Wilson, John (1955–)

John Wilson is one of geography's leading practitioners of geographical information systems (GIS), particularly in the context of environmental concerns. He is a professor of geography at the University of Southern California, where he chairs the department of geography, directs the geographic information science and technology graduate programs as well as the GIS research laboratory, and also holds adjunct appointments as professor in the departments of computer science and civil and environmental engineering. He received his PhD in geography from the University of Toronto, Canada, in 1986. He also holds an LLB honors law degree from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand.

From 1992 to 1997, he was a professor of geography in the department of Earth sciences, an adjunct professor of soil science in the department of plant and soil science, and the director of the Geographic Information and Analysis Center at Montana State University. His early career included positions as assistant professor (1984–1990) and associate professor (1990–1994) of geography, with corresponding adjunct appointments in soil science at Montana State University. He founded the Geographic Information and Analysis Center at Montana State University in 1989 and the GIS Research Laboratory at the University of Southern California in 1997. He has held several visiting appointments in environmental [Page 3103]studies, geography, and planning at the Australian National University, the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, and the University of Waikato in New Zealand.

Wilson's research builds on physical, human, and quantitative emphases in geography. His master's research investigated internal migration in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony using the 1973 census data, and his doctoral dissertation analyzed environmental change in the Lake Simcoe Basin. Nevertheless, his research culminates in GIS tool development, spatial analysis, and environmental modeling. He has published numerous books and articles on these topics, including two edited volumes, Terrain Analysis: Principles and Applications in 2000 and the Handbook of Geographic Information Science in 2007. He is one of the leading geographers actively involved in collaborative, multidisciplinary research with the goal of improving knowledge and understanding of the human impact on both the natural and the built environment. Many of his research projects (see http://www.uscgislab.net) not only contribute to geography but also broaden geographic perspectives to a wide range of academic communities. He has received numerous honors for his research and teaching, the most recent being a Mellon Award for Excellence in Mentoring from the Center for Excellence in Teaching in 2005 and an Albert S. Raubenheimer Outstanding Faculty Award for his research, teaching, and service contributions in 2004, both at the University of Southern California. He has received accolades outside academia with the Special Achievement in GIS Award for Leadership With Geospatial Technology from the Environmental Systems and Research Institute in 2006 and 2008.

Wilson has also led national and international efforts to strengthen academic communities in GIS. He founded the journal Transactions in GIS in 1996 and has served as its editor-in-chief since its inception. He has served on the editorial boards of Applied Geography and Annals of the Association of American Geographers. He chaired the Applied Geography Specialty Group of the Association of American Geographers (1989–1991) and the Research Committee of the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (2002–2005). He served as president of the University Consortium of Geographic Information Science in 2006–2007 and is an active participant in the UNIGIS International Network—a worldwide consortium of more than 20 institutions that collaborate on the development and delivery of online geographic information science academic programs.

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