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Coy Leblanc

USA

Academic Research

PhD Candidate, Earth & Energy Sciences
University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Aug 2021 – Present)
Research: Mapping submerged aquatic vegetation in turbid coastal marsh margins using PlanetScope imagery, water‑column correction, and machine‑learning spectral unmixing
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M.S. in Environmental Resources
University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Aug 2017 – May 2019)
Thesis: Above‑ground biomass estimation in a Sagittaria lancifolia marsh using advanced remote‑sensing techniques
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B.S. in Environmental Science & Renewable Resources
University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Aug 2001 – May 2006)
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Key Research Projects

Developed a statewide arboreal species geodatabase and supported post‑Katrina change analyses using aerial imagery (USGS Intern)
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Produced georeferenced land‑loss maps for corporate and state stakeholders with ArcGIS & Trimble GNSS workflows (Regional Application Center Intern)
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Professional Experience

Remote Sensing Scientist & GIS Specialist, C.H. Fenstermaker (Aug 2012 – Present)

Lead UAV, satellite, and LiDAR R&D for land–water classification, high‑resolution DEMs, benthic habitat mapping, and vegetation‑health analytics
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Engineer physics‑based spectral workflows with custom ArcGIS Pro toolboxes and Python/ArcPy scripts, cutting costs and speeding delivery
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Manage the enterprise Esri ecosystem (AGOL, Field Maps, Survey123, Dashboards) and mentor 120+ staff in geospatial best practices
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Oversee USACE 404/10 permitting and wetland delineations and author regulatory reports
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Staff Scientist, CH2M HILL (Mar 2007 – Aug 2012)

Managed Coastal Reference Monitoring System surveys (RSET & accretion) at 100+ stations, standardizing protocols and improving data reliability
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Directed hydrologic restoration monitoring and annual vegetation surveys to inform adaptive management recommendations
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Conducted GNSS‑enabled topographic surveys and integrated results into ArcGIS workflows for subsidence modeling
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Early‑Career Internships

USGS Intern, Lafayette, LA (Dec 2005 – May 2006): Built arboreal species geodatabase and supported post‑Katrina change analysis with aerial imagery
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Regional Application Center Intern, Lafayette, LA (Dec 2005 – May 2006): Produced georeferenced land‑loss maps using ArcGIS and Trimble GNSS
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Certifications & Skills

FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot, OLDEB Certified Biologist, Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS), GIS Professional (GISP)
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Daily use of Python, R, Esri Arcade, ArcGIS Pro, LiDAR processing, and machine learning (LightGBM, XGBoost)
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Coy Leblanc

Posted 2025-07-29 under Geospatial