Before building dashboards or creating visualizations in Tableau—or even preparing data for use in ArcGIS Pro—the data itself needs to be structured, clean, and ready for analysis. While some data preparation can be done directly in Tableau or ArcGIS Pro, Tableau Prep provides a dedicated environment for cleaning, combining, and shaping data before analysis begins…. Continue reading
Understanding Raster Operators in GIS: Local, Focal, Zonal, and Global Analysis
The language behind raster analysis Map algebra is a conceptual language designed specifically for cell-based geographic information systems. It provides the theoretical foundation for cartographic modeling, that is, using maps not just to display data, but to analyze and derive new spatial information. The idea of map algebra comes from work originally presented by Joe… Continue reading
Stack, Clip, Intersect! How GIS Overlay Analysis Turns Maps into Answers
The Power of Overlay: Making Maps Think for You Maps are great at showing us where things are, but GIS goes a step further by helping us understand how things relate to each other spatially. One of the most powerful ways GIS does this is through overlay analysis, a technique that works with both vector… Continue reading
What on Earth Are Thiessen Polygons and Why Should We Care?
If you’ve ever wondered how to split an area fairly without starting a territorial argument, Thiessen polygons (also called Voronoi polygons) are your new best friend. Think of them as the GIS equivalent of drawing invisible “zones of influence” around points, each polygon claiming the area closest to its point compared to any other.
My Message for Middle School Delegates at the Model UN in Boston
Closing the Gender Gap in STEM Careers, Improving Living Conditions in Informal Settlements and Urban Slums, The Situation in the DRC, and The State of Kosovar Independence.
Seeing the Patterns: How Spatial Analysis Reveals Hidden Stories in Conflict Zones
Have you ever wondered why certain types of conflict seem to cluster in specific regions — or why some areas remain peaceful? Traditional analysis might count how many incidents occur. Spatial analysis lets us see how those incidents are arranged — are they clustered around borders, along roads, or near population centers? For example, in… Continue reading
Preparing Excel Tables for ArcGIS Pro
Working with GIS often starts with good data—and for many of us, that means working with Excel tables. Before importing your spreadsheets into ArcGIS Pro, it’s important to clean and format them properly. A little preparation upfront can save you a lot of time (and errors) later on. To make this easier, I’ve created a… Continue reading
The Fundamentals of Coordinate Systems
Coordinate systems and map projections are super important because they help us accurately represent locations on Earth, align data from different sources, and minimize distortions when we create flat maps from a round planet. Without a consistent coordinate system, like latitude and longitude, we wouldn’t be able to pinpoint locations or analyze spatial data properly…. Continue reading
The Hidden Bias in Maps
Learning the Modifiable Spatial Unit Problem (MAUP) Have you ever noticed how the way we draw boundaries on a map can totally change the story the data tells? Think about it: if we look at average income by State, we might see big differences county by county… But if we zoom in and look at… Continue reading
Introduction to GIS Data: Choosing, Understanding, and Using It Responsibly
Choosing the Right Layers in GIS When you’re first exploring a data portal, it can be tempting to download and add every layer you see. After all, more data feels like more power, right? But in GIS, adding too much information can quickly lead to cluttered maps, longer processing times, and even misleading results.