Elizabeth (Beth) M. Prior, Ph.D.

Hi, I’m Beth! I am a Postdoctoral Associate in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Virginia Tech, working with Dr. Landon Marston. I am a remote sensing and geospatial scientist and water resources engineer whose research integrates Earth observation, environmental modeling, and quantitative analysis to better understand hydrologic and geomorphic processes across spatial and temporal scales.

My research uses satellite, airborne, and drone-based observations to investigate freshwater resources, geomorphic processes, and human-environment systems. I have worked on topics ranging from river hydraulics and floodplain dynamics to floodplain dunefields in the Grand Canyon, leveraging multispectral imagery, lidar, photogrammetry, and hydrodynamic modeling to address real-world environmental challenges. Much of my work has utilized data from NASA’s Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission and other Earth observation platforms to better understand the processes shaping river corridors and water resources.

As part of the Re-Analysis of Water for Society (RAWS) project funded through Schmidt Sciences, I contribute to efforts to build a comprehensive record of global freshwater systems and improve our understanding of how climate change and human activities are reshaping water resources around the world. Previously, I collaborated on externally funded research with teams at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the U.S. Geological Survey, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Ultimately, I am passionate about translating complex geospatial and environmental data into actionable insights that support science, conservation, and water resource decision-making.