Empowering Future Earth Scientists: Yin-Hsuen Chen’s Journey with NASA's Early Career Research Program
The NASA Early Career Research Program (ECR) offers multiple programs for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, along with those that are early in their career and educators. Although they offer multiple programs, all programs share a common mission, to “empower the next generation of Earth Science researchers to create a diverse and inclusive workforce that enables solutions to benefit society, respond to changes in Earth’s system, and to support the Earth Science to Action.” The Esri Young Professionals Network (YPN) and NASA ECR collaborate closely to bring young professionals opportunities to develop as professionals through mentorship, webinars, collaboration at conferences, and learning opportunities around geographic sciences.
Esri YPN is excited to highlight the work of some of the outstanding candidates in the NASA ECR. In this article, you will hear from Yin-Hsuen Chen, a postdoctoral researcher at Old Dominion University, and her work using geospatial technology as an Early Career Researcher in NASA’s Understanding Needs to Broaden Outside Use of NASA Data (UNBOUND) for Coastal Issues program.
The most effective way to grow is by embracing challenges within projects or tasks, extracting valuable skills from each experience.
Why did you decide to apply for the NASA UNBOUND program? What helped you to determine this program was for you?
Upon completing my Ph.D., I have engaged in numerous projects, where I gained invaluable insights from my peers, colleagues, and mentors. Their diverse advice and inspirational stories have instilled in me a profound sense of duty to contribute to the community. NASA UNBOUND serves as an exceptional platform, fostering connections within the geospatial community and beyond. It's not solely about networking; it's about promoting meaningful outreach. Moreover, it presents a fantastic opportunity to inspire newcomers and the younger generation. To be a part of such highlights would undoubtedly be an honor.
What project(s) did you work on?
Since obtaining my Ph.D., I've been deeply involved in various projects. Notably, I contributed to the development of the Coastal Zone Digital Twin for Flooding and Public Health in Hampton Roads, generously supported by NASA.
Additionally, I participated in a project focused on estimating economic losses and enhancing hazard awareness in coastal communities through geo-visualization, funded by the Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency.
Another significant endeavor I was engaged in explored anthropogenic activities impacting river-floodplain systems and active restoration efforts, generously funded by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency. You can see some of the results of these projects by visiting this link - https://arcg.is/D4zee
Coastal Zone Digital Twin for Flooding and Public Health project in Hampton Roads, VA
What did you learn from this program? How do you see yourself using this in the future?
My involvement with this program stemmed from the UNBOUND initiative. Our institution, the Old Dominion University GeoSEA center, collaborated with the Virginia Tech (VT) Center for Coastal Studies to organize an UNBOUND workshop addressing coastal issues. Following this collaboration, the manager of the VT center graciously referred me to Cyndi and Yaítza at NASA for participation in this program. I eagerly anticipate delving deeper into the program's offerings and eagerly await any opportunities to contribute through my involvement.
What advice would you like to give to students and young professionals?
For students and young professionals, I offer this advice: your graduation marks just the beginning of your learning journey. The most effective way to grow is by embracing challenges within projects or tasks, extracting valuable skills from each experience.
Additionally, I strongly advocate for networking and learning from others. By expanding your professional connections, you open doors to countless opportunities, while also gaining insights from diverse perspectives. Regardless of their career stage, there are always valuable lessons to be learned from those around you.
Lastly, I encourage you to embrace rejection and criticism. As an independent professional post-graduation, you'll inevitably encounter setbacks and critiques of your work. It's essential to develop resilience, extracting meaningful feedback and using it as fuel for progress.
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If you want to learn more about the NASA Early Career Research Program, check out their website, and keep an eye out for upcoming Esri YPN and NASA ECR collaborations!
