Mapping our Changing World

I am a Senior Researcher and Instructor in the Dutton e-Education Institute. I teach courses within the Penn State Online Geospatial Program and in the Department of Geography. I am also active in several research projects at the Penn State Institutes of Energy & the Environment (IEE) including spatial data management systems, like PASDA, and modeling the land use implications of bio energy production.

"Raechel White received her doctoral degree from the Pennsylvania State University Geography program in 2014. Her doctoral research explored the cognitive processes and knowledge that facilitate remote sensing image interpretation and the use of geovisual analytic approaches to facilitate insight generation from imagery. Prior to that, she studied remote sensing at the University of Idaho for a variety of physical science applications including geological mapping on Mars and forests in Idaho. Raechel's research encompasses a range of approaches to integrating human knowledge, computation, and visualization of remote sensing imagery.

"I am Jennifer (Jenny) Smith Mason, a PhD ABD candidate in the GeoVISTA Center and ChoroPhronesis research unit (formerly Human Factors Lab) in the geography department at Pennsylvania State University. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California by my parents James and Marilyn Smith with my older brother Sean. I currently reside in Los Angeles while finishing my dissertation. I love to ski, snowboard, play soccer, and do most outdoor activities. I graduated from Culver City High School in 2003. I attended Long Beach City College in the fall of 2003 and won a national championship playing soccer. Following my coach to Long Beach State University, I played another year of college soccer.

"I am currently the lead for data visualization and cartographic quality at NASA's Earth Observatory.
Before joining NASA I was an NSF IGERT PhD fellow in Big Data Social Science and Geography at The Pennsylvania State University. At Penn State I researched cartography and geovisual analytics with an emphasis on human-computer interaction, interactive affordances, and big data. My work focused on new forms of map interaction made possible by well constructed visual cues.