presentation. AGU Fall Meeting. H006

• Best student presentation award from the AGU Remote Sensing Technical Committee

E.M. Prior, J.B. Sankey, J. Caster, A. Kasprak (2024). “Grand Canyon Dunefields Downstream of Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell Reservoir”. Poster Presentation. AGU 2024 Fall Meeting. EP008

E.M. Prior, R.P.M. Frasson, C.H. David, M.T. Durand (2024). “How can friction be bettered modeled in the context of SWOT measurements?”. Poster Presentation. SWOT Science Team Meeting

E.M. Prior, N. Michaelson, J.A. Czuba, T.J. Pingel, V.A. Thomas, W.C. Hession (2023). “Lidar DEM resolution modifies roughness in 2D hydrodynamic models”. Poster Presentation. AGU 2023 Fall Meeting. H110-1464

E.M. Prior, A.L. Ritz, Y.C. Kobayashi, A.O. Campos. E. Benami, M. Foster-Martinez, C.R. Esposito (2023). “Not so distinct: the dynamic nature of wetland building from Neptune Pass in the lowermost Mississippi River”. Oral Presentation. AGU 2023 Fall Meeting. EP31B-07

E.M. Prior, A.L. Ritz, Y.C. Kobayashi, A.O. Campos. E. Benami, M. Foster-Martinez, C.R. Esposito (2023). “Straying from the Mississippi River: A Case Study on Avulsion at Neptune Pass”. Oral Presentation. State of the Coast.

• Placed 4th in the Student Presentation Competition

E.M. Prior, J.A. Czuba, T.J. Pingel, V.A. Thomas, R.H. Wynne, W.C. Hession (2023). “Effects of drone lidar digital elevation models (DEMs) resolution and flow area resolution on hydrodynamic modeling results”. Oral Presentation. Virginia Space Grant Consortium 2023 Student Conference.

E.M. Prior, J.A. Czuba, T.J. Pingel, W.C. Hession (2022). “Effects of UAS Lidar DEM Resolution and Mesh Grid Resolution on Hydrodynamic Modeling Results”. Oral Presentation. AGU 2022 Fall Meeting. EP33A-02

E.M. Prior, J.A. Czuba, T.J. Pingel, V.A. Thomas, R.H. Wynne, W.C. Hession (2022). “Investigating flood-vegetation interactions through remote sensing and modeling”. Oral Presentation. Virginia Space Grant Consortium 2022 Student Conference. link

• Invited talk for the Board of Directors

J. Schwenk, J. Stachelek, J.C. Rowland, K.E. Bennett, E.M. Prior, T. Zussman, (2022). “A Platform for the Next Generation of Data-driven, River and Watershed-centric Modeling: Veins of the Earth”. Oral Presentation. LA-UR-22-24093

E.M. Prior, V.A. Thomas, R.H. Wynne (2021). “Estimating Mean Dominant Heights from NAIP Digital Aerial Photogrammetry and Lidar Over Mixed Deciduous Forests in the Southeastern USA”. Poster Presentation. American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2021 Fall Meeting. B25I-1591

J. Schwenk, J. Stachelek, K.E. Bennett, E.M. Prior, T. Zussman, J.C. Rowland (2021). “Veins of the Earth: a Flexible Framework for Mapping, Modeling, and Monitoring the Earth’s River Networks”. Poster Presentation. AGU 2021 Fall Meeting. https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10509913.2

E.M. Prior, C.A. Aquilina, J.A. Czuba, T.J. Pingel, W.C. Hession (2020). “Estimating Floodplain Vegetative Roughness using Drone-Based Laser Scanning and Structure from Motion Photogrammetry”. Oral Presentation. AGU 2020 Fall Meeting. 2020AGUFMH014...02P

V.A. Thomas, P.T. Williams, R.H. Wynne, J. Ranson, D.J. Harding, K.F. Huemmrich, P.K.E. Campbell, E.M. Prior, W.C. Hession, L. Lehmann (2020). “Diurnal observations of forest spectral traits from UAS platforms”. Poster Presentation. AGU 2020 Fall Meeting. 2020AGUFMB002.0023T

W.D. Nguyen, R. Buskirk, D.D. Riddle, L. Gomez, R. Hamid, G. Aguilar, E.M. Prior, G. Miller, A.P. Smith, J. Aitkenhead-Petersen, K. Brumbelow, G.W. Moore, P.S. Knappett (2020). “Mass fluxes of nitrogen and carbon from soil water to a first-order mountain stream in a pristine Costa Rican rain forest in response to individual rain events”. Poster Presentation. Geological Society of America 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting. 10.1130/abs/2020AM-358533

E.M. Prior, F.C. O’Donnell, C.J. Brodbeck, W.N. Donald, G.B. Runion (2019). “Investigating UAV Multispectral Imagery for Total Suspended Solids and Turbidity Monitoring in Small Streams”. Poster Presentation. AGU 2019 Fall Meeting and American Ecological Engineering Society 2019 Meeting. 2019AGUFMEP11C2138P

E.M. Prior, R.A. McManamay, C.R. DeRolph (2018). Fish passage through dams in North America: New GIS database and threatened fish evaluation. Poster Presentation. Oak Ridge National Laboratory 2018 Student Intern Session.

E.M. Prior, J.K. Brumbelow, G.R. Miller, G.W. Moore (2018). “Using UAV Technology to Collect Vertical Temperature and Relative Humidity Profiles over a Tropical Montane Rainforest”. Poster Presentation. AGU 2018 Fall Meeting and Texas A&M University Summer Research Symposium. https://www.essoar.org/doi/10.1002/essoar.10500146.1

M.R. Flores, A. Keebler, E.M. Prior, G.W. Moore, E. Gonzalez, and J.K. Brumbelow (2018). "Plant Functional Traits of Carapa guianensis, a Widespread Tropical Tree, Adapted to Local Climate Conditions at Two Elevations in Costa Rica." Poster Presentation. AGU 2018 Fall Meeting. 2018AGUFM.B53J2189F

W.D. Nguyen, L.V. Gomez, A.P Duffy, P. Knappett, G.R. Miller, J.K. Brumbelow, E.M. Prior, A. Keebler, G.W. Moore (2018). “Streamflow Responses to Runoff and Shallow Groundwater Fluctuations within Two Nested Watersheds in Costa Rica.” Poster Presentation. AGU 2018 Fall Meeting. 2018AGUFM.H23K2076N

L.V. Gomez, W.D. Nguyen, P. Knappett, A.P. Duffy, E.M. Prior, A. Keebler, G.W. Moore, J.K. Brumbelow (2018). “Measuring Mass Fluxes of Nutrients to a First-Order Stream within a Pristine Mountain Rainforest in Costa Rica.” Poster Presentation. AGU 2018 Fall Meeting. 2018AGUFM.H43C2398G