Dr. Bandana Kar is a Senior Researcher at the National Laboratory of the Rockies. She is an interdisciplinary geospatial scientist with over 15 years of experience across academia, national laboratories, and the federal government. Before joining NLR, she served as an AAAS Science, Technology and Policy Fellow at the U.S. Dept. of Energy, a Senior Scientist and a Group Lead at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and a tenured Associate Professor at University of Southern Mississippi. Her research integrates science, technology, and policy to develop data-driven and process-oriented solutions that strengthen community and infrastructure resilience, and energy and national security. She has secured more than $12M in competitive funding, built strategic partnerships, and led cross-functional teams. She is active in professional communities, serving in the leadership and editorial roles, including as the 2024 President of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.