EV3-3219,
ext.
48772
su-yin.tan@uwaterloo.ca
Su-Yin joined the Department in 2008 and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on the theory and application of remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) technologies. Her interdisciplinary research interests are in the field of geomatics and spatial data analysis with diverse application areas within both physical and human geography. Current research projects include exploring threshold concepts and teaching in the GISciences, crime mapping in Toronto and the Kitchener-Waterloo region, and remote sensing for examining biogeophysical patterns and mapping land use and land cover.
Applied Geomatics Research Laboratory
Key
Areas
of
Graduate
Supervision
Remote
sensing,
geographic
information
systems
(GIS),
spatial
statistics
and
data
analysis,
vegetation
and
climatology,
public
health
and
crime
mapping,
medical
geography,
environmental
monitoring,
GIS
education
Recent
Courses
Taught
GEOG
210:
Image
Interpretation
and
Photogrammetry
GEOG/PLAN
281:
Introduction
to
Geographic
Information
Systems
(GIS)
GEOG/PLAN
481:
Geographic
Information
Systems
(GIS)
Project
GEOG
607:
Applications
of
Geographic
Information
Systems
Research
Interests
My
research
interests
are
in
the
field
of
spatial
data
analysis
and
geomatics
with
diverse
application
areas
that
span
physical
and
human
geography
disciplines.
I
teach
undergraduate
and
graduate
courses
on
the
theory
and
application
of
remote
sensing
and
geographic
information
systems
(GIS)
technologies.
Current
research
projects
include
exploring
threshold
concepts
and
teaching
in
the
GISciences,
crime
mapping
in
Toronto
and
the
Kitchener-Waterloo
region,
and
remote
sensing
for
examining
biogeophysical
patterns,
such
as
how
land
cover
and
ecosystem
properties
are
affected
by
surface
climate
and
weather
systems.
Previous
projects
have
included
studying
nitrogen
uptake
in
montane
forests
of
the
Andes
(Peru)
and
a
NASA-funded
project
exploring
the
application
of
GIS
and
data
mining
techniques
for
understanding
high
dimensional
remotely
sensed
images
and
climate
data.
My
PhD
research
at
the
University
of
Cambridge
(UK)
focused
on
developing
similar
spatial
data
analysis
methodologies
from
a
medical
geography
perspective,
exploring
the
links
between
public
health
and
crime,
a
project
funded
by
the
Bill
and
Melinda
Gates
Foundation.
Currently,
I
hold
the
position
of
Chair
of
the
Space
Applications
Department
in
the
Space
Studies
Program
(SSP)
at
the
International
Space
University
(ISU).
I
have
a
keen
interest
in
continuing
research
in
the
related
areas
of
conservation
science
and
environmental
health,
while
focusing
on
the
application
of
statistical
tools
and
geographic
information
technologies.
Recent Publications
- Tan, S.-Y., 2013. Meteorological Satellite Systems. Springer, New York.
- Fisher, J.B., Stitch, S., Malhi, Y., Fisher, R.A., Huntingford, C., and Tan, S.-Y., 2010. Carbon cost of plant nitrogen acquisition: A mechanistic, globally applicable model of plant nitrogen uptake, retranslocation, and fixation. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 24: GB1014.
- Tan, S-Y., 2010. Effects of Deforestation on Soil Carbon in Tropical Forests. Conservation International, Arlington, VA.
- Tan, S-Y. and Haining, R., 2009. An urban study of crime and health using an exploratory spatial data analysis approach. In: Gervasi, O, Taniar, D., Murgante, B., Lagana, A., Mun, Y. (eds.), Computational Science and Its Applications - ICCSA 2009: International Conference, Seoul, Korea, Proceedings, Part I. Springer.
- Tan, S-Y., 2009. Effects of Deforestation on Soil Carbon in Boreal Forests. Conservation International, Arlington, VA.
- Fisher, J.B., Tan, S.-Y., Malhi, Y., Fisher, R.A., Sitch, S., and Huntingford, C., 2008. A globally applicable, mechanistic model of plant nitrogen uptake, retranslocation and fixation. American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA.
- Tan, S-Y, 2007. Regional analysis of the spatial patterns of crime and health. Joint Congress of the European Regional Science Association (47th Congress) and Association de Science Régionale de Langue Française (44th Congress), Paris, France. (Peer-reviewed conference proceedings)
- Tan, S-Y., 2007. The influence of temperature and precipitation climate regimes on vegetation dynamics in the U.S. Great Plains: A satellite bioclimatology case study. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 28 (22): 4947-4966.
- Tan, S-Y, 2005. Modelling spatial patterns of vegetation activity and climatological parameters in the U.S. Great Plains: a satellite bioclimatology case study. 31st International Symposium on Remote Sensing of the Environment Proceedings, St. Petersburg, Russia. (Peer-reviewed conference proceedings)