Welcome!
At the Human Security and Geospatial Intelligence (HSGI) Lab, housed in the Spatial Sciences Institute at the University of Southern California, we work to advance issues of human safety and security through the use of spatially-informed and data-driven approaches to produce actionable information for decision-makers.
The HSGI Lab conducts collaborative research and fieldwork with governmental, non-governmental and human rights practitioners worldwide. Our collaborators include the USC Institute for Creative Technologies, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation.
HSGI News and Events
SSI Students Earn Second Place in GEOINT Symposium Poster Competition
Congratulations to the SSI Research Team working on the NGA (National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency) CRADA (Cooperative Research and Development Agreement) project led by Laura Wieland and Ishmael Legaspi who were awarded second place at the 2026 United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) GEOINT Symposium Student Poster Competition. The title of the poster was From Parcels to Policy: A Geospatial Framework for Assessing Foreign Land Ownership Near Critical Infrastructure.
SSI Student Kyle Cacha Awarded USGIF Undergraduate Scholar
Congratulations to Kyle Cacha who was selected as one of three USGIF Undergraduate Scholars for 2025-2026! As a third year undergraduate student at USC, Kyle is pursuing a BS in Business Administration and a minor in Human Security and Geospatial Intelligence. Kyle shares that “receiving the USGIF Undergraduate Scholarship is both an honor and profound source of encouragement” and he looks forward to using geospatial intelligence to energy and water utilities.
Attend the LA Geospatial Summit on February 27, 2026
We are excited to announce the 2026 LA Geospatial Summit will take place on Friday, February 27, 2026 at the USC Hotel from 8:30am-3:30pm. This is an exciting event that brings together students, alumni, industry leaders, and partners across the geospatial community. Make sure to register early to secure a seat at this event!
Security Panel Examining Events in Greenland and Venezuela – Feb 2, 2026
Join USC Professors and security studies experts Steve Lamy and Richard Downie on Monday, February 2 from 5-6pm PT in AHF B57J to discuss current events and geopolitical implications of the United States involvement in Venezuela and Greenland.
Attend the USGIF GEOINT Symposium 2026 in Aurora, CO May 3-6, 2026
Join USC faculty and student researchers at the USGIF GEOINT Symposium 2026 in Aurora, CO from May 3-6 to engage with professionals across government, industry, and academia on the critical role of geospatial intelligence across all aspects of a safe and secure society.
What is geospatial intelligence? A geographer explains the powerful melding of maps and data
Professor Ruddell’s publication in The Conversation describes the importance and broad range of geospatial intelligence applications to society.
