My name is Frances Leung. I am excited to be joining the Esri Canada GIS Centres of Excellence to share my experience and insights on a variety of topics related to geospatial science. Through this platform, I aim to curate a series of articles dedicated to exchanging ideas, inspiring others, and sparking meaningful conversations about the “power of where.”

My research focus

Currently, I am conducting my doctoral research at the University of Toronto in the Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment. My research is motivated by a deep passion for nature and plants. This passion has guided my research towards studying land use, land cover, and vegetation changes, especially as they relate to the impacts of climate change and the various stresses caused by human activities on our planet.

The role of remote sensing and GIS in my research

Remote sensing and GIS represent a set of tools and techniques that are essential to my research. These technologies allow me to identify “where” the vegetation of interest is located, determine “what” species are present, monitor “when” new vegetation emerges or undergoes changes. They also enable me to assess the rate at which these changes occur. By addressing key questions related to “what”, “where”, and “when” of a given subject, remote sensing and GIS lay the groundwork for answering multidisciplinary research questions that apply to different fields of science.

Interactive and visually dynamic science communications

As a visual learner, I am particularly drawn to leveraging techniques and tools that enable visualization of events and phenomena in multidimensional spaces such as 2D topographical views and 3D reconstructions. Seeing results in a form that is interactive and visually dynamic supports communicating complex geospatial relationships much more effectively. Maps, scenes and stories connected to a GIS platform form a powerful combo that helps me accomplish just that.

Stay tuned for future posts from me

Aside from my research work, I also enjoy nature photography. Below are a few photos that I took from my travels, plants from the past growing seasons and school campuses where I conduct my research. This introductory post marks the beginning of the series of writings that I will release periodically. I look forward to exploring the dynamic world of GIS together with you all.

Photo credit: Frances Leung