Michael Sunde

Michael Sunde

Ph.D.

Assistant Research Professor & MU Extension Natural Resources Specialist

School of Natural Resources

MoRAP Director

Missouri Resource Assessment Partnership (MoRAP)

Research at a glance

Area(s) of Expertise

Research Summary

My research focuses on leveraging cutting-edge technologies, such as satellites, UAVs, and computational models, alongside geospatial and climatic data, to generate management grade information that can be used by planners and researchers to improve natural resource management and address the needs of various communities. Our research group takes a multidisciplinary approach, integrating diverse expertise, which leads to more comprehensive, innovative, and locally relevant data and solutions.

Sunde’s research focuses on using quantitative modeling, geospatial and remote sensing approaches to evaluate the impacts of stressors such as urbanization, deforestation and climatic pressures on the environment and to map ecosystems at large scales, with an emphasis on watershed hydrology. His work uses an array of geographic, climatic and remotely sensed data, along with machine learning and physically based models to produce information that can be of utility to planners and decision makers.

Educational background

  • Ph.D. Natural Resources, University of Missouri