Behind the Research: Jackie Getson

Jackie Getson, Project Manager for the Institute for Digital Forestry

• Connecting people, technology, and science to advance research and innovation
• Building systems that enable collaboration and long-term impact
• Bridging disciplines to turn innovative ideas into practical outcomes

Jackie Getson, project manager for Purdue’s Institute for Digital Forestry, has built a career at the intersection of disciplines.

“I work with people who are domain experts — experts on how to measure trees, or experts on how to measure the atmosphere, or experts in building new technology,” she says. "My role is helping those different areas of expertise come together in a way that moves projects forward."

It’s an ideal fit for Getson, who has domain expertise of her own: a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in geology, which involved developing instrumentation, conducting high temperature laboratory experiments and modeling magma dynamics. She did field research in Guatemala, climbing volcanoes and “holding newborn rocks that were still warm.”

She realized what she liked the most was the process of research itself. “The subject matter was less important than just doing science and research well with an end goal in mind,” she says.

This feeling strengthened during her first post-master’s job, in environmental consulting.

“I moved to Ohio, and it’s very hard to study volcanoes in Ohio. In that job, I measured a huge breadth of different kinds of data over different scientific domains, and I really enjoyed that,” she says. “I learned I also enjoyed project management and found myself drawn toward roles that sit at the intersection between research science, data technology and interdisciplinary collaboration.”

Getson returned to academia as a lab manager and research associate at Boston University, where her work spanned a range of forested environments, from unmanaged natural ecosystems to exurban and urban forests. She supported long-term ecological monitoring efforts, urban forestry research and community-based studies that reinforced her interest in interdisciplinary collaboration.

She later moved to Indiana, where she joined Purdue University and began a career that has now spanned more than a decade. In her first role, she worked in a social sciences research lab on a USDA-funded project focused on understanding the factors that contribute to successful collaborative research and outreach initiatives. Before joining the Institute for Digital Forestry, she established a data quality initiative within Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources, working with research labs to improve data management practices and teaching graduate students about the research data life cycle.

“I enjoy helping teams navigate complexity and move projects forward,” she says. “I help move research from ideas to implementation.”

At the Institute for Digital Forestry, Getson coordinates institute-wide initiatives ranging from research programs and student and workforce development to conferences, outreach and technology implementation. She works with faculty, staff, students and external partners to ensure projects remain aligned and moving toward shared goals.

Led by Songlin Fei, professor and the Dean's Remote Sensing Chair, the Institute for Digital Forestry leverages digital technology and multidisciplinary expertise to “measure, monitor and manage urban and rural forests to maximize social, economic and ecological benefits.”

"Digital forestry is really about using technology to better understand forests and support decision-making," Getson says. “It brings together field measurements, remote sensing, analytics, and other data sources to provide the information needed for more informed decisions about forest management and stewardship.

One of Getson’s biggest projects is PERSEUS (Promoting Economic Resilience and Sustainability of the Eastern U.S. Forests), a multi-institute USDA NIFA-funded project focused on advancing digital forestry technologies and decision support tools.

“My roles include project governance, strategic coordination, reporting, managing timelines, facilitating communication across institutions, and helping researchers with very different backgrounds work together toward common objectives,” Getson says.

Through projects like PERSEUS, Getson helps ensure that research discoveries move beyond individual laboratories and contribute to tools, technologies, and decision-support systems that can be used by land managers, communities, and industry partners. During her time with the institute, Getson has helped coordinate large research initiatives, support the growth of digital forestry programs, and contribute to conferences and workforce development activities that bring together researchers, practitioners and industry partners.

One of the hardest parts of Getson’s job is managing time with a team of busy people amid what feels like infinite research possibilities. Digital forestry is developing so quickly it can be hard to know what to focus on, she says. “There are a lot of directions it could go, and it’s easy to get sidetracked if you don’t have a process or a specific vision,” she says.

“I really like trying to understand what people’s strengths and interests and professional goals are, and helping them align their professional growth with project goals, not treating them like interchangeable cogs.”
Being a “systems thinker” is one of Getson’s strengths, she says. “I can see patterns across the different projects and where they connect, and find synergies across complex projects.”

When she’s not working, Getson spends time with her two children, ages 8 and nearly 1, hikes with her dogs, listens to music and podcasts, and practices archery “despite not being very good at it.”

And this trained geologist still enjoys admiring the odd mineral. “Do I have a rock collection? Yes, yes I do,” she says, laughing. “You can’t get too far from your roots!”

About the Feature

Many people are involved in the remarkable range of programs, services and facilities that undergird research in the College of Agriculture. Collectively they’re integral to the college fulfilling its research mission. “Behind the Research” explores their individual roles. Each academic year, we profile six people whose work supports the College of Agriculture’s global reputation for developing innovative, multidisciplinary solutions to challenges and then putting those solutions into action.