Education

• Ph.D. Student, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA

• M.S., University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC

• B.S., Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL 2003

Academic and Professional Interests

• Sedimentary Geology

• Coastal Evolution

• Planetary Geology

• Coastal Salt Marshes

• And, of course, the VIMS MUDBED Project

Research, Teaching and Field Experience

• 2006, Masters Thesis. Spatial Analysis Lab, University of North Carolina Wilmington. "An Assessment of Back-Barrier Marsh Change Using Historical Aerial Photography: Topsail Island, North Carolina".

• 2003-2005, Research Assistant. Department of Geology and Geography, University of North Carolina Wilmington.

• 2003-2005, Guest Lecturer. Taught several lectures of GIS applications, such as geo-rectification and digitization, as well as barrier island morphology and coastal processes at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and the University of South Florida.

• 2004-2005, National Science Foundation GK-12 Fellow. Taught programs in chemistry, biology, earth sciences, and marine sciences to sixth and eighth grades and served as a classroom resource for middle school teachers and students

• 2003, Undergraduate Thesis Project. Galbraith Marine Science Laboratory, Eckerd College. "Historical Shoreline Change of Honeymoon and Caladesi Islands, West-Central Florida". Mentor: Dr. Gregg Brooks

• 2002, Teaching Assistant. Department of Marine Science, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Fl. Taught and assisted Earth Structure laboratory sessions.

• 2000-2003, Intern/Research Assistant. Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies, U.S.G.S., St. Petersburg, Fl. "The National Assessment of Shoreline Change: A GIS Compilation of Vector Shorelines and Associated Shoreline Change Data for the U.S. Gulf of Mexico". Mentors: Dr. Laura Moore and Dr. Bob Morton

Awards

• Best Paper Award at the International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing's Mid-Term Symposium "Remote Sensing: From Pixels to Processes", Enschede, the Netherlands, 8-11 May, 2006

• VIMS General-funded Research Assistantship 2005-present

• Fulbright Finalist to the United Kingdom (2005)

• National Chancellor's List (2004)

• Victor A. Zullo Graduate Student Award for Outstanding Research (2004)

• Eckerd College Lifetime Achievement Award (2003)

Publications / Posters / Presentation

• Halls, J. and Kraatz, L.M. 2006. A spatio-temporal assessment of back-barrier salt marsh change: a comparison of multidate aerial photography and spatial landscape indices. International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing's Mid-Term Symposium "Remote Sensing: From Pixels to Processes" Abstracts and Papers with Programs, 8-11 May , Enschede, Netherlands.

• Kraatz, L.M. and J. Halls. An Assessment of Back-Barrier Marsh Change Using Historical Aerial Photography: Topsail Island, North Carolina, M.S. Thesis, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, 2006.

• Kraatz, L. M.; Halls, J. N.; Leonard, L. A., 2005. An assessment of back-barrier salt marshes in southeastern North Carolina using Geographical Information Systems. Estuarine Research Federation Abstract with Programs, October 16-20 Norfolk, VA.

• Kraatz, L.M., Reimer, B., Halls, J.N., and Leonard, L.A. 2005 Historical Analysis of Marsh Area Distribution in Southeastern North Carolina. Association of American Geographers Abstract with Programs, April 4-9 Denver, CO.

• Kraatz, L.M. 2003. Historical Shoreline Change of Honeymoon and Caladesi Islands, West-Central Florida. Undergraduate Thesis. Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL.

Memberships, Official Position

• Estuarine Research Federation (ERF), student member, 2004 - Present

• Geological Society of America (GSA), student member, 2004 - Present

• Association of American Geographers (AAG), student member, 2004 - Present

• American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS), student member, 2004 -Present

• Sigma Xi, student member, 2003-Present

• Omicron Delta Kappa, 2001-Present

Hobbies/Interests

I love the outdoors. I enjoy everything from scuba diving, playing sports, camping, and traveling.