Professor G. Brent Hall
BA (Hons) (Otago) MA PhD (McMaster) MNZIS
Contact Details
Tel 64 3 479 7613
Email brent.hall@otago.ac.nz
Profile
After completing his PhD at McMaster University in 1980 Brent worked at the University of Guelph (Ontario) before returning to New Zealand to take up a lectureship in Geography at the University of Auckland in 1982. In 1985 he returned to Canada where he worked at Sir Wilfrid Laurier University and in 1987 he was appointed to develop a program in geographic information systems (GIS) at the University of Waterloo. He worked there until September 2007, being promoted to Full Professor and Associate Dean in 1995. He has held the Belle van Zuylen Visiting Chair in Geography at the University of Utrecht (The Netherlands) (1992), an Erskine Fellowship at the University of Canterbury (2004) and a CIES Fellowship in Peru (2005). He has worked extensively on the transfer of spatial information technology to developing countries with a regional focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. His most recent interest is in the development of open source software to facilitate Web-based dialog and creation of locally volunteered spatial information. Brent has co-authored one book, edited another, written numerous book chapters and published over 60 sole or joint authored papers in peer reviewed international journals. He is a recipient of the Horwood Critique Prize from the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (1997), a University-wide award in teaching excellence at the University of Waterloo (2004), and a national award for excellence in teaching Geography from the Canadian Association of Geographers (2006). In 2009 he was a nominee for excellence in post-graduate supervision at the University of Otago.
Teaching
- SURV410 Management Issues in Geographic Information Systems (2010 -)
- SURV208 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (2008)
- SURV208 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (2009 -)
- SURV310 Spatial Databases (2009 -)
Course Coordinator and Lecturer
Contributor
Research
Research Interests
- Open Source Geospatial software
- Collaborative, online GIS for spatial decision support
- Shape-based properties of natural and human-induced boundaries
- Sensitivity analysis in spatial multi-criteria analysis
- Spatial information technology transfer to and use in developing countries
Current Research Projects
- A Semantic Web approach to open source spatio-temporal land registry and cadatstral software development - the OSCAR project
- Participatory asset mapping in the Bulkley Valley British Columbia, in conjunction with the Bulkley Valley Research Centre and Valley Vision/Bulkley Valley Stewardship Coalition
- Open source Web-based software for mapping and dialog on volunteered local knowledge/user generated content - the MapChat project
Research Collaborations
- Associate Professor Rob Feick, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada - Scientific and Local Knowledge
- Professors Tim Nyerges and Piotr Jankowski, University of Washington and San Diego State, USA - EAST2-Web Spatial Decision Support
- Dr. Gustavo Buzai, Dpto. de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Nacional de Luján, Argentina - Spatial Decision Support Applicatons in Latin America
- Dr. Niem Tu Huynh, Department of Geography, Texas State University, San Marcos US - Geography and Tertiary Education
- Associate Professor Peter Whigham, Department of Information Science, University of Otago - Semantic Web and Spatio-temporal Software Development
Research Grants - Completed
- Ford Foundation and the Canadian International Development Agency, 2001 - 2007, The EduCal Project - an online evaluation and spatial decision support tool for school-based primary education in Peru, University of Waterloo, Canada $300,000.00 US
- Geomatics for Informed Decisions (GEOIDE) National Centre of Excellence, 2004 - 2009, Participatory Decision Support for Sustainable Communities - the MapChat project, University of Waterloo, Canada $593,350.00 Cab
Research Grants - Current
- 2011, A Semantic Web approach to application configuration in the land administration domain, Otago University of Otago Research Grant $54,000.00 NZ
- 2009 - 2011, Free and Open Source Cadastral Software Development, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations $42,116.00 US
Research (Postgraduate) Students Supervised 2006 - 2010 (Completed)
- Gang Meng PhD, 2010, School of Planning, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (Supervisor)
- Julia Michel de Chabannes du Reux MSc, 2008, School of Surveying, University of Otago (Primary Advisor)
- Nathan Engler MES, 2007, School of Planning, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (Supervisor)
- Juan Pablo Alperin MA, 2007, Department of Geography, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (Supervisor)
- Brad Noble MA, 2007, Department of Geography, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (Supervisor)
Research (Postgraduate) Students (Current)
- Michael Leahy (2005 -), PhD, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (Supervisor)
- Jim Huebner (2005 -), PhD, School of Planning, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (Supervisor)
- Geoff Hay (2008 -), PhD, School of Surveying, University of Otago (Primary Supervisor)
- Christopher Joseph (2009 -), PhD, School of Surveying, University of Otago (Primary Supervisor)
- Benjamin Quaye (2010 -), PhD, School of Surveying, University of Otago (Primary Supervisor)
- Cliff Patterson (2011 -), PhD, School of Surveying, University of Otago (Primary Supervisor)
- Mark Dyer (2011 -), MAppSci (GIS), School of Surveying, University of Otago (Supervisor)
Responsibilities
- Senate (Member)
- Divisional Board (Member)
- Heads of Departments (Member)
- Polaris II Vessel Management Committee (Member)
- Campbell White Scholarship Panel
- Dean and Head
- School Advisory Board (Chair)
- Executive Committee (Chair)
- Staff Meeting (Chair)
- Admissions Committee (Member)
- Web Committee (Member)
- Undergraduate Committee (ex officio)
- Postgraduate/Research Committee (ex officio)
- Building and Equipment Committee (ex officio)
- IT Committee (ex officio)
- Facilitator for PhD students
University and Division Level
Department Level
Professional Activities
Awards and Achievements Post-2000
- Nominated for excellence in post graduate supervision University of Otago, 2009
- Outstanding Performance Award, Faculty of Environmental Studies, University of Waterloo, 2006.
- Canadian Association of Geographers National Award for Excellence in Teaching Geography, 2006. Citation: http://www.cag-acg.ca/en/brent_hall.html
- Consorcio de Investigación Económica y Social (CIES) Fellowship, Lima, Peru, 2005 - 2006.
- Sixth Environmental Studies Research Lecture, "Bridging the Digital Divide: the use of information and communication technologies and open source software tools to assess school-based education quality in Peru", University of Waterloo, October 7th, 2004.
- Erskine Fellowship, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, June - August, 2003.
- University Distinguished Teacher Award, University of Waterloo, 2002.
- Guest Editor, Cartographica, Special Issue on GIS in Developing Countries, 2002.
Other Positions and Professional Responsibilities
- Adjunct Professor, School of Planning, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (2007 -)
- Adjunct Professor, Department of Geography and Resource Management, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (2007 -)
- Member of Council, New Zealand Institute of Surveyors (2007 -)
Memberships
- New Zealand Institute of Surveyors (2010 -)
- Canadian Institute of Planners (2000 - 2006, currently inactive)
Editorial/Refereeing
- Springer Verlag, New York (1); Prentice Hall, Canada (1); Ideas Group, New Jersey (1); Taylor and Francis (2); Taylor and Francis (1).
- Environmental Modeling and Software (1); Transactions in GIS (5); Journal of Medical Systems (4); Journal of Health Care Systems (1); Computers, Environment and Urban Systems (4); Journal of Geographic Systems (3); Computers and Operations Research (1); International Journal of GIS (5); American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation (1); Conservation Biology (2) Environmental Conservation (1); Journal of Environmental Management (4); Environmental Management (2); Sensors (1); Fisheries Bulletin (1); Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society: Biology (1); Habitat International (2); Bulletin of Marine Science (1); Environment and Planning B (5); Environment and Planning A (2).
Publications
Refereed Published Books 2006 - 2010
G. Brent Hall and Michael G. Leahy (Eds.) Open Source approaches to spatial data handling, Springer, Berlin, September., 2008, 295 pages.
A. Yeung and G. Brent Hall, Spatial Database Systems: design, implementation and project management, Springer, New York, January, 2007, 557 pages.
Refereed Book Chapters 2006 - 2010
G. Brent Hall and Michael G. Leahy "Map-chatting within the Geospatial Web", in Advances in Web-based GIS, Mapping Services and Applications, Li Songnian, S. Dragicevic and B. Veenendaal (Eds), forthcoming, Taylor and Francis, London, 2011.
G. Brent Hall and Michael G. Leahy "Design and implementation of a map-centred synchronous collaboration tool using open source components: the MapChat project" in G. Brent Hall and Michael G. Leahy (Eds) Open Source approaches to spatial data handling, Springer, Berlin, 221 – 245, 2008.
G. Brent Hall and Michael G. Leahy "Internet-based spatial decision support using open source tools", in Shivanand Balram and Suzana Dragicevic (Eds.), Collaborative Geographic Information Systems, Idea Group Publishing, 237-262, 2006.
Refereed Journal Papers 2006 - 2010
Leahy, Michael G. and G. Brent Hall, "A Web 2.0 design for map-based discussions using open source software", International Journal of Open Source Software and Processes, forthcoming, 2011
Roberts, S. A., G. Brent Hall and P. Calamai "Evolutionary multi-objective optimization for landscape system design", Journal of Geographical Systems, forthcoming, 2011.
Roberts S. A. and G. Brent Hall, "Evolutionary multi-objective optimization design for greenlands systems: metric implementations", International Journal of Geographic Information Science, in revision and forthcoming, 2011.
Hall, G. Brent, R. Chipeniuk, Michael G. Leahy R. D. Feick and, "Building community capacity for involvement in conservation management in the mode of direct democracy", Journal of Environmental Management, in revision and forthcoming, 2011.
Hall, G. Brent, R. Chipeniuk, Michael G. Leahy, R. D. Feick, V. Deparaday, "Community-based production of geographic information using open source software and Web 2.0", International Journal of Geographic Information Science, 24(5), 761-781, 2010.
Hall, G. Brent, A. Moore, P. Knight and N. Hankey "The extraction and utilisation of local and scientific geospatial knowledge within the Bluff Oyster Fishery, New Zealand", Journal of Environmental Management, 90, 2055-2070, 2009.
Hall, G. Brent, J. P. Alperin, S. Kerrigan Leone, "El uso de Internet con software libre y fuentes espaciales abiertas para colaborar en la toma de decisiones", GeoFocus, 8, 23-42, 2008.
Tu Hyunh, N., G. Brent Hall, S. Doherty and W. Smith, "Interpreting cognitive maps through sketching and sequence analysis", Canadian Geographer, 52, 2, 222-240, 2008.
Engler N. and G. Brent Hall, "Online spatial data use, availability and quality: the case of Tibet", The Information Society, 23, 345-359, 2007.
Hall G. Brent and C. H. Close, "Local knowledge assessment for a small scale fishery using Geographic Information Systems", Fisheries Research, 83, 11-22, 2007.
Mayall K. and G. Brent Hall, "Landscape grammar 2: application", Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 34, 28-49, 2007.
Meng G. and G. Brent Hall, "A multi-attribute housing quality index and housing quality differentiation in Lima, Peru", Journal of Housing and the Built Environment, 21, 4, 413-439, 2006.
Roberts, S., G. Brent Hall and P. Calamai, "A pre-categorical spatial data meta-model", Environment and Planning B, 33, 6, 881-901, 2006.
Meng, G., G. Brent Hall and S. Roberts, "Multi-group segregation indices for measuring ordinal groups", Computers, Environments and Urban Systems, 30, 275-299, 2006.
Mayall K. and G. Brent Hall, "Landscape grammar 1: spatial grammar theory and landscape planning", Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 32, 895-920, 2006.
Close C. H. and G. Brent Hall, "A GIS-based protocol for the extraction and use of local knowledge in fisheries management planning", Journal of Environmental Management, 78, 4, 341-352, 2006.
Forchuk, C., G. Nelson, G. Brent Hall, "Housing and psychiatric survivors: problems and preferences", Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 42, 1, 42-52, 2006.
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