Welcome to the Humanistic GIS Laboratory (HGIS Lab)! Our mission is to delve into the concept of Digital Earth as a habitat for humanity. At the HGIS Lab, a dedicated team of scholars and student researchers from the University of Washington are collaboratively engaged in (1) pioneering innovative methodologies to enhance geospatial technologies, emphasizing human experience, (2) critically examining the societal impacts of maps, geovisualization, and other geospatial technologies, and (3) using geonarrative to illuminate a range of geographic phenomena, with a particular focus on vulnerable communities.

To date, the HGIS Lab has received funding for various projects from prestigious sources such as the National Science Foundation, National Geographic, Google, Samsung, and Clean Water Services. Highlighted below are some of the notable projects undertaken by the HGIS Lab.

Our laboratory is currently seeking interns and volunteers to contribute to a variety of research projects.

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, the Interdisciplinary Program in Urban Design and Planning, The Center for An Informed Public (CIP), and the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology (CSDE). For details about this lab, please contact the lab manager via hgis@uw.edu.