Lori Hearon
Lori Hearon grew up in the rural town of Vardaman and came to Mississippi State as an undergraduate to continue a lifelong passion in agriculture and wildlife. Now, she is pushing agriculture to reach new heights.
From working in sweet potato fields as a teen to conducting research as a plant and soil sciences master鈥檚 student, Hearon also has become a fully licensed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) pilot.
鈥淎griculture is what kept our little town going and put food on our tables, literally, and it鈥檚 magical to have a hand in seeing something thrive that I helped grow or conserve,鈥 Hearon said.
As an undergraduate agricultural science major in the 草莓视频School of Human Sciences, Hearon focused on integrated crop management and wildlife science. She first learned about the applications of UAVs in both agriculture and wildlife at an Eastern Native Grass Symposium. That鈥檚 when she realized the rapidly expanding world of drone research gave her the chance to merge her love of agriculture and wildlife. She soon began the progression of Assistant Clinical Professor Amelia Fox鈥檚 precision agriculture courses to gain her UAV licensing.
鈥淲hen I was young, I never even dreamed that I could become a UAV pilot, much less use it as a tool for my career. I became a drone pilot because I was given the opportunity, and I realized how much this could benefit not only me but also the world of agriculture and wildlife,鈥 she said.
Now, as a grad student, Hearon is uniquely positioned at the intersection of precision agriculture and precision wildlife conservation. Her thesis committee includes Assistant Research Professor Jesse Morrison, native grass expert in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Assistant Professor Mark McConnell, who specializes in upland birds in the College of Forest Resources.
Hearon shared that her research鈥攔equested by the Mississippi Lignite Mining Company in hopes of determining if planting native grasses on the business reclaimed land had any ecological benefits鈥攊s a reflection of this cross-college collaboration.
鈥淢y research uses UAVs equipped with thermal cameras to detect grassland bird nests. The goal is to see how new detection methods compare to traditional methods of nest detection. We鈥檙e able to monitor and track bird populations in decline due to decreasing habitat,鈥 Hearon said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 achieving dreams that I never knew I had.鈥