Roald Kern

MS Program

Research Areas:

GIS, GeoAI, and Machine Learning

Key Word Interests:

Geomorphology, Natural disasters, Public health, Medical mandates

Biography:

I was born in Rio de Janeiro and lived there until I was 5. I moved back to the US with my mother after my father died from cancer. I grew up in Iowa and completed my undergraduate degree at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. After college I moved to Japan where I worked for 5 years, initially as an English teacher and worked my way up to an area manager where I managed English teachers in 13 schools across Kyushu. I then moved back to Iowa where I met my future wife and we decided to move to Hawaii. I worked as a Divemaster and Rescue Diver at a Scuba shop on the south shore of Oahu for a year. Although it was an amazing experience, the cost of living vs our combined income made staying longer unsustainable. We moved to Albuquerque to help care for my future wife's extended family member who was a retired UNM art professor. I have since lived in Albuquerque for the last 14 years. We were married and had a son together. We later got divorced and I am now a single father to my incredible son. I decided to go back to school and get a MS Geography degree. That was disrupted by COVID after I was no longer welcome on campus because I was unvaccinated due to a severe preexisting medical issue. My Dr, although not able to write any kind of medical exemption due to legal reasons, strongly recommended I not take any kind of COVID vaccine. I am now working on finishing my thesis and am on track to graduate Spring 2027. I have enjoyed traveling with my son around NM, Iowa, Florida, Hawaii, Greece and last winter we visited Japan together. I have also been to Thailand, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Italy, and Switzerland. My son is the most important thing in my life. I am excited to finish my MS degree, not just for myself and my professional future, but also as a example to set for my son who hopes to attend UNM one day. I have a very positive outlook on the future. Thank you and have a great day.

Education:

B.A. Geography, History, Environmental Studies. Minors in Philosophy and Studio Art. Gustavus Adolphus College