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Jovian Sackett

Director of Geospatial Science

SELC is a leader in environmental law, and Jovian works to make the organization a leader in the application of geospatial science to environmental law. As Director of Geospatial Science, Jovian leads SELC’s geospatial team to research, organize, analyze, and communicate geographic data with specialized maps and graphics.

During his time at SELC, Jovian has created and deployed hundreds of maps in support of SELC’s work. A key focus of that work is looking for opportunities to make SELC’s data and analysis tools publicly available. This is especially true for topics like coal ash, wood pellets, fracking, environmental justice, and climate change, where SELC has brought forward information in greater detail than what agencies were providing the public. Jovian also extends SELC’s impact by advising partner organizations on geospatial solutions, contributing maps and data to academic research, and presenting to professional organizations, as well as encouraging government agencies to provide accessible and informative data and tools for the public.

A longtime Durham resident, Jovian grew up in the western North Carolina town of Black Mountain and calls Black Balsam Knob in the Pisgah National Forest the spot closest to his heart. “It showcases the beauty of the Southern Appalachians and grounds me in cherished memories, but doesn’t obscure the nature-human interconnection as the cultivated Piedmont stretches across one horizon and wilderness stretches out across the other.”

Most of the world is already mapped, but rarely with the details needed for informed environmental decision-making. Geospatial science enables SELC to explore and recommend environmental solutions that honor the uniqueness of impact to people, the environment, and the boundaries of the law.

Jovian Sackett

Previous experience

  • Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP) Certification
  • M.A., University of South Carolina
  • B.A., University of North Carolina Wilmington, magna cum laude
  • With SELC since 2007