I have published a number of articles and book chapters that have resulted from synergistic collaborations in research applying geospatial technologies to help answer a variety of human and environmental geography questions.
A project to
map the spatial and human impacts of global sea level rise is a good example of this work. With undergraduate students at Haskell Indian Nations University and colleagues at the University of Kansas and Illinois State University I have coauthored several publications on the topic, including two articles in prestigious and widely-read publications (
EOS Transactions and
PE&RS) and another manuscript that uses sea level rise as a case for establishing a framework for mapping hazard and risk (
Cartographica). Our work has prompted many inquiries and citations by scientists and journalists around the world and has been featured in
National Geographic and in educational visualizations sponsored by NASA and NOAA.
Building on that sea level rise mapping work, I have worked with student researchers to understand the
potential spatial and cultural impact of short- and long-term sea level rise events (tsunami vs. climate-induced sea rise) on coastal urban areas.
Part of this work has included outreach projects in my GIS courses as I have integrated community geography into my teaching. In Spring 2012 and again in 2013, for example, I directed class projects in my Advanced GIS & GPS course to develop
interactive maps of Wisconsin’s Devil’s Lake State Park.
In 2011, I was a researcher/app developer on a large team of faculty and students at Illinois State University’s GEOMAP program, where we developed a
web-mapping system for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.