Student Board Members

Afshin Shayeghi Moghanlou - Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability | University of Oklahoma

Afshin Shayeghi Moghanlou is pursuing his Ph.D. in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability at the University of Oklahoma, where he also serves as a Research Assistant. His research focuses on hydrological remote sensing, agricultural water sustainability, and climate change. Before starting his Ph.D., Afshin earned his master’s degree in Agricultural Engineering from Imam Khomeini International University in Iran. His work focused on Water Resources. His bachelor’s degree is also in Agricultural Engineering, and is earned from Mohaghegh Ardabili University.

Afshin has contributed to numerous peer-reviewed publications, focusing on topics such as the reliability of satellite rainfall estimates, assessing drought impacts on groundwater and agriculture, and evaluating global precipitation estimation products. He has earned the Charles Standely Memorial Award for outstanding publication in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, the Graduate Student Senate travel award, and first place in the GIS Day student poster competition at the University of Oklahoma.  Afshin has applied his expertise in Hydrology and GIS working for PAGA Consultant Company in Iran.

Fahmina Binte Ibrahim - Department of Geography and Environmental Studies | Texas State University

Fahmina Binte Ibrahim is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Geographic Information Science at Texas State University, San Marcos. With a background in Disaster Science and Management from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, she has developed strong expertise in GIS and remote sensing tools. Her research interests include spatial analysis, disaster management and risk analysis applications. Her work focuses on addressing real-world challenges through geographic research, particularly in disaster response.

She has presented her research at various conferences, including the Southwest Division of the American Association of Geographers and the American Geophysical Union. She is an active member of professional organizations such as the American Geophysical Union and the American Association of Geographers. At Texas State University, she serves as the Communications Officer for the Society for Geographic Information Science (SOGIS) and a community organizer for the Graduate Forum, where she focuses on the well-being of graduate students.

Outside of her academic pursuits, she enjoys volunteering for disaster preparedness campaigns and participating in community service activities. She is very excited to contribute her knowledge and skills to the AGX Board and collaborate with fellow members to advance the application of geographic insights and analysis.

Amanda Barney - Department of Geography and Environmental Studies | Texas State University

Amanda leads an exciting life full of love, adventure, and education. She is raising and homeschooling two intelligent, wild, and happy girls, and she teaches once a week at their homeschool co-op. Last year, she taught chemistry, and this fall, she will teach anatomy to children between ages 8 and 13. She is also a full-time caregiver for my mother who has Parkinson’s Disease. Her health journey has been long and difficult, but Amanda has cared for her for nearly 10 years now. She also has two fur babies, and she enjoys spoiling them with affection and good food.
Amanda is also dedicated to her own education and personal development. She is working to complete her master’s degree at Texas State University and plans to continue my education to receive a PhD in Geography. She is a physical scientist first and foremost, and her current research focuses on soil geochemistry, fluvial geomorphology, and long term paleoenvironmental change. She is fascinated by the way exposed soils tell us stories about past climates, and she wants to use those stories to predict future climate changes. However, she is also intrigued by the effects of soil health on human nutrition and nutritional deficiencies.
Throughout her time at the university, she has presided over Gamma Theta Upsilon (an international geographical honor society) and volunteered at numerous community and university events. Her hard work over the past few years was reflected in the spring of 2024 when she received the Outstanding Graduate Student award from her department for her service both at the university and in my community, and for her dedication to her family and her education. In addition, she received the Outstanding Service to GTU award for her service to the geographical honor society. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, kayaking, hiking, sewing, exploring national parks, learning about fitness and nutrition, and volunteering at community and university events.

Elizabeth Skender - Department of Urban Studies | University of Pittsburgh

Elizabeth Skender is pursuing a bachelor’s in arts in Urban Studies, a Certificate in GIS, and a minor in Economics. As President of the Urban Studies Honor Society at the University of Pittsburgh, she leads and organizes events, including industry networking sessions and community gatherings like coffee meetups with the local GIS community. Additionally, she is an active member of the Urban Planning Club and an undergraduate teacher’s assistant for Introduction to GIS and Applied GIS. 
She holds multiple certificates from the Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) regarding their suite of applications and is involved with various geospatial communities, such as Women+ in Geospatial and Women in GIS.
She has researched the accessibility of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in the state of Pennsylvania and simulated the associated impact of changing the dispensing rules of PrEP. She presented this research at AGX in 2023, winning the Best Paper for Communication and Storytelling. Furthermore, she has mapped grave sites at the Homestead Cemetery with Trimble technology to assist in creating an updated management system. Lastly, she has researched the correlation between Del Webb retirement communities and their accessibility to significant cities and their evolving geography from the 1960s to the present. Elizabeth’s work contributes to broadening the appeal of GIS to younger audiences. 
Her practical experience includes working with the City of Pittsburgh and the Allegheny County Airport Authority on significant projects such as the City’s Street Light Renovation Project and the Terminal Modernization Project at Pittsburgh International Airport