¡Hola! My name is Abby Stokes, I am 25 years old, and I am originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. I left Minnesota in 2017 to study at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, where I double majored in Applied Mathematics / Statistics and Anthropology. While there, I researched drought in Keyna, Africa, by combining remote sensing data (pictures from satellites) and ethnography (people's stories). This allowed me to explore both my love for science and my fascination with other cultures, and was also where I first discovered the magic of data science!
During my junior year at Notre Dame, I had the opportunity to briefly study abroad in Santiago, Chile, and my life has never been the same. I fell in love with the Chilean culture, food, nature, and, well, pretty much everything! In 2022, I returned home to Minnesota to pursue a master's degree in Data Science. During this time, I learned more about spatial data science, and how to use satellite imagery to answer questions about the world.
I also had the chance to visit Chile again, during which I became aware of the destructive wildfires occurring in the central region, which have been worsening in recent years. This is what motivated me to apply for a Fulbright U.S. Student research grant to Chile, where I am currently studying methods to predict and better understand these wildfires using satellite data. I am so excited for this adventure, and feel honored to be able to share my journey with you!
Want to learn how you could be a Fulbright Scholar like me? The Fulbright Program is the United States government's flagship international exchange program. Fulbrighters foster mutual understanding between the United States and partner nations, share knowledge across communities, and improve lives around the world. Learn more by clicking here!
