Nicholas Enwright graduated from UNT with a B.S. in Geography in 2007, a Certificate in Geographic Information Systems in 2007, and a M.S. in Applied Geography in 2010. Nicholas’ research at UNT involved applying remote sensing and geospatial analyses to understand wetland hydrology for a wetland restoration project at the Grand Prairie City Landfill and coastal prairie freshwater wetlands around Galveston Bay in Texas.Nicholas Enwright

After graduating from UNT, Nicholas began working as a GIS Specialist for a federal contracting company that supported the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Wetland and Aquatic Research Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. He transitioned to work as a Geographer with the USGS in 2013. While working as a Geographer, Nicholas earned his doctorate in Geography and Anthropology from Louisiana State University in 2019. His dissertation was focused on using geographic information science and remote sensing for advancing barrier island habitat mapping and modeling.

In 2022, Nicholas began working as a Research Geographer at the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center. Nicholas’ research program conducts coastal geography research to understand how the spatial distribution and patterns of environments, such as barrier islands and coastal wetlands, are changing through time or may change in the future. His research on coastal systems involves developing novel approaches or modifying and applying existing frameworks to: 1) develop repeatable habitat and land cover mapping to assess acute changes from storms or restoration efficacy; 2) utilize readily available data products to assess changes in coastal systems; 3) understand changes in habitat distribution; and 4) reduce issues associated with data uncertainty for developing coastal habitat maps or estimating inundation or wetland transformation. While most of his research has been conducted along the northern Gulf Coast and the Atlantic Seaboard, he has conducted studies for the entire conterminous United States. He currently leads a team of 7 early career geospatial scientists. Nicholas has published a total of 32 journal articles (16 as first author; 16 co-authored). Examples of his past research include: 1) mapping high marsh systems along the Gulf Coast; 2) exploring where there are barriers and opportunities for upslope migration of wetlands with sea-level rise; 3) enhancing simple models of wetland transformation with sea-level rise; 4) mapping irregularly flooded wetlands along the Gulf Coast using elevation data; and 5) observing wetland change using national land cover products.

Nicholas had an amazing experience at UNT, learning how to conduct geospatial research from Drs. Hudak, Hunter, Oppong, and Dong. All these professors made a lasting impact on him and taught him the skills necessary to succeed as a professional and prepare for his Ph.D. program. Nicholas’ advice to current students is to seek internship opportunities (internships at Collin County are highly recommended!) and build your network while you are at UNT.