Stephen Conklin

Experience

1. 2026 – present

   Research Collaborator

   With G. Burch Fisher, Ph.D., Associate Research Scientist, National Science Foundation–funded GCE-SCIPE program, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES)

   • Engineered an 11-step Bash/Python pipeline for NASA Harmonized Landsat/Sentinel-2 (HLS 2.0) data, enabling reproducible time-series vegetation index analysis.
   • Delivered NetCDF datacubes of time-series phenology for BioSCape, a NASA-funded US–South Africa biodiversity project in the Greater Cape Floristic Region; the datacubes were used as model inputs for the project.
   • Built and delivered the BioSCape Phenology Explorer, an interactive dashboard that lets scientists visually explore and navigate the project’s regions and phenology metrics, deployed on the NSF Jetstream2 research cloud.
   • Built a per-pixel phenology pipeline producing CF-1.8 NetCDF and GeoParquet datacubes, metric maps and interactive visualizations.
   • Mapping mountain laurel and rhododendron across Pennsylvania with leaf-off phenology, and work toward TorchGeo and GeoAI foundation models, for ecologists and ornithologists mapping habitat.

2. Fall 2025

   Co-Investigator, Alpine Lake Water Quality

   Fort Lewis College, Undergraduate Research

   • Sampled fecal indicator bacteria and water chemistry at alpine lakes in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains; analyzed in ArcGIS Pro and R.
   • Derived trail-use intensity metrics from AllTrails and Strava heatmap imagery using color thresholding and zonal analysis.

3. 2016, 2023

   Contract Field Technician

   Rider Resources, Durango, CO

   • Installed a high-altitude climate monitoring station near Silverton, CO, following the 2015 Gold King Mine spill.
   • Modified peristaltic water samplers for more precise automated sampling.

4. 2002 – 2018

   Web Manager; Web Consultant

   Worldwatch Institute, Washington, DC

   • Ran the LAMP servers and CMS publishing environmental research to a global audience; led the move from static HTML to Drupal and WordPress.
   • Built custom web applications, including a customized email click-tracking system.
   • Managed and grew the Institute’s e-commerce.
   • Managed and delivered the Institute’s e-newsletter and email campaigns to a global subscriber base.

5. 1999 – 2024

   Independent Web Developer

   Washington, DC & Durango, CO

   • Built and supported servers and web applications for environmental and nonprofit clients.

6. 2003 – 2012

   Sports Timing Software Developer & Operator

   Animas Timing

   • Built and operated real-time timing and results systems for whitewater slalom, including Olympic Trials and the Pan American Games.