Mr Craig MacDonell
- Lead Geospatial Research Technician (School of Geographical & Earth Sciences)
telephone:
0141 330 4694
email:
Craig.MacDonell@glasgow.ac.uk
pronouns:
He/him/his
Room 409 (429), School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, East Quadrangle, Gilbert Scott (Main) Building, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5516-5078Biography
Craig came to the University of Glasgow as GIS & Remote Sensing Technician in 2019, having completed both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Craig's degrees were primarily undertaken in the National School of Surveying at the University of Otago.
Craig's role has become mostly funded research and he transitioned to Lead Geospatial Research Technician in June 2024.
Research interests
Craig's day-to-day role is to provide office and field-based technical support to research, knowledge exchange/impact and teaching activities in the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences (GES), mainly in the fields of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing/earth observation. He works across many facets of the School, but most extensively with members of the Earth Systems Research Group (ESRG), in both Geography and Earth Sciences/Geology.
Research activities involve collecting and processing a wide range of geographic data, often with UAVs (including development and ongoing compliance with commercial UAV permissions as one of the two qualified UK PfCO UAV pilots in GES) or other field survey equipment.
Craig's involvement in teaching activities has previously included writing, preparing, and updating lab materials for GIS and Remote Sensing courses, as well as delivering these to students (undergraduate and postgraduate taught) with academic staff.
General duties include troubleshooting GIS issues for staff/students, providing advice and support for other research (methods etc.), collating data from both students & staff, and general field assistance.
Craig is also one of the key contacts for ArcGIS licensing across the University of Glasgow.
Past & current research projects:
- 2020-2021: second National Coastal Change Assessment (NCCA2) for Scotland (Dynamic Coast 2) - Work Stream 6, social vulnerability and disadvantage to actual and predicted coastal hazards - published report
- 2021-2023: Consumer-grade UAV solid-state LiDAR performance evaluation - vegetated fluvial environment (River Feshie) - Earth Surface Processes & Landforms paper
- 2023-2024: Musselburgh Coastal Change Assessment - published report
- 2023 (ongoing): River Restoration analysis - EGU abstract
- 2024 (ongoing): Montrose Coastal Change Assessment
- 2024 (ongoing): Climate Ready Southeast Scotland (CRSES) - Coastal Risk Assessment (led by Sniffer, collaborating with 6 local authorities)
- 2024 (ongoing): Resilience of Anthropocene Coasts & Communities (RACC) - part of the Coast-R network
Supervision
Current Graduate Students
Teaching
- Topographic Modelling & Landscape Monitoring (GEOG5025)
- Assorted Geospatial courses (support & advise)
Professional activities & recognition
Prizes, awards & distinctions
- 2017: Undergraduate Student of the Year (Asia-Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards)
- 2017: Undergraduate Student of the Year (New Zealand Spatial Excellence Award)
