John "Jack" M. Hill, Ph.D.

Director of Collaborative Programs - Sam Houston State University
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
jackhill@shsu.edu

 

Research Interests:

My research interests are in the application of remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) to help research and begin to monitor, manage, and/or solve emerging societal issues with a focus on biology, ecology, and the environment. These issues include, but are not limited to: invasive species, climate change, disasters, and sustainable energy development. A geographic information system (GIS) integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced data and information. GIS allows one to input, integrate, analyze, model, interpret, and visualize spatial data in ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, reports, and charts. A GIS helps answer questions, solve problems, and even market new research ideas by observing spatial data in a way that is easily understood and shared.

Specific to the goals of the Texas Invasive Species Institute (TISI), I will be involved in the early stages of acquiring and integrating up-to-date, highest spatial resolution available, state-wide (Texas), digital data sets (i.e., ecological systems, geology, topography, hydrology, land cover, protected areas, etc.) into a GIS that will be appropriate for the study and management of invasive species. These maps will initially be used as a foundation to display data gathered by citizen scientists and researchers that report the location of existing and new communities of invasive species.

Click here to view Dr. Hill's CV