About me

I am interested in geospatial data, earth observation, and humanitarian work. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Geovisualization from the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt, where I developed expertise in geoinformation and visualization techniques. I gained practical experience applying GIS technology to health-related challenges, particularly during a project in Togo with the German Leprosy and Tuberculosis Relief Association (DAHW). In this role, I mapped the distribution of diseases such as leprosy, Buruli ulcer, and yaws, supporting health initiatives in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Currently, I am pursuing a double master’s degree in the Copernicus Master in Digital Earth program, a joint initiative between the University of Salzburg and Palacký University Olomouc. My research interests focus on remote sensing, disaster risk assessment, and climate change. After interning with the United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), where I contributed to disaster modeling, I am now working as a GIS Consultant at UNU-EHS, contributing to climate risk insurance projects.

Experience

• GIS Consultant | September 2024 - Present
  United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)
  Climate Risk Analytics
• Disaster Modelling Intern | July - September 2024
  United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)
  Munich Climate Insurance Initiative
• Co-Founder | July 2024
  Gernot Nikolaus & Simon Kraus Creative Studio GbR
• Travel - Career Break | April 2023 - July 2023
  Between my bachelor's and master's degrees, I went on a solo cycling trip from Germany to Asia (Türkiye, Asian continent) along the Adriatic Sea and back again.
• Technical GIS support, GIS Trainer and part of supportive supervision in Togo | April 2022 - March 2023
  German Leprosy and TB Relief Association (DAHW)
• Student Research Assistant | July 2021 - September 2021
  Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS)

Alma Mater

• Palacký University Olomouc | September 2024
  M.Sc., double degree, (EMJM) Copernicus Master in Digital Earth - Geovisualisation & Geocommunication
• Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg | September 2023
  M.Sc., double degree, (EMJM) Copernicus Master in Digital Earth - Geoinformatics & Earth Oberservation
• Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS) | October 2019 - March 2023
  Bachelor of Engineering - BE, Geovisualization

Volunteering

• Missing Maps | October 2023
  Voluntary mapping, participation in mapathons
• German Leprosy and TB Relief Association (DAHW) | April 2022 - March 2023
  Technical GIS support to combat three NTDs in Togo

Projects/Publications

2025

• Nikolaus, G., Dabiri, Z., Vozenilek, V., Behre, E. Flood vulnerability mapping using a multi-dimensional approach and open data: A Tehsil-level case study in Punjab, Pakistan. (Manuscript in preparation)
• Nikolaus, G., Dabiri, Z., Vozenilek, V., Behre, E. (2025). Assessment of flood susceptibility using AHP and remote sensing-derived products: A case study in Punjab, Pakistan. Accepted for publication in the AGIT Conference Series Journal (2025), University Library of PLUS.
• Flood Vulnerability in Punjab, Pakistan: A Geospatial Analysis and Cartographic Approach (Master's Thesis)

2023

• Geospatial Contexts for Combating Buruli ulcer and Yaws in Togo (Bachelor's Thesis)

Awards

• Dean's Award, overall winner in the Earth Sciences section | May 2025
  Faculty of Science at Palacký University in Olomouc
• “Harbert-Buchpreis“ award for best student of the year | September 2023
  DVW e.V. German Association for Geodesy, Geoinformation and Land Management