The Spatial and Map Cognition Research Lab.
We study map use, navigation, and spatial thinking primarily. We use multiple measurement tools, including traditional laboratory and in-field behavioral methods as well as fMRI and eye-tracking.
SMCRL is a part of the Department of Geography at the University of Oregon - Eugene.
Amy Lobben is an associate professor in the Geography Department at the University of Oregon. She received her PhD in 1999 from the Geography Department at Michigan State University. Her MA and BA are both from Georgia State University. She teaches Geog311, Maps and Geospatial Concepts; Geog416, Introductory Geographic Information Systems; Geog4/510, Visualization; Geog607, Map Perception; Geog607, The Map Reader; Geog633, Progress in Geographic Information Science.
Amy's research lies in the intersection of human-environmental interaction, behavioral geography, psychological measurement, and (at times) GIS and visualization. She primarily investigates navigation, map use/reading, spatial abilities, spatial thinking, and experimental design.
See the Faculty Projects section for a description of projects.
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Steve Fickas is a professor in the Computer and Information Science Department at the University of Oregon. He has three research labs: Wearable Computing Lab, Sensor Network Lab, and the Think-and-Link Lab. He teaches the following classes: CIS 170, Foundational Ideas in Computer Science; CIS 650, Graduate Software Engineering; HC 209, Can Computers Think? (Clark's Honors College Course).
Some of Steve's research interests include: Clinical Requirements Engineering (i.e. integrating requirements engineering (RE) with clinical disciplines) and Wearable and ubiquitous computing; see the Lab's web page: www.cs.uoregon.edu/research/wearables/. A major project in this lab focuses on designing a wearable navigation-assistance device for travelers with cognitive impairment (specifically traumatic brain injury).
See Steve's webpage for more description of research and teaching interests www.cs.uoregon.edu/~fickas/
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Dan Montello is a professor in the Department of Geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is also Associated Faculty in The SAGE Center for the Study of the Mind, UCSB and Co-Editor in Chief for Spatial Cognition and Computation. Dan received his PhD in Psychology from Arizona State University. He teaches courses in research methods, behavioral geography, environmental perception and cognition, and cognitive issues in geographic information science.
Dan's research interests include spatial, environmental, and geographic perception, cognition, affect, and behavior. Specific topics of interest include navigation in built and natural environments, spatial learning, spatial language, and cognition in earth science.
See Dan's webpage for more description of research and teaching interests www.geog.ucsb.edu/~montello/.
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Nick Giudice is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Spatial Information Science and Engineering at the University of Maine. He is the Director of the Multimodal Interaction and Spatial Cognition (MISC) Laboratory and affiliated with the UMaine National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA).
Research in Dr. Giudice’s Multimodal Interface and Spatial Cognition (MISC) laboratory at the University of Maine combines expertise in perception, cognitive neuroscience and human factors using an integrative approach he calls neurocognitive engineering. Research in the MISC lab is based on behavioral experiments with human participants in both real environments and virtual reality (VR). Ongoing research is supported by 2 NSF grants and a NIH grant.
See Nick's webpage for more description of research and teaching interests http://spatial.umaine.edu/faculty/giudice
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Michal Young is an associate professor in the Computer and Information Science Department at the University of Oregon. He is actively involved in community projects, including K-12 outreach, specifically targeted to helping middle- and high-school students learn about and prepare for computer science.
Some of Michal's research interests include: understanding how people understand and gain confidence in software, especially the interplay between synthesis (generating something from a spec) and analysis (checking consistency between a spec and an implementation).
See Michal's webpage for more description of research and teaching interests www.cs.uoregon.edu/~michal/
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Andrew Marcus is a professor in the Department of Geography as well as newly-appointed Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, both at the University of Oregon. Andrew's research and teaching interests lie in stream disturbance, impacts, and modeling. Some of the courses he teaches include: Geog620, Theory and Practice of Geography; Geog608, Thesis Work and Writing; Geog621, Geographic Research and Practice. Andrew is also part of the Editorial Staff for the Atlas of Yellowstone.
Andrew's research focuses on disturbance impacts on stream habitats; hydraulic, geomorphic, and sediment transport processes in streams; remote sensing, mapping, and modeling of streams and riparian vegetation; fate and effects of mining sediments in stream systems; and environmental education.
See Andrew's webpage for more description of research and teaching interests http://geography.uoregon.edu/amarcus/index.html
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Phil Gersmehl is the director of the New York Center for Geographic Learning, located at Hunter College. A second edition of his book, Teaching Geography, was published by Guilford Press in 2008.
Phil's research interests include geographic education, spatial cognition, multimedia cartography, GIS, physical geography, and land use policy. He is currently working on a project to translate modern concepts about spatial cognitive development into lessons that are being tested in Canarsie, Harlem, and other challenging urban educational settings.
See Phils webpage for more description of research and teaching interests http://www.geo.hunter.cuny.edu/people/fac/pgersmehl.html
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