Meet Sadia Sabrina, a graduate student in the Geography and Geographic Information Science department at the University of Illinois. Sadia is passionate about protecting the environment and hopes her research with the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) will help others better understand environmental data and help make a positive impact on river and watershed management.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
As a child, I was inspired by every professional woman I came across – especially women conquering less explored arenas. Once I entered high school, I was determined to continue my education in the sciences, preferably in environmental sciences.
What drew you to your current field of study?
I am a Master’s student in the River, Watershed, and Landscape Dynamics program in the Geography and GIScience department. Growing up in Bangladesh, environmental pollution, particularly in rivers, were the inevitable outcomes of development. My concerns surrounding environmental issues inspired me to pursue environmental sciences as my undergraduate degree. After graduation, I decided to continue my educations to focus on river and watershed management.
What do you love about your work at PRI?
I currently work with the ISWS' surface water team, where I produce water demand, and consumption maps for the Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program (WARM). These maps tell visual stories about the spatial relationships of data for the public, local stakeholders, and experts.
How will your work impact future generations?
The water demand, and consumption maps will help more people understand future predictions or show trends of water demand and consumption across Illinois and help inform enivronmental policy.
