Nina S.-N. Lam, Ph.D.
Louisiana State University

Nina S.-N. Lam (B.S.Sc. Chinese University of Hong Kong 1975; M.S. & Ph.D. University of Western Ontario 1977 & 1980). Assistant Professor, Ohio State University, 1980-85; Associate to Full Professor, 1985-present, and R. J. Russell Professor, 1997-present, Louisiana State University.

Professional Experience: Program Director, Geography and Regional Science Program, National Science Foundation 1999-2001; various NSF, NIH, NASA review panels; Mapping Science Committee and Committee on GIS for HUD, National Research Council 1998-99 & 2001-2003; Board of Directors, UCGIS 1997-98 and Cartography and Geographic Information Society 1996-98; Chair of the AAG Mathematical Models and Quantitative Methods Specialty Group 1984-86.

Honors and Awards: Andrew McNally Award, American Congress on Surveying and Mapping 1983; Principal Investigator of grants from NASA, NSF, U. S. National Program for Advance Study and Research in China, World Health Organization, RAND, Louisiana Board of Regents, and Louisiana Office of Public Health.

Research and Teaching Interests: Geographic information science (including cartography and remote sensing), spatial analysis, medical geography, fractals, scale, and environmental modeling.

Publications: Edited book Fractals in Geography; journal articles such as in The American Cartographer, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Geoprocessing, Canadian Journal of Regional Science, Social Science and Medicine, Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, International Journal of Remote Sensing, Transactions of GIS, The Professional Geographer, Geographical Analysis, Computers and Geosciences, Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, and Applied Geographical Studies.

Statements: UCGIS was created in 1996 with enormous enthusiasm and talent, and indeed a lot has been accomplished as an organization since then. We now have an impressive website, sponsor two meetings per year, support students’ participation, obtain research funding for members, publish research priorities and model GIS curricula, and the list goes on. However, as the old saying says, it is very difficult to build an empire, but it is even more difficult to maintain it. Therefore, it is critical to maintain its vibrancy and its value to the members and the society as a whole. If elected, I will look into ways to increase the value of UCGIS as an organization to its members and to the broader community. Specifically, I will develop strategies to seek more funding opportunities for UCGIS members, either through some endowment or funding from agencies or companies for research or educational projects. Moreover, I will try to be inclusive and look into ways to increase participation and collaboration from the broader community (academia, industry, governments) in meetings, research, and education, so that UCGIS can be an effective medium for intellectual and information exchange.