Kristina Fillman, Geography and Geospatial Science, Ph.D

Kristina Fillman

 

 

Meet Kristina Fillman, a second year doctoral student, pursuing a Ph.D. in Geography and Geospatial Science.

 

Being a first-generation college student and a mother, Kristina is also a veteran. Kristina joined the Air Force just after she turned 22 and served for several years at various locations around the US as well as Germany. Shortly after she left the service, Kristina completed her B.S., then eventually made her way to Oregon with her husband where she finished her M.S. in Environmental Sciences in 2020.

 

Knowing she wanted to continue into a doctoral program, Kristina looked for a school “that had programs for us both, had funding, and were in locations that were good for families”. As a result, she had OSU at the top of her list. She originally considered continuing her academic studies in environmental sciences, but soon after discovered geography. “I like looking at the big picture and how different pieces fit together. Geography allows me to do that with any topic because it is truly interdisciplinary. I can also look at things from both a social science and physical science lens, which is so important for overcoming many of the challenges we face today.”

 

Kristina is currently a Graduate Teaching Assistant who teaches GEOG 300: Sustainability for the Common Good. Having utilized her 9/11 benefits from her time in the military for her undergraduate degree, she didn’t know how she would further fund her academic career. This was when she met her now-major advisor, Dr. Erica Fleishman, who helped her secure her GTA-ship, “That means that in addition to the classes I take and my research, I also assist a professor each term for a designated number of hours. I get my tuition covered, most of my fees, insurance, and a stipend each month.”

 

Kristina met Dr. Fleishman when she was thinking of applying to OSU. “I had a 6-month-old baby at the time and was also newly pregnant. She [Dr. Fleishman] was extremely encouraging and supportive of me having a family, which is something I was worried about. She just has a wealth of knowledge and really pushes me out of my comfort zone. I am getting to build a project from the ground up and have complete control of it. It is making me more confident in my ability as a researcher.”

 

As for her research, Kristina is still refining her research focus, but is looking at wildfires and wildfire smoke in the U.S. “There are a lot of areas I am interested in so narrowing my focus has been the challenge. I am hoping to tie together different components in my study to include social, atmospheric, and hydrological effects.”