Dr. Katharine Petrich is hiring two students to work remotely/on-campus to support a continuing research project leveraging satellite imagery, machine learning models, and geospatial data to monitor and mitigate illicit activities in Colombia and Venezuela. This includes analyzing illegal mining, deforestation, drug trafficking, and coca cultivation in conflict-prone border regions.

This position is compensated at the Level C rate on the MIIS student wage scale: $17.50 - $18.00 per hour.

​​Assemble data for several relevant databases using media reports, government documents, nonprofit reports, social media accounts, etc in Spanish and English ​Identify patterns in territorial disputes, organized crime activities, and environmental degradation in the zone of interest ​Conduct image/geospatial annotation ​Write literature reviews ​Examine the underlying socioeconomic and governance challenges which act as drivers ​Write and present findings to internal/external audiences