Alumna
Alumna
B.A. Geography and Political Science UCLA, 2006
GIS, spatial analysis, environmental justice, public health, health disparities
I use geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial analysis to evaluate the availability and accessibility of resources that influence health behaviors and outcomes, such as food, recreational resources, and public transportation. I'm also interested in developing improved geospatial methods for evaluating cumulative risks and resources within neighborhoods. Such measures could be useful for planning and policy purposes to identify and collaborate with communities that are overburdened by pollution and have poor access to essential resources. I have worked with the Our Space Project in Maggi Kelly's lab and continue to explore innovative methods for evaluating the connections between neighborhood environments and public health and the implications for regulatory and policy action.
Jones-Smith, J. C., Karter, A. J., Warton, E. M., Kelly, M., Kersten, E., Moffet, H. H., Adler, N., Schillinger,D., Laraia, B. (2013). Obesity and the Food Environment: Income and Ethnicity Differences Among People With Diabetes: The Diabetes Study of Northern California (DISTANCE). Diabetes Care. doi:10.2337/dc12-2190. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2013/04/30/dc12-2190.abstract.
Kersten E, Morello-Frosch R, Pastor M, Ramos M. Facing the Climate Gap: How Environmental Justice Communities are Leading the Way to a More Sustainable and Equitable California. (2012). Program for Environmental and Regional Equity, University of Southern California. http://dornsife.usc.edu/pere/publications/FacingTheClimateGap.cfm.
Kersten E, Laraia B, Kelly M, Adler N, Yen IH. Small Food Stores and Availability of Nutritious Foods: A Comparison of Database and In-Store Measures, Northern California, 2009. Preventing Chronic Disease 2012;9:120023. http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd9.120023.
Kelly M., Blanchard S.D., Kersten E., Koy K. Terrestrial Remotely Sensed Imagery in Support of Public Health: New Avenues of Research Using Object-Based Image Analysis. Remote Sensing. 2011; 3(11):2321-2345. http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/3/11/2321/.
Kersten, Ellen and Josef Tayag. 2008. “Firebaugh San Joaquin Villas: A Roadmap of the Present and Potential Pathways to Health.” Greenlining Institute. Berkeley,CA. http://www.greenlining.org/resources/pdfs/SANJOAQUINVILLASHealthImpactReport.pdf.
Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor, Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, 2012
Student Research Contest winner, Preventing Chronic Disease journal, 2012
See Posner SF. PCD Recognizes Outstanding Student Research: Kersten et al on Using a Standard Classification Scheme to Identify Small Food Stores That Offer Healthy Options. Prev Chronic Dis 2012;9:120129. http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd9.120129
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowship, 2011
ESPM 233 - Geographic Information Systems for Environmental Science and Management, Fall 2010 and 2011
