Samantha Wong, an environmental science major and GIS minor, used drones to monitor the health of crops last summer.

A plant’s health isn’t always immediately apparent, and sometimes when the sickness is visible, it’s too late to save it. Farmers can lose large amounts of crops before being able to take any action. For small farmers like the ones Wong partnered with, the loss of any crops has a deep effect on their livelihood.

Wong worked at Shared Roots, a family-owned organic farm in Cortland county. Her drones were equipped with imaging sensors and flown over the crops to test for Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR). Plants that are considered stressed or unhealthy reflect less light and ultimately measure lower on the index. The organic farm acted as an ideal control for her data.

“I honestly didn’t realize I’d be doing this much computer work at first,” Wong says. “Trial and error has been the best way to learn, even though it can be a bit time consuming.”

Fieldwork is her favorite aspect of research, but between downloading and processing data, trial and error with new computer programs and flying the drones, Wong has developed a unique skill set.

“She actually led the writing of [the project] which is really cool,” says Jeffrey Pietras, Wong’s advisor and an associate professor of geological sciences at Binghamton. “The presentation she gave was great. She was able to say, ‘This is what I was looking at, this is why I was looking at it, these are the tools we used, and here are my results.’ … She laid it out without much guidance.”

The Brooklyn native is now devoting her time to more research with practical applications. She has re-visited a project she began through the Freshman Research Immersion program, locating abandoned oil and gas wells throughout New York. These wells pose serious threats to the environment, as not all were capped correctly and some are leaking methane into the soil.

When she isn’t trying to save the planet, Wong is the treasurer for the swimming club, which is one of her favorite ways to unwind. She also is a member of the Philippine American League and has interned with City Parks back home. There, her research experience has already come in handy when developing geographic maps of local parks. Wong hopes to return to the city to make a difference for the environment.

“Through research, you can solve any problem you want and help the environment,” Wong says. “We can make it better for the future.”

Gonzalez, 22, is part of a team conducting a novel gentrification study concerning the area surrounding the new pharmacy school.

Gentrification typically comes in the form of businesses buying depreciated properties, resulting in increased property values in the surrounding area. This often leads landlords to hike rents, which causes lower-income residents to move.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 18.8 percent of Johnson City residents live in poverty, a figure 25 percent higher than the national average.

“It’s one of the most poverty-stricken areas in the country,” says Gonzalez, an accelerated student who is pursuing a bachelor’s in geographic information systems (GIS) and a master’s degree in urban planning. “Buildings are made out of sheet rock, plywood staircases, with multiple families living in them. People living in these terrible conditions all because they’re paying $50-200 for rent.”

These conditions make Johnson City a prime gentrification target, and the pharmacy school provides an opportunity to study the area and its residents before gentrification takes place. That’s what makes Gonzalez’s research important: Previous research has typically examined gentrification after it has already occurred, but not before the process starts.

Gonzalez and his colleagues will look at variables such as spatial makeup, rent cost, median age, ethnicity and unemployment during the next several years. They’ll compare the local data to national figures. The team also conducts interviews and surveys and is establishing relationships with area residents. The researchers say there’s a lack of research that documents individual cases of gentrification and tracks where people go when they are displaced.

The research team uses Story Maps, a website that documents statistics on a map over a timeline, to help tie together the different forms of data in a simple display, making it easier to observe the changes that take place over time.

Gonzalez, who grew up in Harlem, is familiar with how an area can change over time from gentrification.

“Watching my own home change and my friends move out of their homes really pushed me toward this research,” Gonzalez says. “Its purpose is to improve the area for the community, but if you’re pushing the existing community out as a result, who is the improvement for?”

Gonzalez learned about the project from John Frazier, director of the research team. Kevin Heard, associate director of the GIS core facility at Binghamton and part of the research team, says they’ve been impressed by Gonzalez’s positive ideas for the study.

“He takes initiative,” Heard says. “Anytime we bring up a project, he always shows interest.”

Gonzalez plans to apply to Harvard University and MIT for a program in urban design. Eventually, he wants to start an urban development consulting firm that helps with planning and designing new buildings and takes into account the existing demographics of an area.

Gonzalez may even want to go into politics. He’s already had a taste of that work while serving as the vice president of multicultural affairs (VPMA) on the Student Association.

“I really care about people who are of marginalized communities,” Gonzalez says. “That’s why I’m VPMA. I want to help out everyone who feels like they don’t have a voice.”

To learn more about Gonzalez and his team’s research, visit the Story Maps site.