Nina Lam

Nina Lam

Dr. Nina Lam is Professor and E. L. Abraham Distinguished Professor of Louisiana Environmental Studies in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Louisiana State University.  Dr. Lam is being recognized for her extraordinary contributions to research, education, and service to geographic information science and technology (GIS&T) for more than thirty-five years.
 
Dr. Lam has authored or co-authored 85-plus refereed publications appearing in journals and books; she has delivered 70-plus invited or sponsored talks, and is author or co-author of over 100-plus papers presented.   In connection with that research effort, Dr. Lam has been principal investigator or co-principal investigator on nearly 40 externally funded research projects funded by international, national, and local sources.  Her research contributes both methodological and applied results to GIS&T.  Some of those contributions include methodological research in fractals and simulation, spatial interpolation methods, environmental justice, image complexity, scale, and resolution in remote sensing, and topical substance research in coastal hazards and natural disaster resilience, sustainability, and cancer mortality. Her repertoire of publications spans geography, geographic information science, and topical areas in risk, vulnerability, and sustainability. Her work in the aftermath of the Katrina helped establish definitions and methods to measure vulnerability and resilience.  That kind and level of research contribution is indicative of work at the highest tier of scholarly productivity, and demonstrates a willingness to work with many others to foster insights about GIS&T research and education on a world-wide basis.
 
In regards to educational contributions, Dr. Lam has been the supervisor of 17 PhD and 25 masters committees, as well as having served on more than 300 student committees as co-advisor, minor professor or committee member across The Ohio State University and Louisiana State University.  She is an active GIScience educator in the fields of geography, environmental sciences, and environmental studies at LSU teaching courses in design of environmental management systems, spatial modeling, environmental remote sensing, GIS, advanced computer cartography, and geographical analysis.  Many of the courses offer topics that involve ethical use and expended access to geographic information technologies.
 
Dr. Lam’s research and education contributions extend into service by helping to foster community and network building.  Dr. Lam was a Program Director at the National Science Foundation for the Geography and Regional Science Program, and has held over a dozen elected/appointed offices for professional societies and organizations, including as President-elect, President, and Past-President of UCGIS (2004-2006) and the Board of Directors, as well involve with many Association of American Geographers Specialty Groups.  Dr. Lam has been a member of panels in Federal organizations across many years and held office to support community building. She has served on over a dozen National Science Foundation program panels, served on several National Research Council Committees of the National Academy of Sciences, reviewed for the US Environmental Protection Agency, as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Institutes of Health.  Dr. Lam’s service contributions to journals and professional societies are numerous.  Her contributions include thirteen journals for which she has been editor, co-editor, or a member of the editorial board.  
 
In recognition of her wide-ranging contributions to GIS&T research, education and service, Dr. Nina Lam is awarded the status of UCGIS Fellow 2016.

Awarded Year: 
2016