Spatial Analysis and Modeling - Awards
The Spatial Analysis and Modeling (SAM) Specialty Group traditionally hosts student paper competitions for both graduate and undergraduate students. Beginning in 2011, the first prize of the competition is named John Odland Student Paper Award.
1st Prize
Jiwon Baik (University of California, Santa Barbara)
Maximum Unobstructed Shortest Path between Multipart-Continuous geometries: Enabling novel type of Access Evaluations for Urban Safety
Mengyu Liao (University of Maryland)
A data-driven approach to spatial interaction models of migration: The case of competing destinations and intervening opportunities
2nd Prize
Chengbo Zhang (Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen)
Uncovering the Community Structure and Evolutionary Dynamics of Instant Delivery Networks
3rd Prize
Ehsan Foroutan (Oklahoma State University)
Revealing Key Factors of Heat-Related Illnesses Using Geospatial Explainable AI (GeoXAI) Model
1st Prize
Haoyu Wang (University of Texas Austin)
Using Species Distribution Modeling for Geoforensic Analyses
2nd Prize
Mingzheng Yang (Texas A&M University)
Sleepless Cities under Social Isolation: Geographically and Temporally Revealing Circadian Rhythm Disorders
through Social Media
3rd Prize
Hao Yang (University of Georgia)
Exploring Human Mobility Patterns: A Novel Approach to Sequential Pattern Mining and
Similarity
Measurement
Congcong Miao (University of Connecticut)
Assessing network-based traffic crash risk using prospective space-time scan statistic
method
1st Prize
Changwha Oh (University of Tennessee)
Spatially informed p-dispersion problem and efficient solution approach
2nd Prize
Tyler Hoffman (Arizona State University)
Controlling for spatial confounding and spatial interference in causal inference: Model
selection advice from a computational experiment
3rd Prize
Weiying Lin (Texas A&M University)
Spatial inequalities in street-tree abundance transpire across scales in Houston, TX
Wataru Morioka (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
Spatially-weighted Network Dual K function: Model Development and Application to Healthy
and Unhealthy Food Environment
1st Prize
Lenka Hašová (University of Bristol)
Spatial structure of Spatial Interaction: Using Graph structural information in
Modelling Bipartite Networks
2nd Prize
Meiliu Wu (University of Wisconsin, Madison)
People-based Segregation Indices: Measuring Segregation with Individual’s Activity Space
and Demographics in U.S. 50 Largest Cities Using Social Media
3rd Prize
Mehak Sachdeva (Arizona State University)
Scale and Local Modeling: New perspectives on voting behavior in the United States
Honorable Mention
Jing Xu (University of California - Santa Barbara)
Spatial Optimization for Balancing Workloads in Coverage Modeling
1st Prize
Junghwan Kim (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
An examination of the effects of the neighborhood effect averaging problem (NEAP) on the
assessment of sociodemographic disparities in air pollution exposures: Evidence from Los
Angeles
2nd Prize
Joe Chestnut (University of Denver)
Exploring the Utility of Gini Coefficients as a Measure of Temporal Variation in Public
Transit Travel Time
3rd Prize
Jessica Strzempko (Clark University)
The Flow matrix offers a straightforward alternative to the problematic Markov
matrix
1st Prize
Ziqi Li (Arizona State University)
Measuring Bandwidth Uncertainty in Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression Using
Akaike Weights
2nd Prize
Nana Luo (San Diego State University)
Modeling Human Daily Movement in a Spatially and Temporally Explicit Framework: A
Simulator Integrating Bayesian Network and Activity-based Models
3rd Prize
Paul H. Jung (University of North Carolina at Charlotte)
Multivariate Neighborhood Trajectory Analysis: A Proposal of Functional Data Analysis
Approach
1st Prize
Meifang Li (SunYat-sen University; Dartmouth College)
Modeling of Communicable Disease Transmissions with Real Human Mobility and Disease Data
2nd Prize
James Gaboardi (Florida State University)
A Polygon-Based Approach to Spatial Network Allocation
3rd Prize
Nastaran Pourebrahim (University of North Carolina at Greensboro)
Modeling Trip Distribution using Twitter data and Machine Learning
Honorable Mention
Jarnardan Mainali (Portland State University)
1st Prize
Yoo Min Park (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Multi-Contextual Segregation in Urban Areas
Levi Wolf (University of Bristol)
Single- and Multi-Scale Models of Process Spatial Heterogeneity
2nd Prize
Xiaojun Pu (University of Texas at Dallas)
Modeling Network Autocorrelation in Spatial Interaction Data: With an Application using
Interprovincial Migration Flows of China
1st Prize
Ashkan Gholamialam (University of Missouri)
Modeling Alternative Routes for Bicyclists
2nd Prize
Cody Schank (University of Texas at Austin)
Using a Novel Model Approach to Assess the Distribution and Conservation Status of the
Endangered Baird’s Tapir
3rd Prize
Wangshu Mu (University of Arizona)
A Spatial-Knowledge Enhanced Heuristic for the p-Median Problem
1st Prize
Dara Seidl (San Diego State University)
Privacy and False Identification in Geomasking Techniques
2nd Prize
Alexander Hohl (University of North Carolina at Charlotte)
Accelerated Discovery of Infectious Disease Clusters Using Adaptive Spatiotemporal
Domain Decomposition
3rd Prize
Su Yeon Han (San Diego State University)
Revisiting the Death of Geography in the Social Network Era: Using Social Media
(Twitter) to Measure the Effect of Distance Decay on Spatial Interaction between
Cyberspace and Real Space
Debbie Blackmore (Portland State University)
A Geospatial Tool for Wetland Prioritization at the Watershed Scale
1st Prize
Sinha Parmanand (University of Texas at Dallas) and Xiang Ye (University at
Buffalo-SUNY)
Moran Correlation Coefficient
1st Prize
Paul Holloway (University of Texas at Austin)
Sensitivity Analysis of Step Selection Function Model Parameters
Honorable Mention
Ying Song (Ohio State University)
Modeling Movement Probabilities within Transportation Networks Using Network Time Prisms
and Stochastic Spatio-Temporal Processes
1st Prize
Ruojing Scholz (Texas State University)
Detection of dynamic activity patterns at collective scale from large volume trajectory
data
2nd Prize
Jing Gao (University of Buffalo)
Bias-variance error decomposition for geospatial regression models
3rd Prize
Luyang Ren (Clark University)
Implementing Visual Contrast in Viewshed Determination
Qiaojue Wang
1st Prize
Elizabeth Delmelle (University of North Carolina at Charlotte)
The Reciprocal Relationships of Neighborhood Quality of Life Dynamics: A Structural
Equation Modeling Approach
2nd Prize
Ran Wei (Arizona State University)
Spatial Uncertainty in Forest Management Planning
3rd Prize
Kangping Si (Clark University)
Modeling the Interlocking World City Network with Exponential Random Graph (p*) Models
1st Prize
Li Zhou (University of Cincinnati)
Investigating Gasoline Zone Pricing in Cincinnati by General Linear Modeling
2nd Prize
Yujia Zhang (Clark University)
Characterizing Land Changes over Several Points in Time
3rd Prize
Michael J. Widener (University at Buffalo)
Developing a Parallel Computational Implementation of AMOEBA for Large Spatial Datasets
1st Prize
Lina Cao (University of Utah)
2nd Prize
Xingjian Liu (Texas State University - San Marcos)
Woo Jang (University of Georgia)
1st Place Undergraduate Student Prize (awarded for the first time)
Katherine Johnson (Stanford University)
1st Prize
Yongwan Chun (University of Texas-Dallas)
Modeling Network Autocorrelation within Migration Flows by Spatial Eigenvectors
Jamison F. Conley (Pennsylvania State University)
Using Moment Invariants to Analyze Cluster Shapes and Hypothesize Potential Causes
2nd Prize
Neeti Neeti (Clark University)
Modeling Trends in Phenological Curve Shape Properties Using AVHRR-NDVI Data
1st Prize
Qiang Cai (University of Iowa)
2nd Prize
David Wheeler (Ohio State University)
Youngho Kim (Ohio State University)
1st Prize
Jonathan Schroeder (University of Minnesota)
2nd Prize
Noah Goldstein (University of California at Santa Barbara)
3rd Prize
Soumya Mazumdar (University of Iowa)
1st Prize
Eun-Hye Yoo (University of California at Santa Barbara)
2nd Prize
Eric Delmelle (SUNY-Buffalo)
Richard Middelton (University of California at Santa Barbara)
Emerging Scholar Paper Competition
Ikuho Yamada (IUPUI)
Changjoo Kim (Ohio State University)
Infrastructure design and cost allocation in hub network.
Nicholas Nagle (University of California at Santa Barbara)
A point-based regression analysis of industrial location.
Kai Chi Leung (Clark University)
Incorporation of spatial configuration in land allocation: a threshold approach.
Sang-Il Lee (Ohio State University)
Developing a bivariate spatial association measure: an extension of Moran's I.
The SG judges declined to award a prize in the student paper competition. The emerging scholar prize was awarded to Qing Shen (MIT) for his paper entitled, "An approach to representing the spatial structure of the information society."
Peter Fellows (Syracuse University)
Pat Pellegrinil (Ohio State University, 1996 Ph.D. from SUNY/Buffalo)
Michael Tiefeldorf (Ph.D. student, Wilfrid Laurier University)
The Spatial Analysis and Modeling (SAM) Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers welcomes applications for the annual Student Travel Awards. The SAM specialty group will offer a travel stipend (e.g., $250 per awardee in 2025) to graduate students who plan to travel and present in-person at the AAG Annual Meeting.
Heejun Chang is a Professor of Geography at Portland State University.
His research focuses on water sustainability and resilience using various spatial analysis and modeling methods.
Chang has led transdisciplinary, use-inspired, stakeholder-engaged water research in studying the combined impacts of climate change and urbanization on water quantity and quality, flood and drought hazards, and water-related ecosystem services using spatial analysis, social surveys, and process-based modeling.
He has collaborated on nearly $11 million in research and is the author or co-author of 160 peer-reviewed journal articles, 22 book chapters, and 13 conference papers. Cumulatively, this body of research has contributed to water sustainability at multiple scales for developing climate adaptation strategies.
Chang was recognized by Reuters as the world's top 1000 climate scientists and world's most-cited and the top 2% researchers within their discipline areas since 2020.
Chang received his doctorate in Geography from Penn State University and a master's and a bachelor's degree in Geography from Seoul National University.
He was chair of the Department of Geography from 2013 to 2019 when many junior faculty from underrepresented group were hired.
As a dedicated educator and mentor, Chang has mentored three post-doctoral fellows, 11 doctoral students, 37 master students, 20 undergraduate students, and six high school students.
Also, he has been actively mentoring early career scholars in the field, hosting 11 visiting scholars and three exchange students from overseas.
Many of his former students are leaders in the field, some working in academia as university faculty, while others working in public agencies and private industries.
As a member of the AAG for 27 years, Chang organized numerous special sessions with junior and diverse scholars, with many sessions cosponsored by the Spatial Analysis and Modeling specialty (SAM) group.
While serving as a chair of SAM (2015-2018), Chang, along with the board members, drafted bylaws, created a shared Google Drive to archive SAM-related documents, (re)initiated two awards (student travel awards, emerging scholar awards) for retaining and growing membership.
Additionally, he has been serving as the Editor in Chief of The Professional Geographer since July 2019, making a conscientious effort to improve the decision processing time while diversifying submissions from scholars with diverse origins and backgrounds.
With more papers in focus sections, manuscript submissions have increased, ultimately creating a co-editor in Chief for the journal in 2024.
Chang also reviewed numerous manuscripts, grant proposals, and faculty promotions and hires.
Dr. Kathleen Stewart is professor in the Department of Geographical Sciences and director of the Center for Geospatial Information Science at the University of Maryland. Throughout her career in geospatial science, Dr. Kathleen Stewart has made significant contributions with respect to service. Dr. Stewart is currently President-Elect of the University Consortium of Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) and is also a UCGIS Fellow. The UCGIS supports the academic GIS community on all fronts including research, education, and policies that relate to the use of geospatial information. She has served as a member of the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) (2023-2025), a Federal Advisory Committee sponsored by the Department of the Interior. She has also served on the Geographical and Geospatial Sciences Committee (formerly the Mapping Science Committee) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (2016-2023), which provides a forum for discussing geospatial data, mapping, and analysis and the role they have for impacting our society, and our physical and human environments. She serves as a member of numerous journal editorial boards and was a past associate editor for Computers, Environment and Urban Systems. She is a steering committee member for the International Conference on GIScience and a past steering committee member for the Conference on Spatial Information Theory (COSIT) and regularly serves on conference program committees and reviews for federal or national agencies of several countries. She is a longtime member of the AAG and the SAM-SG.
May Yuan from The University of Texas at Dallas.
Rachel Franklin from Newcastle University.
Li An from San Diego State University.
David Wong from George Mason University.
Janet Franklin from Arizona State University.
Mei-Po Kwan from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Sergio Rey from Arizona State University.
Daniel Griffith from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Alan Murray from Arizona State University.
The emerging scholar award honors early- to mid-career scholars who have made significant contributions to education and research initiatives that are congruent with the mission of AAG-SAM. The candidates must have received their Ph.D. within the last 10 years and must be a member of the AAG-SAM at the time of nomination.
Grant McKenzie is an Associate Professor of Spatial Data Science in the Department of Geography at McGill University, where he leads the Platial Analysis Lab. His research sits at the intersection of geographic information science, behavioral geography, and information technologies, with a focus on how human activity patterns vary across spatial and temporal scales. Grant’s work explores topics such as geoprivacy, mobility analytics, and the ethical use of geospatial data in society. Through the Platial Analysis Lab, Grant leads interdisciplinary projects that combine data science, cartography, and human geography to better understand how people interact with their environments both locally and globally. His research has been applied to domains ranging from shared micromobility and urban accessibility to spatiotemporal analysis of human behavior. In addition to his academic pursuits, Grant has worked as a data scientist and software developer for NGOs and leading tech companies, bridging the gap between theory and practice in spatial data applications.
Dr. Lei Zou is an Assistant Professor (and will be an Associate Professor starting in Fall 2025) in the Department of Geography at Texas A&M University, where he leads the Geospatial Exploration and Resolution (GEAR) Lab. His research focuses on building a resilient, healthy, and sustainable future through responsible thinking, geospatial AI, big data innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community outreach. Guided by the philosophy “Expect the Unexpected,” he develops responsible GIScience theories, methods, and applications. Dr. Zou leads over 20 research projects as PI or Co-PI, including serving as Principal Investigator on a $1.5 million grant from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). His work spans five key themes: (1) developing GeoAI solutions to analyze big data for improving disaster resilience; (2) applying geospatial modeling to enhance environmental health in overburdened communities; (3) leveraging social sensing to understand human–pandemic interactions and improve pandemic management; (4) designing sustainable urban environments using CyberGIS and Digital Twins; (5) revealing and mitigating the impact of social–environmental stressors on sleep health. Dr. Zou has published more than 80 articles in leading journals, conference proceedings, and books. He has received several prestigious honors, including the 2025 Early Career Fellowship in the Human Health and Community Resilience Track from the NASEM Gulf Research Program, the Global Young Scientist Award at the 2022 World Geospatial Developers Conference, and the Best Paper Award from the International Symposium on Geospatial Approaches to Combating COVID-19. Dedicated to mentoring the next generation of scientists and professionals, he currently advises seven Ph.D. students, two M.S. students, and several undergraduates. Several of his doctoral students have secured faculty positions at top-tier universities. Dr. Zou also plays an active leadership role in the academic community. He serves as Vice Chair of the International Cartographic Association’s Commission on Geospatial Analysis and Modeling, Chair of the AAG Geographic Information Sciences & Systems Group (2024–2025), a Board Director of the Cartography and Geographic Information Society, and an editorial board member for the International Journal of Digital Earth and Cartography and Geographic Information Science. He is deeply honored to be the recipient of the 2025 AAG–SAM Emerging Scholar Award.
Yingjie Hu from University at Buffalo.
Song Gao from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
Somayeh Dodge from University of California, Santa Barbara.
Ran Wei from University of California, Riverside.
Wenwen Li from Arizona State University.
Steven Farber from University of Toronto at Scarboroughs.
Yongwan Chun from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Xing-Jian Liu from University of Hong Kong.