Dr. Dan Wanyama

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Education

  • Ph.D. in Geography and Geospatial Science, Michigan State University
  • MS in Geospatial Science, University of North Alabama
  • BS in Environmental Studies and Community Development, Kenyatta University, Kenya

Research Interests

Dan Wanyama is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability at the University of Oklahoma. Dan’s research uses geospatial data and techniques to characterize the differentiated impacts of climate change on local livelihoods and systems, with the aim of devising practical and contextualized ways to mitigate and adapt to the changing climate. At EcoGRAPH, Dan is using multiple satellite sensors to study the interactive effects of drought, land use change, and fire on tropical forests in Africa. Dan’s doctoral research examined human-environment interactions and landscape change under climate change in the Mount Elgon Ecosystem (MEE), a threatened mixed forest and agricultural landscape in East Africa. This work included (i) a comprehensive assessment of persistent greening and browning in the MEE and analysis of spatio-temporal patterns of precipitation change in the area; (ii) a detailed assessment of ecological and environmental (eco-environmental) vulnerability of the MEE using climate, topographic and human variables; and (iii) spatial land use change modeling seeking to simulate future landscape dynamics in the MEE with the goal of finding a good balance between environmental conservation and agricultural development. Before joining graduate school, Dan worked as Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Project Officer at Education Effect Africa, a non-governmental organization in Nairobi, Kenya. His role here was to sensitize parents, teachers, and students in rural Kenya on themes related to WASH and health, and to coordinate development of sanitary infrastructure in schools.

Publications

  • Mbih, R.A., S.K. Ndzeidze, D. Wanyama, and M.J. Mbuh. 2022. Challenges of transhumance in Northwest Cameroon. SN Social Sciences, 2: 1-28. Karanja, J., D. Wanyama, and L.M. Kiage. 2022. Weighting mechanics and the spatial pattern of integrated metrics of heat vulnerability in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Science of the Total Environment, 812: 1-17.
  • Wanyama, D., B. Kar, and N.J. Moore. 2021. Quantitative multi-factor characterization of eco-environmental vulnerability in the Mount Elgon ecosystem. GIScience & Remote Sensing, 58: 1571-1592
  • Bunting, E. L., D. Wanyama, R. Goodwin, N. Weil, P. Sabbatini, and J. Andresen. 2021. Vitis vinifera Production in Michigan: Factors and Trends Driving Cultivation Patterns. Frontiers in Plant Science, 12: 1-17.
  • Wanyama, D., N. J. Moore, and K. M. Dahlin. 2020. Persistent vegetation greening and browning trends related to natural and human activities in the Mount Elgon ecosystem. Remote Sensing, 12: 1-27.
  • Wanyama, D., E. L. Bunting, R. Goodwin, N. Weil, P. Sabbatini, and J. Andresen. 2020. Modeling Land Suitability for Vitis vinifera in Michigan Using Advanced Geospatial Data and Methods. Atmosphere, 11: 1-25.
  • Schaetzl, R. J., C. Baish, P. M. Colgan, J. Knauff, T. Bilintoh, D. Wanyama, M. Church, K. McKeehan, A. Fulton, and A. F. Arbogast. 2020. A sediment-mixing process model of till genesis, using texture and clay mineralogy data from Saginaw lobe (Michigan, USA) tills. Quaternary Research, 94: 174-194.
  • Wanyama, D., M. Mighty, S. Sim, and F. Koti. 2019. A spatial assessment of land suitability for maize farming in Kenya. Geocarto International, 36: 1378-1395.