GeoInspirations: Dr. Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux

In this edition of the GeoInspirations series, we highlight a scholar whose work bridges research, education, public policy, and community engagement: Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux.

An applied climatologist by training, Dr. Dupigny-Giroux operates at the intersection of hydroclimatic hazards, climate variability and change, historical climatology, severe weather, and the application of remote sensing and GIS to spatial climate and land-surface processes. She serves on the faculty of the University of Vermont and holds the role of Vermont State Climatologist. Her influence extends nationally and internationally, including service on the NOAA Science Advisory Board Climate Working Group and collaborative work in the Caribbean.

Her efforts also reach state agencies—transportation, emergency management, agriculture, forestry, and legislative bodies—where geospatial analysis informs climate adaptation strategies.

Research, Recognition, and Impact

Dr. Dupigny-Giroux’s professional accomplishments reflect both scientific rigor and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Her honors and funded initiatives include:

University of Georgia Franklin Visiting Scholar Inclusion and Diversity Leadership

NSF-supported Satellites, Weather and Climate (SWAC) professional development for K–12 educators

NSF-funded Diversity Climate Network

AAUW Educational Foundation Shirley Farr Fellowship

AAAS Women’s International Science Collaboration Program

Vermont EPA EPSCoR drought baseline studies

Vermont NASA EPSCoR imagery research involving multiangular, polarized, and hyperspectral data

She is lead editor of Historical Climate Variability and Impacts in North America, a foundational monograph exploring documentary records in climate analysis. She also contributed to Climate Change in the Northeast: A Sourcebook and the Northeast chapter of the 2014 National Climate Assessment for the U.S. Global Change Research Program.

Climate Literacy and Geotechnologies

Beyond research, Dr. Dupigny-Giroux is deeply committed to education. At UVM, she teaches physical geography, climatology, GIS applications, remote sensing, and satellite climatology. Many of her courses integrate service learning, reinforcing applied geographic thinking.

Her philosophy is simple and powerful: knowledge shared strengthens communities. She describes teaching as a privilege—watching students mature and develop intellectually over four years remains, in her words, the most rewarding aspect of her work.

In 2008, she co-founded the SWAC (Satellites, Weather and Climate) initiative. SWAC brings together educators, museums, atmospheric scientists, IBM professionals, and university faculty to support integrated science education. Teachers learn to interpret geostationary satellite imagery, conduct weather forecasting exercises, and launch instrumented miniature balloons to gather atmospheric data. The program’s interdisciplinary structure reflects geography’s integrative nature.

Roots in Geography

Raised in Trinidad within the British educational tradition, Dr. Dupigny-Giroux encountered geography early in her academic life. Living on an island fostered both spatial awareness and appreciation for place. This experience cultivated her enduring curiosity about “what things are and why they are where they are.”

She earned a B.S. in physical geography and development studies from the University of Toronto, an M.S. in climatology and hydrology, and a Ph.D. in climatology and geographic information systems from McGill University.

Her graduate career included mentorship from Warren Washington and Harry Van Loon at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. These influences shaped her approach to mentorship and interdisciplinary thinking.

Expanding Visibility for Geography

Dr. Dupigny-Giroux emphasizes that geography faces a visibility challenge. While geographers contribute to major societal issues—climate change, environmental management, hazard mitigation—the connection between these topics and the discipline is not always recognized.

She advocates for geographers to participate actively in policy conversations and public discourse. Her work on climate literacy identifies challenges in developing informed citizens capable of understanding climate variability and change. She is also a founding member of the Climate Literacy Network, advancing both awareness and action.

Her applied research, including spatial assessments of road impact zones and conservation planning, demonstrates how GIS and climatology inform decision-making at multiple scales.

Advice to Emerging Geographers

Her guidance to students and early-career professionals emphasizes inclusivity and holistic thinking. She encourages integrating insights from cognitive science and psychology to understand how beliefs and culture shape climate perception and learning.

She also challenges geographers to resist excessive specialization. While deep expertise is essential, it should ultimately reconnect to a broad, integrative perspective—an “hourglass” trajectory that begins wide, narrows, and expands again.

The enduring question she poses is fundamental: How does my work fit into the larger whole?

Continuing the Conversation

Through the SWAC initiative and the Vermont State Climatologist’s office, Dr. Dupigny-Giroux continues to make climate science accessible and actionable. Her career illustrates how geography, GIS, and climatology can inform policy, empower educators, and strengthen communities.

Her work embodies the core message of GeoInspirations: geography matters—and those who apply it thoughtfully can shape both understanding and action at every scale.