RSGIS Research Laboratory was established in August 2006 within the Department of Environmental Sciences, College of the Coast and Environment. Formerly the Computer Mapping Science Laboratory established in 1987, the new RSGIS Laboratory is now located in Rm. 2272, Energy, Coast and Environment Building.
Dr. Nina Lam, Professor of Environmental Sciences and E.L. Abraham Distinguished Professor of Louisiana Environmental Studies directs RSGIS Lab.
Mission
The RSGIS Lab mission is to support cutting-edge research and teaching in remote sensing, GIScience, and spatial modeling, and to use our knowledge to help solve environmental problems.
Research Areas
- spatial interpolation,
- fractals,
- land use land cover change detection,
- environmental health assessment,
- disaster resilience to coastal and climate hazards,
- social media analysis,
- dynamic modeling of coastal sustainability in the Mississippi River Delta.
Computational Equipment
The Lab is equipped with computer workstations designed for intensive computing, image processing, simulation, and visualization. Remote sensing, GIS, and statistical software includes ArcGIS, Erdas/Imagine, Matlab, SAS, SPSS, and other open-source software for Bayesian network, neural network, and data mining analyses. Updating and maintaining of the Lab facilities have been funded by external research grants.
Teaching
In addition to the RSGIS Laboratory, the College of the Coast and Environment also has a computer teaching lab located at Rm. 1028 ECE Building. This teaching lab is equipped with multimedia facilities and houses 18 seats for students with computers, software, and a printer. The teaching lab is designed for teaching IT-intensive classes such as Remote Sensing, GIS, coastal modeling and is made accessible for regular classes, workshops, and student projects.
Contribution and Outlook
The Lab has facilitated intense training and mentoring of at least six post-doctoral researchers, 20 PhDs, and 30 MS students, and a number of undergraduate students. We look forward to continuing our mission by developing new knowledge and providing support for high-quality teaching and professional service.