Welcome to the Humanistic GIS Laboratory (HGIS Lab)! This Lab is committed to exploring the Digital Earth as the home of humankind. Driven by this common interest, a group of UW scholars and student researchers have been working together (1) to explore innovative methodologies to improve geospatial technologies with the consideration of human experience,  (2) to reflect upon the social implications of maps, geovisualization, and other geospatial technologies, and (3) to geo-narrate a variety of geographic phenomena, especially those related to vulnerable populations.

Up to now, multiple Projects have been funded by National Science Foundation, National Geographic, Google, and Clean Water Services. Below are some featured projects that HGIS Lab has done.

HGIS Lab is located at Smith Hall 406A and is currently directed by Dr. Bo Zhao. He is an Associate Professor at UW’s Department of Geography and is affiliated with China Studies Program, The eScience Institute, and the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology (CSDE). For details about this lab, please contact the lab manager via hgis@uw.edu.