Researcher | University of Sydney | Australia
Short Bio 🌍
Trevan Flynn is a seasoned researcher and lecturer specializing in geostatistics and soil science. Based in Aspen, Colorado, Trevan collaborates with academics globally—from the USA to Pakistan—producing reliable soil and environmental data for land-use management. Utilizing advanced digital soil mapping techniques and Google Earth Engine in R, he supervises graduate students and contributes to a free database of soil information.
Profile
ORCID
Education 🎓
Trevan’s academic journey began at Stellenbosch University, where he earned his BSc in Soil Science and Horticulture with Summa Cum Laude honors in 2015. He pursued an MSc in Soil Science at the same institution, which was upgraded to a PhD in 2017. His dissertation focused on “Digital Soil Mapping Techniques Across Multiple Landscape Scales in South Africa.” Following his PhD, Trevan completed multiple postdoctoral fellowships, including Ecosystem Modeling at the Biological Centre CAS and Dynamic Soil Carbon Modeling at the Swedish University of Agriculture Sciences. He is currently a researcher at the University of the Free State, studying mineral and water resources in South Africa under Dr. Martin Clark.
Experience 💼
Trevan Flynn’s professional experience is extensive and varied. He is the Director of Rafikisol Soil Mapping for Africa, making soil spatial information accessible to African nations. As a Geospatial Analyst at Phyla Regeneration Systems, he develops spatial models for natural resources and consults on soil organic carbon improvements. Trevan also lectures at the Zambia Institute of Agriculture, teaching soil and crop sciences, sustainable agriculture, and smallholder farming. Additionally, he provides consultancy services through Phyla Ntaka Soil Health Advisory Services, specializing in hyper-local spatial models using Mid-Infrared spectroscopy. His earlier roles include being a Junior Lecturer at Stellenbosch University and a Geospatial Analyst at SASSCAL.
Research Interests 🔬
Trevan’s research interests are centered on digital soil mapping, geostatistics, and the use of advanced modeling techniques in environmental and soil science. He is passionate about developing reliable soil information for land-use management and improving hydrological models in arid regions. His work often involves coding in R and utilizing Google Earth Engine for large-scale environmental data analysis.
Awards 🏆
Trevan Flynn has been recognized with several prestigious awards throughout his career. In 2022, he received the Best Paper Award from the South African Journal of Plant and Soil for his manuscript on high-resolution digital soil mapping. He was also awarded the National Research Foundation Innovation Bursary from 2017 to 2020, the Stellenbosch Merit Bursary from 2013 to 2019, and the Stellenbosch Travel Grant in 2017. In 2015, he received the Perold Medal, the Soil Science Society Silver Medal, and the Hortgro Science Prize for his academic excellence.
Publications 📚