Rachel Isaacs
Teaching Assistant Professor • Liaison with Continuing Education • Interests: Biogeography, climate change, landscape ecology, GIS, remote sensing • PhD The Pennsylvania State University - State College, 2016 • M.S. Texas A&M University - College Station, 2007
GIS • Physical Geography
rachel.isaacs@colorado.edu

Research Interests 

I completed my Ph.D. work at Pennsylvania State University in the Department of Geography. My doctoral work examined the spatial and temporal impacts of climate change on treeline in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska. I am one of the rare few who received degrees in Geography throughout my academic career, first for my Bachelor’s degree at the University of Hawai’i -Hilo and then for my Master’s degree at Texas A&M University. My research interests in landscape ecology, climate change, GIScience, remote sensing, and spatial statistics have led me to conduct research in several international and domestic locations including Scotland, Nicaragua, Alaska, Arkansas, Hawai’i, Washington, and California.

My background and technical skills have enabled me to work in government and private sectors, as well as academia for the past 16 years. Private and government institutions include the American Association of Geographers (editorial), NOAA (metadata), National Geographic (video), and environmental compliance for the oil and gas industry with EMS and AK Environmental (GIS, drafting, and surveying). I have also worked as a research consultant and instructor for Pennsylvania State University, Bucknell University, and Saint Paul College. For the past three years, I have taught a variety of physical geography, human geography, statistics, remote sensing, and GIScience courses.

Recent Courses Taught 

  • Spring 2024  GEOG 1001   Environmental  Systems 1: Climate and Vegetation
  • Spring 2024  GEOG 3351  Biogeography
  • Spring 2024  GEOG 4093/5093 (CE)  Remote Sensing of the Environment
  • Fall 2023  GEOG 4001/5100   Climate Change Cause and Impacts
  • Fall 2023  GEOG 4371/5371   Forest Geography
  • Spring 2023  GEOG 1001   Environmental  Systems 1: Climate and Vegetation
  • Spring 2023  GEOG 3351  Biogeography
  • Spring 2023  GEOG 4093/5093 (CE)  Remote Sensing of the Environment
  • Fall 2022  GEOG 4001/5100   Climate Change Cause and Impacts
  • Fall 2022  GEOG 4371/5371   Forest Geography
  • Spring 2022  GEOG 3351 Biogeography
  • Spring 2022  GEOG 4093/5093 Remote Sensing of the Environment
  • Spring 2022  GEOG 4093/5093 (CE) Remote Sensing of the Environment
  • Fall 2021  GEOG 1001   Environmental  Systems 1: Climate and Vegetation
  • Fall 2020  GEOG 3053  (CE) GIS: Mapping
  • Fall 2021  GEOG 4371/5371   Forest Geography
  • Spring 2021  GEOG 1001   Environmental  Systems 1: Climate and Vegetation
  • Spring 2021  GEOG 3601 / ATOC/ENVS3600  Principles of Climate
  • Spring 2021  GEOG 4093  (CE) Remote Sensing of the Environment
  • Fall 2020 GEOG 1001  Climate and Vegetation
  • Fall 2020 GEOG 3053  (CE) GIS: Mapping
  • Fall 2020 GEOG 4241  Principles of Geomorphology