Dr. Tony Grubesic is the Center for Geospatial Sciences director and a professor in the School of Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside. His research and teaching interests are spatial data science, regional development, and public policy evaluation. Author of over 170 research publications, his recent work focuses on community vulnerability, broadband Internet deployment, health disparities, and air transportation systems. Grubesic is also an FAA-certified commercial drone pilot. Tony's research has been funded by the National Academies of Science, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Institute for Museum and Library Services, and many other state and federal agencies. Grubesic holds a Ph.D. from Ohio State University.Dr. Jake Nelson is a geographic information scientist focusing on social and environmental outcomes of humans' interaction with the built and natural environment. He specifically focuses on social and environmental vulnerability as it relates to exogenous shocks that are either anthropogenically or naturally induced. He approaches these phenomena through a spatial lens, using geospatial and statistical techniques and relying on unmanned aerial vehicles as a primary data collection tool. Nelson holds a Ph.D. from Arizona State University.Dr. Ran Wei is a geographic information scientist interested in spatial analysis and optimization to support policy and decision-making in transportation, energy infrastructure, environment sustainability, community resilience, public health, and crime issues. Wei received the 2021 Charles Revelle Rising Star Award from the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. The National Science Foundation, Utah Transit Authorities, U.S. Department of Transportation, National Academies of Sciences, and Regional Science Association International have funded her research. Wei holds a Ph.D. from Arizona State University.
