Claire Armour
Claire hails from the Canadian bastion of the wild west (Calgary, Alberta) but has been in and out of Vancouver since 2013 when she started her undergraduate degree in chemical and biological engineering at UBC. After bumming it on the Banff ski hills for a couple years post-undergrad, she was miraculously accepted back to UBC in 2019 for the Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management (MGEM) program and discovered a real passion for looking at things from above. Claire joined the IRSS in 2020, first as a doctoral student and then transitioning to a research associate role in 2024 where she continues her work on the Predictive Ecosystem Mapping Methods Project with the BC Ministry of Forests.
In her free time, Claire can be found skiing fast, climbing slow, attempting to play the bass guitar, loving up on her dog and cat, and trying to beat her personal record (4:10) on the NYT crossword.
Joe Meyer
Joe grew up in Evanston Illinois in the States, and moved to Vancouver to study Computer Engineering at UBC, and has one year left in his undergrad. He is interested in how to apply his background in software to remote sensing, and is hoping to learn more about GIS.
If he’s being honest, the main reason he moved to Vancouver is the mountains (even though UBC is pretty cool), and in his free time he can be found backcountry skiing, scrambling, backpacking, or even taking a dip in a freezing alpine lake. He also enjoys a good book and a nice cup of coffee on the occasional rainy day in Vancouver.
Spencer Hardy
Spencer grew up in Portland, Oregon before moving to Vancouver in 2020 to attend UBC where he is currently completing a Bachelor’s of Science in Natural Resource Conservation. Prior to working in the IRSS, he worked as a forest technician in Pemberton, British Columbia. He’s passionate about flying his drone and has recently developed a keen interest in GIS, fascinated by its potential in the world of conservation. Eager to contribute, he’s excited to help advance ongoing projects in the lab.