Curriculum Vitae
Ph.D. Candidate | Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara | german.silva@geog.ucsb.edu
Ph.D., Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara Expected June 2025
Committee: Jennifer King (Co-Chair), Dar Roberts (Co-Chair), Ian Walker, Kristin Byrd
Research Interests: Wetland soil salinity, biogeochemistry, ecological monitoring
M.A., Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara Aug. 2021
Committee: Jennifer King (Co-Chair), Dar Roberts (Co-Chair), Joe McFadden
Research Interests: Wetland ecology, remote sensing, ecological disturbance
Thesis: “The Influence of the Montecito Debris Flows on Landcover in Carpinteria Salt Marsh”
B.A., Geography, California State University, Stanislaus May 2019
Honors: Summa Cum Laude
Areas of Concentration: Physical/Environmental Geography and Geospatial Technology
Minor: Environmental and Resource Studies
Thesis: “Effect of California’s Drought on Pickleweed Vigor in a Californian Wetland: A Remote Sensing Approach”
Graduate Research Fellow, University of California, Santa Barbara Sep. 2019 – Present
Graduate Teaching Associate, University of California, Santa Barbara Aug. 2024 – Sep 2024
Summer Research Fellow, NASA/Caltech Jet Propulsion Lab June 2023 - Sep. 2023
Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of California, Santa Barbara Sep. 2021 - Dec. 2021
Campus Cartographer, California State University, Stanislaus June 2017 – Aug. 2019
GEOG W8 Intro to Global Warming Aug. 2024 – Sep. 2024
University of California, Santa Barbara
Course provided students with an overview of global warming and climate change processes. Course focused on developing critical thinking and writing skills related to climate related topics from the physics of climate change to social, economic, and environmental impacts of climate change. Assignments included guided article discussions, AI and climate literacy, and personal reflection of climate change.
GEOG 176A Intro to Geographic Information Systems Sep. 2021 – Dec. 2021
University of California, Santa Barbara
Course provided students with an introductory overview of the theory and techniques of geographic information systems. As a teaching associate, I
provided supplementary lectures of weekly topics, led weekly computer labs, and assisted students with GIS project design and execution for final projects.
Certificate in College and University Teaching Expected 2025
University of California, Santa Barbara
The UCSB Certificate in College and University Teaching (CCUT) is designed for students who wish to demonstrate superior competence and experience in teaching at the university or college level. Certificate requirements include completion or attainment of several teaching-related skills and
experiences culminating in independent instruction of an entire course with the support of a UCSB faculty mentor. Requirements include development of course materials, the completion of an evidence-based pedagogical project, analysis of student evaluations, and more.
Certificate in Inclusive Teaching Expected 2025
University of California, Santa Barbara
The Certificate in Inclusive Teaching (CIT) is designed for UCSB graduate students and postdocs, to help them foster inclusive classrooms, effectively mentor a diverse student body, and enhance their professional development. Students are required to attend and engage in workshops from the following categories: Course Design, Instruction, Mentorship & Student Support, Professional Development.
Summer Teaching Institute for Associates (STIA) Sep. 2024
University of California, Santa Barbara
The UCSB Summer Teaching Institute for Associates (STIA) supports graduate student instructors who have responsibility for an undergraduate course during Summer Sessions. The STIA Associate has completed a series of online assignments, cooperative peer review, pedagogical skills training activities, and mentoring meetings with a UC faculty member. Specific topics include: course planning; syllabus design and review, student learning outcomes, course and lecture planning, giving lectures, active learning, designing and grading assessments, giving and receiving feedback on learning, issues common to first time instructors, online teaching and learning.
SBG High Frequency Timeseries (SHIFT) Feb.2022 – Sep. 2022
University of California, Santa Barbara
Research field campaign to collect wetland plant traits and soil salinity samples as part of the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab’s pathfinder campaign for the future Surface Biology and Geology sensors
Sebastian Alvarez, University of California, Santa Barbara, PhD student Aug. 2024 – Present
Wenxin Yang, University of California, Santa Barbara, PhD student Jan. 2024 – Present
Xue Yan, University of California, Santa Barbara, PhD student Jan. 2024 – Present
Sarah Payne, University of California, Santa Barbara, PhD student Oct. 2023 – Present
My-Thu Tran, University of California Santa Barbara/San Diego State University, PhD student Oct. 2023 – May 2024
Damian Padilla, University of California, Santa Barbara Oct. 2024 – Present
Aidan Flynn, University of California, Santa Barbara Oct. 2024 – Present
Abby Nestor, University of California, Santa Barbara Oct. 2024 – Present
Danae Stathatos*, University of California, Santa Barbara April. 2024 – Present
Kathryn Kolb*, University of California, Santa Barbara Oct. 2023 – Present
Evelyn Tsang, University of California, Santa Barbara April 2024 – Sep. 2024
Marian Walker*, University of California, Santa Barbara Jan. 2021 – March 2024
Ruiming Song, University of California, Santa Barbara April 2022 – Dec. 2022
Ella Phillips, University of California, Santa Barbara April 2022 – June 2022
Brianna Lee, University of California, Santa Barbara April 2022 – June 2022
Madi Arndt, University of California, Santa Barbara April 2022 – June 2022
Chenjia Liu, University of California, Santa Barbara Jan. 2022 – June 2022
In Review Silva, G.D., Roberts, D.A., Byrd, K.B., Chadwick, K.D., Walker, I.J., and King, J.Y. “Using imaging spectroscopy and elevation in machine learning to estimate soil salinity in intermittently tidal wetlands.” Ecosphere
2022 Silva, G.D., Roberts, D.A., McFadden, J.P., King, J.Y.,
“Shifts in Salt Marsh Vegetation Landcover after Debris Flow
Deposition.” Remote Sensing 14(12):2819.
https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14122819
2019 Silva, G., “Pickleweed Vigor in a Californian Salt Marsh: A
Remote Sensing Approach.” Honors Program Journal of Exploratory Research.
2024 “Integrating Imaging Spectroscopy and Elevation in Machine Learning for Soil Salinity Estimation in Coastal Wetlands” Paper,
Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting
2023 “Remote Predictors of Soil Salinity in an Intermittently Tidal Wetland” Poster, American Geophysical Union Annual Conference
2022 “Shifts in Salt Marsh Vegetation Landcover After Debris Flow Deposition” Paper, European Spatial Data for Coastal and Marine Remote Sensing
2021 “Change Detection in Carpinteria Salt Marsh Following the Montecito Debris Flow” Paper, California Geographical Society Conference
2020 “Using Remotely Sensed Data to Map Extent of Debris in a
Californian Salt Marsh” Poster, National oSTEM Conference
2019 “Pickleweed Vigor in a Californian Salt Marsh: A Remote
Sensing Approach” Paper, 33rd Annual Student Research Competition at
CSU Stanislaus
2018 “Effect of California’s Drought on Pickleweed Health in
Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge: A Remote Sensing Approach”
Poster, Association of Pacific Coast Geographers
Geography Grad Student Peer Mentor 2022 – Present
California Geographical Society, Student Representative 2022-Present
Faculty Committee Student Representive 2022-Present
Outreach Committee 2021-2022
oSTEM Co-President 2021 – 2022
oSTEM Graduate Student Mentor 2021 – 2022
oSTEM Graduate Student Liaison 2020 – 2021
Search Committee, Graduate Student Representative 2020
Geography Awareness Week Presenter 2019
Geography Student Representative, Graduate Student Association 2019 – 2020
Campus Tree Interactive Web Map 2018
GIS Intern for Merced County through Office of Service Learning 2018
Student Representative, University Student Union Board of Directors 2017 – 2019
Student Representative, Committee for Sustainable Futures 2017 – 2019
Gamma Theta Upsilon Honor Society President 2017 – 2019
Social Media Coordinator, Geography Club 2017 – 2019
Volunteer, Geocaching activity at Science Day 2017
Director of Environment, Associated Students, Inc. Board of Directors 2016 – 2017
Treasurer, Geography Club 2016 – 17/2018 – 2019
Ecological Society of America
California Estuarine Research Society
Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation
American Geophysical Union
Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Gamma Theta Upsilon Honor Society
Association of Pacific Coast Geographers
American Association of Geographers
California Geographical Society
Eugene Cota-Robles Fellow, UC Santa Barbara Graduate Division Sep 2019 – Present
UCSB Associated Students Coastal Fund, $6515.60 June 2023
Graduate Research Fellow, National Science Foundation Sep 2019 – Sep 2022
Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, California State University, Stanislaus Jan 2018 – May 2019
Tom McKnight and Joan Clemons Award for an Outstanding Paper, Association of Pacific Coast Geographers October 2024
1st place Graduate Paper Presentaton, California Geographical Society April 2024
Latinx American Travel Scholarship, Association of Pacific Coast Geographers October 2023
Geosystems Award for Applied/Physical Geography, Association of Pacific Coast Geographers October 2023
Manuscript Monday Highlight, Ladies of Landsat November 2022
Geosystems Award, California Geographical Society April 2021
First Place Presentation, 33rd Annual Student Research Competition, California State University, Stanislaus March 2018
David Lantis Scholarship Award, California Geographical Society April 2018