Michael Sunde

Assistant Professor & MU Extension Natural Resources Specialist

Michael Sunde is an Assistant Professor in the School of Natural Resources and MU Extension, where he also serves as director of the Missouri Resource Assessment Partnership (MoRAP). His research centers on the application of quantitative modeling, geospatial analysis, machine learning, and remote sensing to assess how human and climatic pressures — including urbanization, deforestation, and shifting precipitation regimes — alter water resources and watershed systems. Working across multiple spatial and temporal scales, his work translates complex environmental data into rigorous, interpretable outputs that inform water resource planning and natural resource management, with expertise spanning watershed hydrology, land-atmosphere interactions, and scalable modeling frameworks. Additionally, Sunde is a licensed UAV/drone pilot and specializes in integrating highly detailed LiDAR and multispectral data into analysis workflows.

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