Leila Character, PhD

Dr. Leila Character's (previously Donn) research focuses on applying machine learning and spatial analyses to remotely sensed data to address environmental questions, with a particular focus on archaeological applications. She is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher in the School of Marine Science and Policy at the University of Delaware (UD) where she is developing a methodology to use machine learning and remotely sensed data (sidescan sonar, magnetometer, and multispectral) to find underwater aircraft wrecks from various US conflicts that may contain the remains of missing-in-action U.S. service members. Leila’s work includes partners from academia, federal government, and private industry. In addition to her work with UD, Leila is involved in a project to detect and map ancient Maya mounds across a 1500km2 area of Central America using lidar, as well as a project focused on detection of ancient Romanian burial mounds using multispectral imagery. Her past projects include shipwreck detection around the coast of the United States with the US Navy using multibeam sonar and lidar and a cave entrance detection project using a random forest model and lidar.

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She completed her PhD in the Department of Geography and Environment at the University of Texas at Austin. While completing her PhD she worked at an artificial intelligence start-up on a machine learning project for the US Air Force focused on building a multi-species tree and health status classifier using hyperspectral imagery collected by drone. Prior to beginning her PhD, she completed a master’s degree in the same department at UT Austin focused on the use of lidar and geoarchaeological methods to study the land-use patterns of the ancient Maya in north-central Belize. Her B.S. is from Sewanee: The University of the South in geology with a minor in anthropology focused on archaeology. Between receiving her B.S. and M.A. she worked for five years as a geologist and environmental scientist in Alaska, Texas, and Tennessee. You can contact Leila at ldc@udel.edu and follow her on Instagram for research updates at @leilacharacter.