Program Faculty

Dr. John P. Wilson, professor of geography at the University of Southern California, directs the Geographic Information Science and Technology Graduate Programs as well as the GIS Research Laboratory. He also holds adjunct appointments as professor in the School of Architecture and in the Departments of Computer Science and Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Viterbi School of Engineering.

His research is focused on GIS tool development, spatial analysis and environmental modeling. He has published numerous books and articles on these topics, including two edited volumes: Terrain Analysis: Principles and Applications (John Wiley and Sons, New York, 2000) and the Handbook of Geographic Information Science (Blackwell Publishers, Oxford, 2007). He has received numerous honors for his research and teaching, the most recent being a Mellon Award for Excellence in Mentoring from the Center for Excellence in Teaching at the University of Southern California (2005) and an Albert S. Raubenheimer Outstanding Faculty Award for his research, teaching and service contributions at the University of Southern California (2004).

Dr. Andrew Curtis is associate professor of geography at University of Southern California and also holds an adjunct appointment in the Department of American Studies and Ethnicity.

His ongoing research interests include the real-time GIS analysis of emerging infections, the spatial analysis of historic (smallpox, typhoid and yellow fever) epidemics, and GIS and social vulnerability. He has published numerous books and articles on these topics and was the joint recipient of the 2007 Meredith F. Burrill Award–which honors individuals or groups that have completed work of exceptional merit and quality in geography–for his work with others to establish the Louisiana State University GIS Clearinghouse Cooperative.

Dr. Karen Kemp is an independent scholar, based in Hawaii. She is the 2004 recipient of the GIS Educator of the Year Award from the University Consortium of Geographic Information Science, has authored numerous geographic information science papers, and has helped launch innovative GIS programs and projects at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Redlands during the past two decades.

Dr. Jennifer Swift is assistant professor of geography at University of Southern California. She is currently based in the USC GIS Research Laboratory, where she develops and implements innovative information architectures. She has worked on numerous projects focused on Web-based mapping and decision support systems, and has authored papers on GIS and IT-related engineering topics.