Astou Dieng, a landscape architecture major from Providence, Rhode Island, completed her CELS Summer Research Fellowship working under Dr. Soni Pradhanang on GIS flood mapping for Providence. Her work involved creating river simulation models that predict how water flows over land during storm events, helping city planners, engineers, and policymakers make informed decisions on flood planning. In this Q&A, Astou shares her experiences and highlights from the summer fellowship, as well as some advice to students interested in GIS modelling.   

Q: What were your duties for your summer fellowship?

Most of my work revolved around building and refining river models in HEC-RAS [a modelling system developed as part of hydrologic engineering software for river analysis] and working with GIS data. A typical day started with collecting and cleaning hydrologic and topographic data—usually from USGS [United States Geological Survey]—then using DEM and high-resolution LiDAR [digital representations used to visualize the earth’s surface for environmental analysis] to create accurate river geometry. I ran simulations, tweaked the model, and analyzed the results to help with things like floodplain mapping and mitigation planning. It was a mix of technical problem-solving and data detective work. 

Q: What were highlights of the experience? 

One of the best parts was seeing all the puzzle pieces—LiDAR data, DEMs, streamflow records—come together to create something useful and real. I also loved the “aha” moments when a model finally matched real-world data, because it showed the work is on the right track. 

Q: What is something you look forward to after completing your fellowship?

My fellowship has wrapped up, and I will be doing a symposium on December 10 basically showcasing my work along with the other fellows. I am still working on refining my model as I prepare my poster for the symposium – refining it for better accuracy, experimenting with unsteady flow simulations, and then sharing the results with a broader audience. 

Q: How did this Fellowship enhance your academic knowledge? 

It’s bridged the gap between what I’ve learned in class and how it actually works in the field. I learned how to troubleshoot messy, imperfect data. 

Q: What classes or experiences prepared you for this opportunity? 

GIS and geology courses gave me a strong technical foundation, but my landscape architecture studies really shaped how I approach this work. Projects that required me to analyze site hydrology and design with water flow in mind taught me how critical it is to understand how water moves through a landscape. That perspective has been extremely helpful in building accurate river models and interpreting data.

Q: Any advice you want to share to students who want to pursue a fellowship involving GIS modelling?

Start exploring specialized tools before you actually need them—learning programs like HEC-RAS or ArcGIS early can really set you apart. Be ready to adapt when things don’t go as planned, because real-world data often comes with unexpected challenges. And most importantly, ask questions! People are usually happy to help when they see you’re genuinely curious and engaged.