Hagar Hecht

Dr. Hecht is a geomorphologist specializing in spatial data analysis. She earned her MSc in geology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where she studied changes in Earth’s magnetic field focusing on paleo-intensity fluctuations. At the University of Tokyo in the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, she received her PhD in natural environmental studies where she examined the controlling factors of erosion rates on a global scale. She continued her work as a visiting researcher at the Center for Spatial Information Science focusing on the effects of vegetation on erosion rates. Dr. Hecht’s experience with spatial data analysis also includes working for the Geological Survey of Israel where she was involved in hazard assessment projects, such as evaluating the probabilities and types of earthquake-induced slope failures and estimating the rate of erosion and retreat of the Israeli coastal cliff. She is currently working on simulating forests in northern New Mexico to identify management strategies to optimally locate treatments that reduce high-severity wildfire risk.