Who we are

The Drone Lab is a collaborative group of faculty, staff, and students at the University of Idaho that work to bring drones and drone data into research and teaching.

Faculty

Dr. Jason Karl (PI)

Dr. Karl’s research focuses on how imagery collected from drones can be used for measuring and monitoring rangeland and arid ecosystems. Jason is particularly interested in how drones might be used to improve the measurement of indicators that are challenging to measure using traditional field methods like vegetation biomass and utilization and soil erosion. Jason leverages graduate and undergraduate students in his research and is always on the lookout for talented students who are interested in contributing. With over 10 years of experience in flying drones and using drone-collected imagery in research, Jason coordinated the establishment of the UI Drone Lab to help facilitate the use of drones in high-impact research by sharing resources and lessons learned.

Dr. Jae Ryu

Dr. Jae Ryu’s research focuses on sustainable water resources planning and management in Idaho and the west. He flies drones carrying everything from nets to high-end hyperspectral sensors to study agriculture and semi-arid environments in a changing climate. Dr. Ryu was also a recipient of a VIP grant (Vandal Ideas Project) aimed at supporting STEM education and improving go-on rates in Idaho. Through this grant (titled iDrone), Dr. Ryu and Dr. Kirsten LaPaglia held workshops for 7th-11th grade students across Idaho focusing on the basic concepts of unmanned aerial systems.

Dr. Johnny Li

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Dr. Eric Winford

Dr. Jan Eitel

Dr. Alistair Smith

Dr. Leda Kobziar

Dr. Vibhav Durgesh

Dr. Dev Shrestha

Dr. Paul Gessler

Students

Phin Lampman

Matthew Steinwurtzel

Matthew is a current graduate student pursuing his master’s degree in Fish and Wildlife Management within the Master of Natural Resources Program. Studying under Dr. Karl and Dr. Brian Kennedy, his research focuses on utilizing UAS thermal infrared (TIR) imagery to analyze the impacts beavers have on the aquatic thermal and storage properties of salmonid-bearing streams.