About Us
Natalie Martinkus, Ph.D., P.E. is a licensed professional civil engineer with over 20 years of experience spanning consulting, research, and academia. She holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University and an M.S. in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. After several years in consulting, Natalie earned her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Washington State University, where her research contributed to a $40 million USDA project focused on developing sustainable biofuel supply chains using forest residuals as a renewable feedstock for biojet fuel production.
Following her doctoral work, Natalie served as an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science at Heritage University in Toppenish, Washington, where she taught and conducted research on sustainable resource management and environmental systems.
In 2018, Natalie founded Dry Creek Engineering and Geospatial, a consulting firm dedicated to helping agricultural producers adopt sustainable, data-driven practices. Her work integrates geospatial technology, remote sensing, and environmental engineering to support precision agriculture, efficient water use, and improved land stewardship. By combining advanced GIS mapping, data collection, and satellite imagery, Natalie empowers farmers to make informed decisions that enhance productivity while promoting long-term environmental sustainability.
Natalie grew up in the cotton fields of West Texas, and comes from a long line of farmers. When she's not working, she loves gardening and hanging out with her husband and two boys.
Our background is in data-driven practices, geospatial technology, and precision agriculture.
Rijkhoff, S., Martinkus, N., Roemer, K., Laninga, T., and Hoard, S. (2021). A capitals approach to biorefinery siting using an integrative model. Energy Impacts: A Multidisciplinary Exploration of North American Energy Development. 176-214.
Martinkus, N., Latta, G., Rijkhoff, S., Mueller, D., Hoard, S., Sasatani, D., Pierobon, F., and Wolcott, M. (2019). A multi-criteria decision support tool for biorefinery siting: Using economic, environmental, and social metrics for a refined siting analysis. Biomass and Bioenergy, 128.
Martinkus, N., Latta, G., Brandt, K., and Wolcott, M. (2018). A multi-criteria decision analysis approach to facility siting in a wood-based depot-and-biorefinery supply chain model. Frontiers in Energy Research, 6:124.
Ravi, V., Gao, A., Martinkus, N., Wolcott, M., & Lamb, B. (2018). Air Quality and Health Impacts of an Aviation Biofuel Supply Chain Using Forest Residue in the Northwestern United States. Environmental Science and Technology, 52, 4154-4162.
Martinkus, N., Latta, G., Morgan, T., & Wolcott, M. (2017). A comparison of methodologies for estimating delivered forest residue volume and cost to a wood-based biorefinery. Biomass and Bioenergy, 106, 83–94.
Martinkus, N., Rijkhoff, S. A. M., Hoard, S. A., Shi, W., Smith, P., Gaffney, M., & Wolcott, M. (2016). Biorefinery site selection using a stepwise biogeophysical and social analysis approach. Biomass and Bioenergy, 97, 139–148.
Martinkus, N., & Wolcott, M. (2016). A framework for quantitatively assessing the repurpose potential of existing industrial facilities as a biorefinery. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining, 11(2), 295–306.
Martinkus, N., Shi, W., Lovrich, N., Pierce, J., Smith, P., & Wolcott, M. (2014). Integrating biogeophysical and social assets into biomass-to-biofuel supply chain siting decisions. Biomass and Bioenergy, 66, 410–418.
