Welcome! Tongasoa!

I am Ny Aina, pronounced as [Ni-aaina]. I am a Ph.D. candidate working with Dr. Hamed Gholizadeh in the Department of Geography at Oklahoma State University. My research focuses on using remote sensing coupled with in situ observations and modeling to address ecological questions. I am particularly interested in assessing the capability of imaging spectroscopy in answering ecological questions, such as biological invasions. My ongoing research centers on using imaging spectroscopy to detect invasive plants and assess their impacts on aboveground and belowground ecosystem characteristics in grassland ecosystems. I am always open to collaborations, discussions, or simply connecting, so please feel free to contact me at ny_aina.rakotoarivony@okstate.edu.

Our study site at the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Osage County, Oklahoma, United States.

Some extra facts

I am from Madagascar, the fourth largest island on Earth. It is lying off the southeastern coast of Africa. You might have heard about it from the “Madagascar movie.” And no, we do not have lions nor penguins in Madagascar, but we do have high level of endemic flora and fauna. Among them, we have several lemur species, including “King Julien,” scientifically known as lemur catta and the famous “Upside-down tree,” commonly known as the Baobab Tree. If you are interested in talking to me about Madagascar in Malagasy, French, or English, reach out to me too.

Sunset at the Avenues of Baobab, Morondava, Madagascar.