Stephen Fildes

Stephen Fildes is a geospatial scientist with a strong interest in the application of remote sensing technology to both human and natural environments. He first joined Flinders University in 1993 as a cartographer and GIS analyst, later taking on an academic role where he was primarily responsible for the development and teaching of remote sensing in the former School of Geography, Population and Environmental Management, and the School of the Environment. He was the lead developer and Director of Studies for the postgraduate GIS programs between 2008 and 2016. After 24 years, Stephen recently left Flinders but continues his association with the University as an Adjunct Lecturer/Researcher in the College of Science and Engineering.

Stephen’s research focuses on remote sensing of semi-arid environments, flood and impervious surface modelling, landscape dynamics, and land cover change and condition. His recent PhD research, conducted in collaboration with SA Water and the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT), developed a geospatial framework for mapping groundwater potential zones (GPZs) in fractured rock regions, integrating both knowledge- and data-driven machine learning approaches. This work has since been extended to include novel mapping of groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) in partnership with CSIRO Land and Water.