Geospatial science is a multibillion-dollar industry, and researchers at Saint Louis University are leading the charge to turn St. Louis into a national hub for geospatial research.
Hear three ΘνΓΓΙη researchers discuss the importance of geospatial research and its impact on the world. Their work is just a small sample of the innovative and compassionate research being done at ΘνΓΓΙη.
Geospatial science is an interdisciplinary field that examines how location impacts a variety of complex issues, from health inequity to national security. St. Louis is poised to become the national center of this multibillion-dollar industry. βThe St. Louis community is engaged in a great opportunity to transform the city into a national hub for geospatial research,β said Vasit Sagan, Ph.D., associate professor of GIScience.
Innovative, Interdisciplinary Research
Saganβs research centers on the nexus of food, water and energy. He uses geospatial science to monitor climate change, food security and crop productivity. Using remote sensing, Sagan is able to determine how large crop yields will be in a given year.
βYou see the power of geospatial tools,β Sagan said of his research.
Sagan is one of several researchers at ΘνΓΓΙη seizing on this exciting opportunity. Investments in geospatial science can yield innovative solutions to some of the greatest challenges of the day. This is because location is at the root of many of these challenges.
βΘνΓΓΙη researchersβ¦ are looking at why location matters. It matters to your health outcomes, to your employment opportunities, to your education,β said Enbal Shacham, Ph.D., M.Ed., associate professor of behavioral science and health education.
The Service of Humanity
Shacham studies health inequity and how neighborhoods influence behavior.
βThere are worse [health] outcomes if you live in a poorer neighborhood β even if you have access to care,β Shacham said. βWhere you live shouldnβt dictate how long you live and how good of a life you live.β
Because of the Universityβs mission β the pursuit of truth for the service of humanity β ΘνΓΓΙη is uniquely positioned to make a serious impact through geospatial research.
βBecause of ΘνΓΓΙηβs mission, because of where ΘνΓΓΙη is located, we can really make an impact,β said Ness Sandoval, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology.
Sandoval uses geospatial science to study economic inequality in St. Louis.
β[ΘνΓΓΙη] can really make an impact in the neighborhoods that have opportunities for redevelopment, opportunities to attract resources," he said. "We want to empower people to be at the table, using [ΘνΓΓΙη] as a resource, helping them dream about a vision that they see for their neighborhoods.β
The ΘνΓΓΙη Geospatial Institute
Sagan, Shacham, and Sandoval are the leaders of , a collaborative effort to coordinate and grow the already rich geospatial research and training underway at ΘνΓΓΙη. Also known as GeoΘνΓΓΙη, the Geospatial Institute is a consortium of faculty and students from various disciplines to promote and develop new research ideas, and house high-tech computational facilities to advance research and enhance graduate and undergraduate education.
The mission of the ΘνΓΓΙη Geospatial Institute is to understand our ever-changing world for informed decision making, on the ground and from above, connected together through space and time.
The goal of the Geospatial Institute is to build distinctive strengths in geospatial research, training, service and innovation at ΘνΓΓΙη, contribute to establishing St. Louis as a national geospatial hub, apply geospatial insights to regional and global challenges, and develop new partnerships with innovators, industry, federal agencies, as well as local and regional governments and universities.
The Geospatial Institute began as βGeoΘνΓΓΙη: The Geospatial Research, Training, and Innovation Enterprise,β which received a $50,000 planning grant as part of Saint Louis Universityβs Big Ideas competition. This competition identifies and invests in projects that have the potential to grow into University-wide strategic research priorities. The GeoΘνΓΓΙη leadership team used that opportunity wisely, and since then, the project has evolved into the Geospatial Institute.
About the Faculty
Learn more about the three faculty members featured in this article and video:
![Profile Pic Placeholder Image](/_resources/img/headshot-placeholder.png)
Vasit Sagan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Director, ΘνΓΓΙη Geospatial InstituteSagan is the director of ΘνΓΓΙηβs Ph.D. Integrated Applied Sciences and M.S. Geographic Information Science programs. His research is concerned with water resources and crop productivity, and he uses to better understand climate and land use changes.
![Profile Pic Placeholder Image](/_resources/img/headshot-placeholder.png)
Enbal Shacham, Ph.D., M.Ed.
Associate Professor, Behavioral Science and Health Education Associate Director, Geospatial Institute Shacham is the director of ΘνΓΓΙηβs Ph.D. in Public Health Studies Program. Her research interests include HIV treatment and prevention, and neighborhood conditions and related adverse sexual health events. She conducts research in both clinical and community settings.![Profile Pic Placeholder Image](/_resources/img/headshot-placeholder.png)