Humanistic GIS Laboratory Recruitment 2020-2021

Looking to get more involved on campus? Seeking to explore careers and passions? Read on for exciting opportunities and helpful resources at the Humanistic GIS Laboratory (refer to https://hgis.uw.edu)!

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 the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Geographic, and Google. Below are some featured projects that have been done by HGIS Lab.

Professor Bo Zhao has announced an opportunity for undergraduate students to get involved in some very high-level research projects related to Data Science and Web GIS, the specific projects include, but not limited to, Web Mapping (related to COVID-19, LGBTQ+ spaces, coastal resilience), Point Cloud Visualization, GeoBlockchain for the Vulnerable, and UI/UX Design. We are seeking students who are motivated and willing to! If you are seeking to gain experience with data science and web mapping/web development, our lab is a perfect place for you!

Requirements:

A current undergraduate student at the University of Washington;
Must have the self-motivation to learn new technologies, software, methodologies and assist the team to operate at maximum efficiency; and
Great communication skills and teamwork ethics.

Preferred skills (not required):

Demonstrated proficiency in data analysis and point cloud visualization;
Familiarity with the programming language such as JavaScript, Python; and
Prior experience with website design and web mapping development.

Student volunteers are expected to work at least 3 hours per week. The professor/supervisor will provide necessary guidance related to lab projects. Volunteer can become a former lab member if being nominated by a current lab member. In the past year, most of the former lab members have been 1) admitted to graduate school, 2) got industrial internships or 3) were funded by very high-grade research grants from NSF, NIH or UW. Therefore, if you are interested in this opportunity, please email a short paragraph to Dr. Bo Zhao via zhaobo@uw.edu about yourself and why you would like to serve in our lab and attach your CV/resume. Please submit your statement as soon as possible.

Bo Zhao
Assistant Professor
Department of Geography

The HGIS lab plans to recruit several student volunteers for an ongoing project to understand how TikTok (a social media video app) serves as an emotional care space for Chinese older people. The completion of this project highly relies on collecting social media data from TikTok, analyzing, and visualizing such a big dataset, and finally, we hope to draw meaningful insights from the empirical study.

The project is currently recruiting undergraduate research assistants to help with data gathering and data analysis. While helping with this project, volunteers will also learn web crawling and hone skills in geospatial big data analysis. Moreover, you will learn how to make sense of social media data using social and critical theories.

The student volunteers need to work with us for 3 hours per week for at least 6 weeks. The professor/supervisor will provide necessary guidance related to data collection, processing, and data visualization. Meeting between the professor/supervisor and the volunteers will be held irregularly based on the project progress and the requests from the students. Ideally, we hope the candidates will have some prior experience in web crawling and python programming. Students who can speak Mandarin are preferred due to the topic of this project is relevant to a Chinese context.

If you are interested in this research opportunity, please contact Dr. Bo Zhao via zhaobo@uw.edu for more information.