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Alan MacEachren
Encyclopedia
Alan M. MacEachren is an American
geographer
, Professor of Geography
and Director, GeoVISTA Center, Department of Geography, The Pennsylvania State University
. He is known for his cross-disciplinary work in the fields of human-centered geographic visualization
, scientific
and information visualization
, and in statistics
.
in 1974 at the Ohio University
, an M.A. in geography in 1976 from the University of Kansas
and a Ph.D. in geography 1979 from University of Kansas.
From 1979 to 1983 he was Assistant Professor of Geography at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
and Director of the Department of Geography Cartography Laboratory. From 1980 to 1983 he was Director of the Department of Geography Spatial Analysis Laboratory, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. In 1983 he became Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Colorado-Boulder and in 1985 switched to Associate Professor of Geography and Director of the Deasy GeoGraphics Laboratory at the Pennsylvania State University
, where he worked until 1992. From 1992 he was Professor of Geography, and since 1998 Director, GeoVISTA Center, Department of Geography, Penn State University. In Fall 2007 he was Visiting Professor, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University
, and since 2007 also Affiliate Professor of Information Sciences and Technology, Penn State University.
Awards for Alan MacEachren in 2004-2007 include the E. Willard and Ruby S. Miller Professor of Geography, College of Earth and Mineral Science, Penn State University. He became an Honorary Fellow of the International Cartographic Association
in 2005, making him only the sixth Fellow from the U.S. since 1974. In 2004 he was also recognized for Exceptional Scholarly Contributions to the Practice of Cartography, Canadian Cartographic Association.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
, Professor of Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
and Director, GeoVISTA Center, Department of Geography, The Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
. He is known for his cross-disciplinary work in the fields of human-centered geographic visualization
Geovisualization
Geovisualization, short for Geographic Visualization, refers to a set of tools and techniques supporting geospatial data analysis through the use of interactive visualization....
, scientific
Scientific visualization
Scientific visualization is an interdisciplinary branch of science according to Friendly "primarily concerned with the visualization of three-dimensional phenomena , where the emphasis is on realistic renderings of volumes, surfaces, illumination sources, and so forth, perhaps...
and information visualization
Information visualization
Information visualization is the interdisciplinary study of "the visual representation of large-scale collections of non-numerical information, such as files and lines of code in software systems, library and bibliographic databases, networks of relations on the internet, and so forth".- Overview...
, and in statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
.
Biography
Alan MacEachren received a B.A. in geographyGeography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
in 1974 at the Ohio University
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
, an M.A. in geography in 1976 from the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
and a Ph.D. in geography 1979 from University of Kansas.
From 1979 to 1983 he was Assistant Professor of Geography at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
and Director of the Department of Geography Cartography Laboratory. From 1980 to 1983 he was Director of the Department of Geography Spatial Analysis Laboratory, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. In 1983 he became Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Colorado-Boulder and in 1985 switched to Associate Professor of Geography and Director of the Deasy GeoGraphics Laboratory at the Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
, where he worked until 1992. From 1992 he was Professor of Geography, and since 1998 Director, GeoVISTA Center, Department of Geography, Penn State University. In Fall 2007 he was Visiting Professor, Department of Computer Science, Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, and since 2007 also Affiliate Professor of Information Sciences and Technology, Penn State University.
Awards for Alan MacEachren in 2004-2007 include the E. Willard and Ruby S. Miller Professor of Geography, College of Earth and Mineral Science, Penn State University. He became an Honorary Fellow of the International Cartographic Association
International Cartographic Association
The International Cartographic Association , French Association Cartographique Internationale , is an organization formed of national member organizations, to provide a forum for issues and techniques in cartography...
in 2005, making him only the sixth Fellow from the U.S. since 1974. In 2004 he was also recognized for Exceptional Scholarly Contributions to the Practice of Cartography, Canadian Cartographic Association.
See also
- 2.5D2.5D2.5D , 3/4 perspective and pseudo-3D are terms used to describe either:* 2D graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional when in fact they are not, or* gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is...
- Animated mappingAnimated mappingAnimated mapping is the application of animation, either computer or video, to add a temporal component to a map displaying change in some dimension. Most commonly the change is shown over time, generally at a greatly changed scale...
- Figure-ground in map designFigure-ground in map designAn effectively designed map is one in which the intended message is clearly communicated to the map user. By employing the concept of figure-ground, a viewer can easily distinguish between the main figure on a map and the background information...
- History of cartographyHistory of cartographyCartography , or mapmaking, has been an integral part of the human story for a long time, possibly up to 8,000 years...
- Spatial analysisSpatial analysisSpatial analysis or spatial statistics includes any of the formal techniques which study entities using their topological, geometric, or geographic properties...
- Theresa-Marie RhyneTheresa-Marie RhyneTheresa-Marie Rhyne is a recognized expert in the field of computer-generated visualization and a consultant who specializes in applying artistic color theories to visualization and digital media...
Publications
Alan MacEachren has written several books and articles. A selection:- 1994. Visualization in modern cartography. With D.R. Fraser (ed.). Taylor.
- 1995. How maps work : representation, visualization, and design How maps work : representation,
- 1994. Some truth with maps : a primer on symbolization and design
- 1997. Rediscovering Geography: New Relevance for the New Century. With 13 other authors. Washington, D. C.: National Academy of Science Press.
- 2005. Exploring Geovisualization. With J. Dykes and M.J. Kraak. International Cartographic Association.
- 2005. Illuminating the Path: The Research and Development Agenda for Visual Analytics. With 25 other authors. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Department of Homeland Security.
External links
- Alan M. MacEachren. Director, GeoVISTA Center. The Pennsylvania State University.
- List of Influences: Alan MacEachren by Robert Kosara, 2007-04-03.