Current Members |
Anthony Robinson
Faculty Director / Associate Professor, Department of Geography
Email: acr181@psu.edu
My research focuses broadly on designing and evaluating geovisualization tools to improve geographic information utility and usability. I’ve done work in epidemiology, crisis management, higher education, and ecology domains. In recent work I have explored the geographic dimensions of learner engagement to identify leverage points for spatial analysis and representation in learner analytics, designed methods for representing the presence of absence in big spatial data, and analyzed the design of viral maps in social media. For the Department of Geography, I serve as the Director of Online Geospatial Education Programs. In service to the discipline I am a board member of the Cartography and Geographic Information Science Socieity (CaGIS), I’ve been a past-President of the North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS), and I co-Chair of the International Cartographic Association (ICA) Commission on Visual Analytics.
Chris Fowler
Faculty Co-Director of The Peter R. Gould Center for Geography Education and Outreach / Associate Professor, Department of Geography
Email: csfowler@psu.edu
At its core my research examines the way our choices about geographic boundaries shape the outcomes we are able to observe. I examine neighborhoods, school catchment areas, electoral districts, metropolitan areas, and labor markets with a focus on how these units of observation reflect the distribution of populations in space. My work focuses in particular on patterns of clustering and dispersal by race and income as these two characteristics can tell us a lot about inequality in economic, education, health, and political outcomes.
Alicia Adelle Iverson
Lab Manager / Teaching Professor, Department of Geography
Email: aliciaiverson@psu.edu
My research privileges mapping processes over mapping products and centers the emotional dimensions of mapping, particularly for the individual(s) creating the map. As an extension of this work, I focus on building community through cartographic collaborations.
Lily Houtman
Graduate Student: MS + PhD, Department of Geography
Email: lmh5991@psu.edu
My research is at the intersection of cartography and data journalism. As people transition to reading news stories primarily on their phones, rather than on desktop or on paper, I am interested in the design challenges that are specific to thematic maps viewed on small touchscreens. In addition to my primary research focus, I am also interested in the applications of queer and trans theory in cartography. During my undergraduate degree at University of Wisconsin-Madison I conducted research on the design of American presidential election maps by major news organizations.
Timothy Prestby
Graduate Student: MS + PhD, Department of Geography
Email: tprestby@psu.edu
I am a geography PhD student examining design factors and psychological mechanisms that influence people’s trust in maps. My master’s thesis characterized the design of COVID-19 story maps in data journalism. Previously, I interned with the Apple Maps Cartography team where I developed design guidelines for multiscale mapping problems pertaining to territories. During my undergraduate studies, I worked on production and research projects at the University of Wisconsin Cartography lab.
Harman Singh
Graduate Student: Dual-Title MS + PhD, Department of Geography & Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences
Email: hxs5376@psu.edu
My PhD research focuses on identifying future urban pluvial flood risks in India under a changing climate. I utilize disaster risk science and computational social science of disasters (CSSD) to gather and visualize information from secondary datasets. I also aim to explore cross-scale interactions that impact floods in India at the intersection of climate science, sustainable policy, and mitigation. Previously, I worked part-time at the Center for Immersive Experiences at Penn State, and I have been a graduate teaching assistant for GEOG 464: Advanced Spatial Analysis, GEOG 361: Cartography, and GEOG 364: Spatial Analysis.
Michael Cattell
Undergraduate Geography Major
Email:mjc7493@psu.edu
I am an undergraduate with majors in Geography and Education & Public Policy, with a minor in Geographic Information Science. I have worked on different research projects while at Penn State, including developing a science education game for elementary school students, analyzing school segregation within school district attendance zone boundaries, and contributed to a scoping review of how researchers have utilized data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
Camilla Baumer
Undergraduate Geography Major
Email: cmb7946@psu.edu
I am a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Geography. I am deeply passionate about understanding complex earth-system processes and addressing critical environmental challenges through the use of spatial statistics, GIS, and satellite imagery. My current research aims to better understand the linkage between exposure to volcanic ash and long-term health outcomes, with a specific focus on Icelandic populations.
Recent Alumni |
Harrison Cole
Creative Director / Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Geography
Email: harrisoncole@psu.edu
I hold a doctorate in Geography from Penn State, where I researched the design and use of tactile flood maps for users who are blind or have low vision. My research has generally focused on accessibility and UX topics. In a professional capacity, I have provided cartographic services to a diverse clientele, including those in commercial as well as academic domains. My work currently focuses on physical maps, including those made for paper, signage, and even stone.
Rylie Adams
Intern / Undergraduate Geography Major
Email: rja5562@psu.edu
I am a current undergraduate student studying geography and GIS with my research focusing on cartography. While at Penn Sate, I was a NASA PA Space Grant Intern where I worked on integrating virtual reality systems with GIS applications. Additionally, I had the privilege of collaborating with undergraduate, graduate, professors, faculty and alumni of the geography department when I was the Penn State geography programs promotions intern where I worked in departmental marketing and communications.
Nate Cherok
Undergraduate Geography Major
Email: nac5635@psu.edu
I am an undergraduate student studying geography and pursuing certificates in GIS, Geospatial Big Data Analytics, and Global Environmental Systems. I am currently working as a cartography intern, updating and designing maps and figures for the newest edition of the book Designing Better Maps. I have also worked as a research intern doing data cleaning and mapping of irrigation systems in Morocco and had the opportunity to conduct my own study exploring the nutritional yield of its agroforestry systems.