Prakash, Anupma
Anupma Prakash
Dr. Anupma Prakash is a spatial visualization expert. She uses remote sensing and geographic information science (GIS) to map changes in the Earth’s surface to understand the evolution of Earth and its future manifestations. Dr. Prakash is the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor of the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. Previously, she was the Associate Dean for the College of Natural Science and Mathematics and a professor of Geophysics at the Geophysical Institute.
Womble, J. N., Williams, P. J., McNabb, R., Praskash, A., Gens, R., Sedinger, B. S. & Acevedo, C. (2021). Harbor Seals as Sentinels of Ice Dynamics in Tidewater Glacier Fjords. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.634541
Rossello, J. C., Graham, P., Prakash, A., Buchhorn, M., Gens, R., Guldager, N. & Bertram, M. (2021). Airborne Hyperspectral Data Acquisition and Processing in the Arctic: A Pilot Study Study Using the Hyspex Imaging Spectrometer for Wetland Mapping. Remote Sensing, 13(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13061178
Balazs, M., Prakash, A. & Wolken, G. (2021). Quantifying Debris Flood Deposits in an Alaskan Fjord Using Multitemporal Digital Elevation Models. Sensors, 21(6). doi: 10.3390/s21061966
Rossello, J. C., Gens, R. & Prakash, A. (2021). Thermal Remote Sensing: Principles and applications in natural resources and geohazards monitoring (In press). Springer Publishing.
Rossello, J. C., Prakash, A., Anderson, M. & Kustas, W. P. (2020). Surface Energy Flux Estimation in Two Boreal Setting in Alaska Using a Thermal-Based Remote Sensing Model. Remote Sensing, 12(24). doi: 10.3390/rs12244108
Dr. Anupma Prakash was born in 1956 in India. She knew she wanted to work in education, particularly at a university, when she grew up. She completed high school at Loreto Convent in Lucknow, India in 1984. In 1986, she started college at the University of Lucknow. She graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science in botany, zoology, and geology. Dr. Prakash pursued an earth science career so she could conduct international research and help her native country of India. Dr. Prakash continued her education at Lucknow University, earning a master’s degree in geology in 1991.
Dr. Prakash then enrolled at the Indian Institute of Technology in Roorkee in 1992. While working on her Ph.D., Dr. Prakash wanted to study something with tangible benefits for her community, stating, “Coming from a developing country, I wanted to do something that wasn’t just theoretical – something that would benefit India operationally” (2016).
Dr. Prakash earned her Ph.D. in remote sensing, GIS, earth sciences, and geo-environmental studies in 1996. Her dissertation research focused on the Jharia coalfield and the impact of coalmine fires.
Upon completing her doctoral studies in 1996, Dr. Prakash was a post-doctoral researcher at the Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) in the Netherlands, where she researched and published several articles related to coalmine fires and pollution. These publications helped her earn a position as an Assistant Professor at the institute, where she served as the Principle Remote Sensing Scientist in a joint Chinese-Dutch government project examining mining in China. From 1992 to 1996, Dr. Prakash was an Assistant Professor at ITC.
In 2002, Dr. Prakash moved to the United States to be an Associate Professor at the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. In 2009, Dr. Prakash was promoted to full professor. Dr. Prakash taught courses and conducted research using satellite imagery and GIS to study Arctic processes. From 2012 to 2018, Dr. Prakash was the Associate Dean for the College of Natural Science and Mathematics (CNSM) at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. She was also the Director of the Research Division of CNSM from 2012 to 2018.
Since 2015, Dr. Prakash has been the Principal Investigator of the Alaska EPSCoR Program. In February 2018, Dr. Prakash was appointed Interim Dean of CNSM. She served in that role until July 2018, when she was appointed Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor.
Dr. Prakash has also worked on a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) sponsored project that helped get minority students involved in interdisciplinary science. Dr. Prakash also received funding from the National Science Foundation to teach remote sensing to school teachers in rural Native communities.
Dr. Prakash notes that the highlight of her career has been the ability to learn, experience, mentor, and be mentored in several different countries and cultures, stating that “having research exposure on three different continents has been amazing… I not only got to visit but actually live and work in three different research, teaching, and living environments. It’s been such a rich experience for me” (2016). Dr. Prakash cites part of her success to the mentorship between herself and her doctoral advisor, Dr. R. P. Gupta, who taught her how to conduct research, and Dr. J. L. van Genderen, a scientist she collaborated with while working at ITC in the Netherlands. She notes, “he was a phenomenal mentor… he is a really dynamic person who brought out the best in me and provided me with international connections and exposure I never could have gotten in India. He also showed me that it’s not just what you know, but who you know that’s important” (2016).
Dr. Prakash notes that the most significant achievement of her career has been mentoring students, stating that her “ability to mentor so many different people from different communities and cultures, people who will be able to put their knowledge to good use in those communities, means I’ve been effective” (2016). At ITC, she mentored several students, nearly all from developing countries. On one of her former students who is of Native descent, she says, “I’m very happy that he is doing so well – he is on academic track and wants to become a professor at a tribal college” (2016).
Dr. Prakash continues in the environmental field, “because I love it. I just think that this is the field where all the investment in your academic upbringing really pays back to society. For me, it is really important that I reach out to society through my work. I think it’s the best repayment I can make for the taxpayer’s dollars” (2016). Although her career path has had challenges, such as when she was separated from her husband while caring for their young child, she says that the rewards have far outweighed any temporary difficulties. For those who want to give back to their communities and countries through environmental work, like herself, Dr. Prakash says, “Preserve. Don’t give up. I sometimes see people getting lost and turning back midway. The perseverance is worth it if you want to do something for your community and the world. There are tough spots, but it will pay back” (2016).
Interview conducted by Multicultural Environmental Leadership Development Initiative staff. 2016. University of Michigan – School of Natural Resources and Environment. Ann Arbor, MI.
Office of the Chancellor. University of Alaska Fairbanks. (n.d..). https://www.uaf.edu/chancellor/leadership/cabinet/prakash.php
Office of the Chancellor [Photo]. University of Alaska Fairbanks. (n.d.). https://www.uaf.edu/chancellor/leadership/cabinet/prakash.php
Office of the Chancellor [Photo]. University of Alaska Fairbanks. n.d.. https://www.uaf.edu/chancellor/leadership/cabinet/prakash.php