Stefan
Fallert

srfall.github.io
srfallert@gmail.com

I'm a PhD student in the field of computational ecology, focusing on building complex simulations to predict how human activity will influence biodiversity. I enjoy solving problems through code and have gained experience in various areas of software engineering and data science, both through my research and other projects. Moving forward, I would like to work on projects that allow me to apply these skills, preferably in ways that bridge the gap between programming and sustainability.

Experience / Education

Doctoral Candidate

2021 - present

Graduate School of Life Sciences | University of Würzburg
"Biodiversity in Germany under Anthropogenic Threats"

Researcher

2021 - 2023

Part of "bayklif", the Bavarian network for climate research
Contributed simulations for climate impact on insects in Bavaria

Student Assistant

2019 - 2021

University of Würzburg
Technical support including data analysis and teaching assistance

Master of Science

2019 - 2021

Biosciences: 1.2 | University of Würzburg
"A Mechanistic Range Model for Orthoptera in Bavaria"

Research Internship

2019

Black Forest National Park
Machine learning-based species classification

Bachelor of Science

2015 - 2019

Biology: 1.9 | University of Würzburg
"Changes in Avian Biodiversity along a Gradient of Bark Beetle Disturbance"

Skills

Languages:

German (first language), English (fluent), Dutch (understanding)

Programming languages:

R (fluent), JavaScript (proficient), C++, Python, Julia (familiar)

Tools:

Git, SVN, Linux, CI/CD, DevOps, Unit testing, HPC cluster (SLURM)

Model development:

Data pre-processing, Parameter optimization, Model selection

Data analysis & visualization:

Statistics, Time series, Predictions, Uncertainty analysis, Spatial data

Game development:

OSS contributor; UI / UX, Game Logic, Random map generation

Web development:

Hand-crafting responsive websites (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)

Main thesis programming project: "metaRange"

I developed and still maintain an open-source R package and framework that allows users to simulate multiple species and their interactions in a high resolution, changing environment. It consists of R code (user API) and C++ code (application core) and is accompanied by extensive documentation (across multiple websites) that details its possible uses.

Grants

Doctoral scholarship : Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) | 01.09.2021 - 31.08.2024

Conferences

2024 | Poster : Ecological Forecasting Initiative (EFI) - Helsinki
2023 | Poster : European Conference on Ecological Modelling (ECEM) - Leipzig
2023 | Talk : Young Modellers in Ecology (YoMos) - Hohenroda *
2022 | Talk : International Biogeography Society (IBS) - Vancouver / Online
2022 | Talk : Young Modellers in Ecology (YoMos) - Online *
2021 | Talk : Young Modellers in Ecology (YoMos) - Online

* Note: I was also part of the organization team of YoMos / of the marked conferences

Publications

metaRange: A framework to build mechanistic range models
2024-03-10 | Preprint | DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.07.583922
Stefan Fallert; Lea Li; Juliano Sarmento Cabral

The road to integrate climate change projections with regional land-use-biodiversity models
People and Nature
2023-05-24 | Journal article | DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10472
Juliano Sarmento Cabral; Alma Mendoza-Ponce; André Pinto da Silva; Johannes Oberpriller; Anne Mimet; Julia Kieslinger; Thomas Berger; Jana Blechschmidt; Maximilian Brönner; Alice Claßen; Stefan Fallert et al.

User-Centered Engineering of an Interactive Land Use Exploration Tool
Workshop on Visualisation in Environmental Sciences (EnvirVis)
2023 | Conference paper | DOI: 10.2312/envirvis.20231109
Tobias Buhl; David Marcomin; Stefan Fallert; Jana Blechschmidt; Franziska Bönisch; Robert Mark; Juliano Sarmento Cabral; Sebastian von Mammen; Soumya Dutta; Kathrin Feige et al.