Jennifer Swift

• Research Associate, University of Southern California, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2000 – 2001

Research, Teaching, Practice, and Clinical Appointments

• Associate Professor (Teaching), University of Southern California, Spatial Sciences Institute, 2013-06-06-2024-05-15
• Assistant Professor (Teaching), University of Southern California, Spatial Sciences Institute , 2011-2013
• Assistant Professor (Teaching), University of Southern California, Department of Geography, 2009-2011
• Research Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 2001-2009
• Assistant Professor, Department of Earthquake Engineering, Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, Bogaziçi University, 1996-1999

PostDoctoral Appointments

• Research Associate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 2000 – 2001

Summary Statement of Research Interests

My research involves collaborative, cross-disciplinary projects that focus on five areas: (1) web GIS and mobile tool development of spatial decision support tools for social media risk, geoprivacy and geoethics, such as evaluation of recreational open space; (2) development of information architectures for enterprise geodatabase organization and dissemination of spatial data, such as geotechnical and geophysical data; (3) designing web-based map services for online volunteered geographic information data gathering tools, digital libraries and archives, and assessment of cloud-based architectures to support these types of projects; (4) development of teaching innovations in hybrid and residential classrooms and field data gathering methodologies in the spatial sciences, both in technology and pedagogy, in particular in the fields of web GIS and CyberGIS; and (5) measuring the impact of the web and mobile devices on students’ learning and how this affects how we teach spatial thinking across disciplines. Examples of past research activities in spatial analysis include assessments of the spatio-temporal earthquake vulnerability and risk in the Los Angeles area, recharge suitability analyses in southern California, and data modeling projects involving participation in development of US-British geotechnical and geophysical data dictionaries, XML Schemas, centrifuge data dictionary and model, and supporting schema-handling programming for engineering data modeling.

Research Keywords

Cloud, Data, Spatial Database, Earthquake, GIS, 3D, Geographic Information Science, Geoprivacy, Geoethics, Information Technology, IT, Mobile, Modeling, Programming, Spatial, Teaching, Vulnerability, Web, CyberGIS

Research Specialties

• GIS Web Tool Development
• GIS Mobile Application Development
• Innovative Hybrid Teaching Methodologies in Web GIS and CyberGIS
• Social Media Risk Awareness / Geoprivacy / Geoethics
• GIS Programming & Customization
• Spatial Database Design
• Spatial Data Modeling / Metadata
• Earthquake Vulnerability / Risk Assessment

Detailed Statement of Research Interests

Dr. Swift’s research interests involve collaborative, cross-disciplinary projects that focus on GIS web, mobile and desktop tool development, social media and geoprivacy, innovation in teaching methodologies in CyberGIS, spatial analysis, and data modeling. Her work concentrates on five areas: GIS Web & Mobile Tool Development: The development and testing of (1) web GIS and mobile spatial decision support tools, such as for social media risk awareness, evaluation of recreational open space, and biological cataloging and conservation, for example the Green Visions for the 21st Century project; (2) information architectures for internal enterprise and external dissemination of spatial and engineering data, such as the COSMOS/PEER-LL 2L0 series projects related to archiving and web dissemination of geotechnical and geophysical data projects; (3) web and mobile map services for online volunteered geographic information data gathering tools, public and private digital libraries and archives, and comparison and usage of cloud-based, super-computing (CyberGIS) versus local server architectures in regards to ease and speed of development and implementation of these types of web-based applications; (4) development of teaching innovations in online and residential classrooms and field data gathering methodologies in the spatial sciences, both in regards to technology and pedagogy, in particular in web GIS and CyberGIS; and (5) measuring the impact of the web and mobile devices on undergraduate and graduate students and how this affects how we teach spatial thinking across disciplines. Dr. Swift’s web and mobile tool development projects with M.S. students focus on social media spatial risk awareness (Int. J. Geoinformatics. 9(2): 21-27), new web tools for the aviation industry, health sciences projects, solving local government problems in civil infrastructure development, transportation network modeling, urban planning and social welfare/science, cost-benefit analysis of unmanned aerial systems for surveying and mapping, and environmental and habitat cataloging and planning. Teaching activities include the development of (1) innovations in online and residential blended classroom and field teaching methodologies, in regards to technology as well as pedagogy; and (2) measuring the impact of the web and mobile devices on undergraduates and graduate students and how this affects how we teach spatial thinking across disciplines. Examples of spatial analysis projects include assessments of the spatiotemporal earthquake vulnerability and risk in the Los Angeles area and natural and human-caused threats in southern California, and recharge suitability analyses in southern California. Data modeling studies include participation in development of US-British geotechnical and geophysical data dictionaries and XML Schemas, and development of centrifuge data dictionary and model and supporting schema-handling programming. Dr. Swift studied the use of earthquake scenarios to research the changing social and built environments to develop a regional model describing how the seismic vulnerability of the Los Angeles area has changed over time, for instance during the past 50 years. Physically-based models for ground shaking, fault rupture, liquefaction, and land sliding were calibrated to estimate future and historical impacts in the local area. Since the protocols and methodology have been developed for the Los Angeles Basin (Earthquake Spectra. 28 (1): 347-365), they can now be tested for their applicability in a seismic zone in the southeast US to illustrate what would be required to conduct these types of assessments in other parts of the country. Dr. Swift’s past data modeling research involved i.e. (1) development of an internationally collaborative Geotechnical Data Dictionary and Model, making it GML compliant and defining geophysical objects within the data dictionary and model. Dr. Swift was the project IT team leader (development of the system architecture) for the Geotechnical Virtual Data Center Website since the initiation of the 2L0 projects in 2001, and (2) in the development and refinement of the Centrifuge Data Model (CDM) for NEESgrid, part of a collaborative effort including the Equipment Sites (ES, UC Davis and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), the University of Southern California and Stanford University. Her responsibilities included development of the CDM objects, ingestion of original data output formats into the model, and reporting on the usability of NEES data models. Dr. Swift also worked in collaboration with Univ. of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) IT Research personnel on the Brigham Young University NEESgrid Field Experimentation and Monitoring Installation “Permanently Instrumented Field Sites for Study of Soil-Foundation-Structure Interaction”. Currently and in the near future, Dr. Swift is focusing her research activities on developing (1) unique web and mobile programming applications focusing on social media spatial risk awareness and geoprivacy, or location intelligence, and on emergency preparedness and response in the event of significant natural disasters; and (2) on developing innovative online and residential teaching methodologies to meet the changing needs of undergraduate and graduate students, who increasingly wish to work with high-performance as well as local computing resources remotely as well as locally. The goal for the latter is to harness her 16 years of teaching experience to create effective “flipped” learning environments for teaching in the residential classroom.

Contracts and Grants Awarded

• Development of a management system and geographic interface for biological resource data, (Dept Defense Natural Resource Legacy Grant Program), Travis Loncore, $100,000, 2009 – 2011
• RUASI Risk Gap Analysis, (MLC & Associates, Costa Mesa CA), John P. Wislon, $40,000, 2009-2010
• Development and Testing of Geocoding Services for the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, (Northrop Grumman & Centers Disease Control Prevent), John Wislon, Jennifer Swift, $130,000, 2008 – 2009
• Modification of the COSMOS-PEER LL Pilot GVDC System Architecture and Implementation, Task 2L03, (COSMOS and PEER Program of Applied Earthquake Eng.), Jennifer Swift, $25,650, 2005 – 2008
• Upper Los Angeles River: Recharge Suitability Analysis, (Mountains Restoration Trust), John Wislon, $80,000, 2006 – 2007
• Phase III of Green Visions Plan for 21st Century Southern California, a non-regulatory habitat cons, (Wildlife Conservation Agency), Jennifer Wolch, John Wislon, Travis Loncore and Jennifer Swift, $397,800, 2006-2007
• Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Supplement to NSF HSD Award, (National Science Foundation), John Wilson, Jennifer Swift, $6,000, 2006-2007

USC Funding

• RTCP Faculty Development Grant. RTPC Promoted Faculty Development Funds Request: Major support for participation in conferences, $1500, 2016-2017
• USC Undergraduate Research Associates Program (URAP). SunSmart and GeoDesign: A Pathway for Human and Community Health; PI J.N. Swift and Co-PI D.M. Ruddell, Spatial Sciences Institute, Co-PI Co-PI M.G. Cockburn, Preventive Medicine, USC/Keck: This project provides USC GeoDesign majors with applied experience in spatial science and GeoDesign in public health interventions that can improve sun exposure behaviors among children & adolescents., $6400, 2016-2017
• 2011-2012 NTT Faculty Development Grant. USC GIST Courses and Program Development: Support for faculty course and program development., $1500, 06/23/2011 – 06/23/2012
• University of Southern California WiSE (Women in Science and Engineering). Establishing a National Geotechnical and Geophysical Virtual Data Center at USC: Major Support for Faculty, $15000, 2006 – 2009
• USC Undergraduate Research Associates Program (URAP). Characterization of Traffic Proximity to Children and Associated Environmental Justice Socioeconomics: Summer 2009, $6000, 2008-2009
• Undergraduate Research Funds (SURF) . Socio-economic Disparities in Health Costs of School Proximity to Major Transportation Networks: USC Office of the College Dean, Summer 2009, $6000, 2008-2009
• USC Undergraduate Research Program, Summer 2007. Collaborative Project: Development of a Web-Based Hydrologic Information System: Collaborative Project: Development of a Web-Based Hydrologic Information System, $6000, 2007-2008
• USC Provost’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship. Southern California Soil Mapping and Soil Data Utilization in the USC GIS Research Laboratory: Southern California Soil Mapping and Soil Data Utilization in the USC GIS Research Laboratory, $3000, 2007-2008

Conference Presentations

• Sun Protection Planning Using Geospatial Analysis (with Nida Soe*, Diana Kim*, Loraine Escobedo, Myles Cockburn, Jennifer Swift, Darren Ruddell, Kim Miller, and Marlene Caldera) , Esri User ConferenceTalk/Oral Presentation, USC Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Programs, URAP , San Diego, CA, 07/10/2017 – 07/14/2017
• CyberGIS Curriculum Development in Higher Education (Paper Session Chair and Co-Organizer) , American Association of Geographers (AAG) Annual MeetingTalk/Oral Presentation, USC Spatial Sciences Institute, Boston, MA, 04/05/2017 – 04/09/2017
• Sun Exposure Reduction Recommendations for Elementary School Playgrounds in Los Angeles: A Service Learning Project for Undergraduates (with Diana Kim*, Nida Soe*, Myles Cockburn, Kim Miller, Marlene Caldera, Loraine Escobedo, Jennifer Swift, and Darren Ruddell) , American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting (AAG) Annual MeetingTalk/Oral Presentation, USC Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Programs, URAP , Boston, MA, 04/05/2017 – 04/09/2017
• Alternative “SunSmart” Landscapes for Elementary School Playgrounds: A Geodesign Approach (with Diana Kim*, Nida Soe*, Darren Ruddell, Myles Cockburn, Jennifer Swift, Marlene Caldera, Loraine Escobedo, and Kim Miller) , Seventh Annual Los Angeles Geospatial SummitTalk/Oral Presentation, USC Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Programs, URAP , Los Angeles, CA, 02/24/2017
• A Practical Approach to Overcoming Barriers To Teaching CyberGIS-Related Science and Skillsets in Undergraduate And Graduate Curricula , CyberGIS Curriculum Workshop for Synthesizing Education MaterialsTalk/Oral Presentation, National Science Foundation (NSF), Invited, San Francisco, CA, 04/02/2016 – 04/03/2016
• Teaching Web and Mobile GIS (Panel Chair, Co-Organizer and Panelist) , American Association of Geographers (AAG) Annual MeetingRoundtable/Panel, USC Spatial Sciences Institute, San Francisco, CA, 04/01/2016
• Teaching Programming in Spatial Sciences Curricula , American Association of Geographers (AAG) Annual MeetingTalk/Oral Presentation, USC Spatial Sciences Institute, Invited, San Francisco, CA, 03/29/2016
• Visualizing Journeys as Transections – An Innovative ArcGIS Toolbox Toolbox (with AJ Bengoa, Philip Ethington, Jennifer Swift* and Robert Vos) , 2016 Esri Developer SummitTalk/Oral Presentation, USC Spatial Sciences Institute, Palm Springs , 03/13/2016
• Student Projects: Emergency Response, Collector & ArcGIS.com , 2014 Esri Education GIS Conference, San Diego CATalk/Oral Presentation, USC Spatial Sciences Institute, http://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/educ14/abstracts/a1377.html, 07/13/2014
• Teaching Mobile GIS with Esri ArcGIS Runtime SDK for Android , 2014 Esri Education User Conference, San Diego, CATalk/Oral Presentation, USC Spatial Sciences Institute, http://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/educ14/abstracts/a163.html, 07/12/2014
• Modeling Coffee-Berry-Borer (CBB) Establishment and Spread in Hawaii with Python (with Flora Paganelli* and Karen Kemp) , 2013 Esri User ConferenceTalk/Oral Presentation, USC Spatial Sciences Institute, http://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/proc13/index.html, 07/10/2013
• ArcGIS Server Hosted on Local Virtual Machines vs Cloud (EC2) (with Flora Paganelli) , 2013 Esri Education User Conference, San Diego CATalk/Oral Presentation, Sponsor: Spatial Science Institute, http://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/educ13/index.html, 07/09/2013
• The Impact of Web and Mobile GIS on How We Teach , American Association of Geographers (AAG) Annual MeetingTalk/Oral Presentation, USC Spatial Sciences Institute, http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/AbstractDetail.cfm?AbstractID=5349, 04/13/2013
• Models of Online Learning: What’s Old, What’s New? , American Association of Geographers (AAG) Annual MeetingRoundtable/Panel, Geography Education Specialty Group, and USC SSI, Invited, http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/SessionDetail.cfm?SessionID=16667, 04/12/2013
• GIS and Spatial Thinking Across Disciplines , USC Faculty Forum: Spatial Thinking and GIS Mapping Technologies Across DisciplinesTalk/Oral Presentation, USC Center for Scholarly Technology, Invited, http://cst.usc.edu/events/details/?event_id=899043, 11/16/2012
• At the Forefront: GIST Graduate Programs Spatial Sciences Institute (SSI) @ USC , Los Angeles County GIS DayTalk/Oral Presentation, Spatial Sciences Institute, http://egis3.lacounty.gov/eGIS/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/GIS-Day-2012-Final-Boo, 11/14/2012
• USC Beta Tests Esri’s ArcGIS Server “Campus Edition” Online Courses , 2012 Esri Education User Conference, San Diego CATalk/Oral Presentation, USC Spatial Sciences Institute, http://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/educ12/abstracts/a1037.html, 07/21/2012 – 07/26/2012
• GIS Education Programs Panel , Second Annual Los Angeles Geospatial Summit 2012Roundtable/Panel, USC Spatial Sciences Institute, Invited, http://spatial.usc.edu/index.php/2012/03/second-annual-la-geospatial-summit/, 04/30/2012
• Pedagogical Challenges Adapting Graduate Geography Courses to Online Curriculums , American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting, 2012, New York, NYTalk/Oral Presentation, USC: GIST Faculty Professional Development Grant, http://meridian.aag.org/callforpapers/program/AbstractDetail.cfm?AbstractID=4833, 02/25/2012
• Proximity Analysis Web Map Viewer (& Live Online Demo) , Burden of DiseaseTalk/Oral Presentation, South Coast Air Quality Management District , Invited, USC, Los Angeles, at HSC, October 17-18, 2011, 10/17/2011
• Advanced Technologies in the Virtual Classroom – University of Southern California Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) Graduate Program , CUNY 9th Annual IT Conference 2010Talk/Oral Presentation, Citrix Systems, Inc., Invited, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, 12/03/2010
• Desktop Management Simplified With Desktop Virtualization – USC GIST Graduate Program. , Texas Community College Technology Forum 2010Talk/Oral Presentation, Citrix Systems, Inc., Invited, Collin College, Plano, TX, 11/05/2010
• Mapping the Health Risks of NOx Traffic Emissions for Schools in Los Angeles County , Association of Pacific Coast GeographersPoster, USC, San Diego, California, 2008-2009
• Green Visions Digital Soil Map , Association of Pacific Coast GeographersPoster, USC, Long Beach, California, 2007-2008

Other Presentations

• Transforming the Energy and Utilities Industries with GIS, Jennifer Swift, Gary Mgeryan, Miriam Navarro and Chad Johnson, http://gis.usc.edu/msp-resources/webinars/transforming-the-energy-and-utility-industries-with-gis/, 2015-2016
• USC’s GIST MS Programs: Spatial Application Development Track, Jennifer Swift, Matt Sheehan and Andy Gup, http://gis.usc.edu/msp-resources/webinars/spatial-application-development-and-mobile-gis/, 2014-2015
• USC MS and Certificate GIST Programs and the Fifth Annual Geospatial Summit, USC MS and Certificate GIST Programs and the Fifth LA County Health GIS Quarterly Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, 2014-2015
• USC GIST Graduate Programs’ Course and Technology Demo, USC GIST Webinar: Daniel Warshawsky and Jennifer Swift, http://gis.usc.edu/msp-resources/webinars/live-course-and-technology-demonstration/, 2012-2013
• Meet the Faculty – New Track Focus, USC GIST Webinar: Darren Ruddell, Karen Kemp, Jennifer Swift and Darlene Lakes, http://gis.usc.edu/msp-resources/webinars/meet-the-faculty-new-track-focus/, 2012-2013
• Creating An Outstanding Resume – A Guide for GIST Graduates., USC GIST Webinar: J O’Connor, R MacNab, J Swift, http://gisonline.usc.edu/news-resources/gist-webinars-podcasts/webinar-october-23-2012/, 2012-2013
• Introduction to USC Career Services & What We Do – Helping GIST Graduates Find Jobs & Internships, USC GIST Webinar: D Johnson, J Swift, http://gis.usc.edu/webinars/2012/webinar-20121002.asp, 2012-2013
• Using Los Angeles Regional Imagery Acquisition Consortium (LAR-IAC) Data in GIST Courses and MS Thesis Research, USC GIST Webinar: D Peck, J Swift, http://gisonline.usc.edu/news-resources/gist-webinars-podcasts/webinar-july-10-2012/, 2011-2012
• Introducing Los Angeles Regional Imagery Acquisition Consortium (LAR-IAC) Data, USC GIST Webinar: M Greninger, D Goldberg and J Swift, http://gisonline.usc.edu/news-resources/gist-webinars-podcasts/webinar-october-23-2012/, 2011-2012
• Required Courses: A Closer Look at USC GIST Programs’ Required Courses., USC GIST Webinar: Q&A Session – J Swift, K Kemp, D Ruddell, http://gisonline.usc.edu/news-resources/gist-webinars-podcasts/webinar-september-27-2011/, 2011-2012
• Meet the Faculty of the GIST Programs, USC-GIST Webinar: Meet the Faculty of the GIST Programs – J Swift, J Hastings, D Ruddell, http://gisonline.usc.edu/news-resources/gist-webinars-podcasts/webinar-august-23-2011/, 2011-2012
• USC Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) Online Graduate Programs , Geospatial Jobs and the 2010 Economy – Thursday, January 21, 2010 , Directions Magazine Online Webinar: http://apb.directionsmag.com/archives/7177-Geospatial-Jobs-and-the-2010-Economy-Webinar-Announcement.html, 2009-2010

Book Chapters

• Weidemann, C., Swift, J. N., Kemp, K. K. (2015). Geosocial footprint and concerns in geoprivacy. In Thatcher, Jim, Britta Ricker, Andy Shears and Joe Eckert (Eds). The Geoweb and Geography: (Re) Thinking Research in the advent of Big Data. Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press.

Journal Article

• Weidemann, C., Swift, J. N. (2013). Social Media Location Intelligence: The next Privacy Battle – An ArcGIS add-in and Analysis of Geospatial Data Collected from Twitter.com. International Journal of Geoinformatics. Vol. 9 (2), pp. 21-27.
• Swift, J. N., Le, T. N., Wilson, J. P. (2012). Estimated Temporal Variation of Losses Due to a Recurrence of the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake. Earthquake Spectra. Vol. 28 (1), pp. 347-365. EERI

Proceedings

• Ngo, V., Swift, J. N., Chiang, Y. (2015). Visualizing Land Reclamation in Hong Kong: A Web Application. Rio de Janeiro. Proceedings of the 27th International Cartographic Conference, 16th General Assembly.

• Interactive Online Mapping Application, Mapping neighborhood scale traffic emissions in Southern California. Developed pilot proximity analysis web map viewer, using Esri ArcGIS Server and Flex., 2011-2012

• Esri GIS Hero, Fall 2018
• National Association of Professional Women (NAPW) VIP Woman of the Year Circle, 2015-2016

Administrative Appointments

• Director of Graduate Studies, 05/16/2014 – 05/15/2015
• Director of Graduate Studies, 05/16/2013 – 05/15/2014
• Director of Graduate Studies, 05/16/2012 – 05/15/2013
• Director of Graduate Studies, 05/16/2011 – 05/15/2012

Committees

• Member, USC GeoDesign Undergraduate Committee, 2011 – 2017
• Member, Provost’s Advisory Committee on Work and Family Life, University of Southern California, 2016-2017
• Member, Committee on Work and Family Life, University of Southern California, 2015 – 2016
• Member, Spatial Sciences Institute Executive Committee. Consists of the directors of SSI, the GIST Programs, the Undergraduate Degree Program, and the SSI Research team., 2013 – 2015
• Chair, USC Spatial Sciences Institute Server & IT Working Group, 2011 – 2014
• Co-Chair, USC Spatial Sciences Institute Spatial Roundtable, University of Southern California, 2012 – 2013
• Member, University of Southern California Task Force on Graduate Education, 2005-2006

Other Service to the University

• Program Director, Esri Development Center (EDC), USC Spatial Sciences Institute: http://spatial.usc.edu/index.php/esri-development-center/, 2012 – 2017

Committees

• Member, Education Committee, University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS), 2014 – 2016
• Member, GIS Education Community Advisory Board, Esri Education User Conference, San Diego CA, 07/2015

Conferences Organized

• Member of Organizing Committee, COSMOS Workshop on Data Archiving and Web Dissemination of Geotechnical Data II, Newport Beach, CA, 06/21/2004 – 06/23/2004
• Member of Organizing Committee, Workshop on COSMOS Data Archiving and Web Dissemination of Geotechnical Data , Richmond, CA, 10/04/2001 – 10/05/2001

Editorships and Editorial Boards

• Co-Editor, COSMOS Workshop on Archiving and Web Dissemination of Geotechnical Data, Richmond, CA, October 4-5, 2001. PEER, COSMOS Publication No. CP-2001/03: 1-3, 2001

Professional Offices

• Secretary, California Geographic Information Association (CGIA), 2016 – 2017
• Board of Directors. Director representing education., California Geographic Information Association (CGIA), 2014 – 2017

Professional Memberships

• National Association of Professional Women (NAPW), 2015 – 2017
• Association of American Geographers (AAG), 2012 – 2017
• American Society of Civil Engineers (ACSE), 2005 – 2017
• American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2004 – 2017
• Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), 2003 – 2017
• Association for Women Geoscientists (AWG), 2001 – 2017
• Consortium of Organizations for Strong-Motion Observation Systems (COSMOS), 2001 – 2017
• Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) Consortium, Inc., 2003 – 2010

Other Service to the Profession

• Certified GIS Professional (GISP) by the US GIS Certification Institute, 2015