Research and Education at
North Carolina State University
Center for Geospatial Analytics

Vaclav Petras

NCSU GeoForAll Lab and Landscape Dynamics Group

Prague, December 18, 2019

Václav Petráš

  • BS & MS in Geoinformatics, ČVUT/CTU (2011, 2013)
  • PhD in Geospatial Analytics, NCSU (2018)
  • Geospatial Research Software Engineer, NCSU

North Carolina State University

  • Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
  • NC State
  • NC State European Center in Prague

Center for Geospatial Analytics

  • interdisciplinary research and teaching center
  • community of >40 researchers and educators from 20 departments

geospatial.ncsu.edu
@NCSUgeospatial

Urban Systems

Figure: Tempe, Arizona, USA

Urban Systems

Figure: Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

FUTURES

FUTure Urban-Regional Environment Simulation

  • Urban growth model
  • Stochastic
  • Patch-based (pixels & objects)
  • Captures spatial pattern
  • Implemented in C, Python, and R
  • geospatial.ncsu.edu/research/FUTURES
  • Meentemeyer et al. 2013,
    Petrasova et al. 2016

FUTURES


Biological Invasions

Figure: Spotted lanternfly

PoPS

Pest or Pathogen Spread Forecasting Framework

  • Forest or agriculture pest spread
  • Simulation and related tools
  • Implemented in C++ and R
  • Tonini et al. 2017, Gaydos et al. 2019

PoPS

  • Open source with only open source dependencies
  • R package (calibration and spread), GRASS GIS module (spread only),
    Python package (under development)
  • Web platform to perform the computations online
  • popsmodel.org

Tangible Landscape

Tangible user interface for geospatial modeling and analysis


tangible-landscape.github.io

State-wide PFAS Chemical Sampling

  • Scheduling and routing software tool to support optimized sampling
  • Over 300 sampling sites in North Carolina

GRASS GIS

  • Used for network optimization, powering Tangible Landscape, ...
  • Developing and extending (e.g., the urbanization model)
  • Benefiting and thus also maintaining

Teaching

  • Open educational resources for courses:
    • Geospatial Analysis and Modeling
    • Geospatial Computing and Simulations
    • UAV/lidar Data Analytics
    • Tools for Open Geospatial Science
  • More than 10 workshops and tutorials
    • Geodesign with Blender
    • From GRASS GIS novice to power user
    • Spatio-temporal data handling and visualization in GRASS GIS, ...
  • See geospatial.ncsu.edu/geoforall/courses.html

Open Positions

  • Multiple new positions
    • postdoctoral scholars
    • research scientists
    • fully funded PhD in Geospatial Analytics
  • Dates
    • Review begins in January; will continue until the positions are filled
    • Start dates are flexible
    • For PhD, deadline February 1, start date in mid August (every year)
  • Details: geospatial.ncsu.edu/news (geospatial.ncsu.edu?p=12496)

Collaboration & Sharing

  • Self-funded visiting scholar
  • FUTURES, PoPS, Tangible Landscape, ... (all open source)
  • Contributing to GRASS GIS
  • Add your perspective to our open teaching materials
  • ...

Photo credit: Brent Brafford, NC State University Libraries

GeoForAll

  • Sharing teaching materials, open source geospatial software in research, ...
  • Worldwide network of research and teaching labs
    • NCSU GeoForAll Lab
    • GeoForAll Lab at the Czech Technical University in Prague
    • ...

geospatial.ncsu.edu

Email: vpetras@ncsu.edu
Twitter: vaclavpetras
GitHub: wenzeslaus
GitLab: vpetras