Current: Postdoctoral Research Associate

School of Earth & Sustainability

Northern Arizona University

My advisors (Duan Biggs and Chris Doughty) and I recently received a NASA Citizen Science grant that focusses on improving aboveground carbon estimates in tropical forests. We will expand NASA's GLOBE citizen science network and improve GEDI's (spaceborne lidar) aboveground biomass simultaneously by collecting tree height, species, and DBH in four study areas. For more information, see the 'projects' page. I am also a co-instructor of ENV301W 'Topics in Environmental Studies' for third year undergraduates. I helped develop this course with Duan Biggs, where we dive into the intersection of conservation, remote sensing, and community engagement.

CV Highlights & Publications

Download full CV here

Research Experience

2019-2024

PhD Student

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, AZ

Investigated the applications of lidar (light detection and ranging) for elephant conservation and ecological influence in the Afrotropics in the Megabiota lab under Dr. Chris Doughty
Used R, Python, C++, Google Earth Engine, ENVI, Machine Learning, and high-performance computing to process and analyze remote sensing ecological data such as GEDI lidar
Ran ecological, climate, and biodiversity models such as the Madingley model

2014-2019

Research Assistant/Coordinator

American University

Washington, DC

Managed environmental research laboratory directed by Dr. David Culver focused on environmental science, endangered species, water quality, and rare aquatic invertebrate distributions in the DC area
Managed team of 3 field assistants, maintained databases, conducted field work, conducted water quality assessments, generated reports for government officials (NPS, USFWS), created species distribution maps
Designed, conducted, and completed my Master’s thesis research on the troglomorphic invertebrate preferences in shallow subterranean habitats in the DC metro area

Teaching Experience

Spring & Fall 2025

Instructor of 'Topics in Environmental Studies' Conservation, Remote Sensing, and Community Engagement

Northern Arizona University

Course catalogue: ENVS301W
Developed course on the integration of remote sensing into community conservation, with 6 writing assignments totaling 20 pages (to fulfill the Junior year writing requirement)
Co-teaching with Duan Biggs

Flagstaff, AZ

2021-current

Teacher of 'Coding for Kids' course

Tynkertopia

Flagstaff, AZ

Developed a ‘Coding for 4-6 year olds’ course at a STEAM after school center in the low socioeconomic area of Flagstaff that works directly with children from the surrounding communities, including the Navajo Nation

2022-current

Guest Lecturer

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, AZ

Curated graduate level lectures on machine learning in Google Earth Engine, species distribution models, and using data science for conservation for Dr. Doughty and Dr. Goetz
Course numbers: INF620, INF550

2020-2023

Undergraduate Capstone Mentor

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, AZ

Led senior capstone projects for computer science undergraduates
Provided project feedback, advice, and training to 12 students over three years
Developed mobile applications with students on integrating NASA’s GEDI lidar for use by local communities on the ground in Central Africa and providing carbon credits for elephant conservation.

Education

2019-2024

Northern Arizona University

PhD in Ecological Informatics

Flagstaff, AZ

Earned my PhD in Environmental and Ecological Informatics in the Department of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems at Northern Arizona University with advisor Chris Doughty (Megabiota Lab).

2014-2016

American University

MSc in Environmental Science

Washington, DC

Received my MSc in Environmental Science at American University where I studied the environmental preferences of DC's protected species of rare and threatened amphipods. I was advised by Dr. David Culver.

2008-2012

Eckerd College

BA in Biology

BA in Environmental Studies

Minor in Religious Studies

Completed a double major in Environmental Studies and Biology at Eckerd College, a small liberal arts school in Florida.

St. Petersburg, FL

Professional skillset

Technical: R, Python, C++, Matlab, JavaScript, SPSS, Bash, Google Earth Engine, Git, Cloud compare, ENVI, ArcGIS, QGIS, Github, Jupyter Notebooks

Field: backcountry navigation, remote field research, biodiversity surveys, environmental health assessments, eDNA sampling, camera trapping, bird song ID, sand trapping (mammals), sea turtle nest monitoring, primate surveys, aquatic invertebrate sampling, predator-prey analysis, animal behavior (scan sampling)

Communication: Public speaking, project management, workshop development, project design, scientific writing, team-based science, mentoring (over 10 interns)

Awards & Academic Service

NASA Citizen Science Grant (awarded) for 3 years of postdoc funding at Northern Arizona University, 2024.
NASA Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science (FINESST) Grant (awarded) for 3 years of graduate funding at Northern Arizona University, 2021.
T3 National Science Foundation NRT Fellowship for 2 years of graduate funding at Northern Arizona University, 2019.
Travel Fellow for the 24th International Conference on Subterranean Biology in Aveiro, Portugal from the Cave Conservancy of the Virginias, 2018.
Graduate Student Council Senator for the Department of Environmental Science in the College of Arts & Sciences, American University, September 2015- May 2016.
Den & Sheilah Roenfeldt Travel Fellow for the 23rd International Conference on Subterranean Biology, 2016.

Publications and Presentations

Doughty, C. E., Wiebe, B. C., Keany, J. M., Gaillard, C., Abraham, A. J., & Kristensen, J. A. (2025). Ecosystem engineers alter the evolution of seed size by impacting fertility and the understory light environment. Palaeontology, 68(1), e70002.
Keany, J.M., Burns, P., Abraham, A., Jantz, P., Makaga, L., Saatchi, S., ... & Doughty, C. (2024). Using a multiscale lidar approach to determine variation in canopy structure from African forest elephant trails. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation.
Keany, J.*, Gaillard, C.*, Metcalf, A., Diehl, J.L., Ranjan, P., Biggs, D. (2024). Integrating Remote Sensing and Community Science to Strengthen Equity and Verification Towards 30x30. Nature Sustainability. 1-2. *these authors contributed equally
Keany, J., YOBA, A., Biggs, D., Doughty, C. (submitted for publication). Community perspectives on mobile apps that deliver payment for data collection to promote equitable conservation. Conservation Science and Practice.
Doughty, C. E., Keany, J. M., Wiebe, B. C., Rey-Sanchez, C., Carter, K. R., Middleby, K. B., ... & Fisher, J. B. (2023). Tropical forests are approaching critical temperature thresholds. Nature, 621(7977), 105-111.
Keany, J., Burns, P., Jantz, P., Goetz, S. J., & Doughty, C. (2023). Harnessing GEDI for Elephant Conservation: Assessing African Forest Elephant Impact on Forest Structure in Dja Faunal Reserve, Cameroon, with Spaceborne Lidar. AGU23.
Doughty, C. E., Gaillard, C., Burns, P., Keany, J., Abraham, A., Malhi, Y. S., ... & Tang, H. (2023). Tropical forests are mainly unstratified especially in Amazonia and regions with lower fertility or higher temperatures. Environmental Research: Ecology.
Keany, J., Burns, P., Jantz, P., Goetz, S. J., & Doughty, C. (2023). Harnessing GEDI for Elephant Conservation: Assessing African Forest Elephant Impact on Forest Structure in Dja Faunal Reserve, Cameroon, with Spaceborne Lidar. Oral presentation at AGU2023.
Keany, J., Jantz, P., Gonzalez, I., Sundquist, S., & Rose, M. (2022, December). Studying Forest Structure from Space: An Introduction to GEDI Lidar Data Preprocessing and Analysis in Ecological Applications. Workshop Lead at AGU2022.
Keany, J.M., Doughty, C., Burns, P., Maisels, F., Jantz, P., Goetz, S. J., & Abraham, A. (2021, December). Using machine learning techniques to quantify the environmental impact of African forest elephants: combining real world conservation with informatics in Google Earth Engine. In AGU Fall Meeting 2021. AGU.
Keany, J. M., Burns, P., Doughty, C. E., Abraham, A., Jantz, P. J., Goetz, S.J., Maisels, F. (2021) Investigating African forest elephant impacts on forest structure and carbon balance using multiscale lidar techniques. Oral Presentation at the Ecological Society of America Annual Conference.
Doughty, C., Abraham, A., Jantz, P., Harfoot, M., Gaillard, C., Keany, J., ... & Goetz, S. J. (2020, December). Adding space-based vegetation structure measurements to a global ecosystem model to simulate tropical forest animal communities and their role in ecosystem function. In AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts (Vol. 2020, pp. B073-02).
Gilbert, H., Keany, J., Culver, D.C. (2018). Response of shallow subterranean freshwater amphipods to habitat drying. Subterranean Biology 28: 15-28.
Keany, J., Christman, M. C., Milton, M., Knee, K. L., Gilbert, H., & Culver, D. C. (2019). Distribution and Structure of Shallow Subterranean Aquatic Arthropod Communities in the Parklands of Washington, DC. Ecohydrology, e2044.
Keany, J., Chistman, M. C., Milton, M., Knee, K., Gilbert, H., Culver, D.C. (2018, August). Subterranean species in Washington, D.C.: spatial analysis, habitat preferences, and conservation implications. Oral presentation at the International Conference on Subterranean Biology, University of Aveiro, Portugal.
Keany, J., Chistman, M. C., Milton, M., Knee, K., Gilbert, H., Culver, D. (2018, April). Subterranean species in Washington D.C.: spatial analysis, habitat preferences, and conservation implications. Oral presentation at the Spotlight on National Park Resources in the National Capital Region, National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, WV.
Niemiller, M. L., Porter, M. L., Keany, J., Gilbert, H., Fong, D. W., Culver, D. C., . . . Taylor, S. J. (2017). Evaluation of eDNA for groundwater invertebrate detection and monitoring: a case study with endangered Stygobromus (Amphipoda: Crangonyctidae). Conservation Genetics Resources.
Keany, J. (2016, June). Investigating the physico-chemical niche of obligate subterranean amphipods and isopods in shallow subterranean waters of the DC metro area. Oral presentation at the International Conference on Subterranean Biology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR