Lisa Luna

I’m a geomorphologist of many interests, currently working at the intersection between geomorphology, natural hazards, and data science. 

In my research, I work to improve our ability to predict landslides in time, using statistical models and datasets ranging from landslide inventories covering entire regions to soil moisture records from single hillslopes. I’m also interested in questions of bias in datasets and seek to understand how our role as observers of Earth’s processes impacts model predictions.

In addition to teaching Landscape Evolution as a Visiting Instructor of Geology at Middlebury this fall, I am a PhD Candidate at the University of Potsdam in Potsdam, Germany, and a guest researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Prior to beginning my PhD, I worked as a Climate Policy Analyst at NewClimate Institute in Berlin, Germany, where I focused on policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on national and sectoral levels. 

A Middlebury alum (‘13), I hold an M.Sc. in Geoscience from the University of Potsdam. I’m happy to talk to students about science, grad school, living abroad, think tank work, stress reduction, being a human and a scientist, DEI, or anything else that interests you! Please come by my office hours.