Darren Ruddell

• Post-Doctoral Researcher, Arizona State University, 06/2009-06/2011

Research, Teaching, Practice, and Clinical Appointments

• Assistant Professor, University of Southern California, 2013-2017
• Director of Undergraduate Studies, University of Southern California, 2012-2017
• Lecturer, University of Southern California, 2011-2013

PostDoctoral Appointments

• Post-Doctoral Researcher, Arizona State University, 2009 – 2011

Visiting and Temporary Appointments

• Faculty Associate, Arizona State University , 2010-2011

Summary Statement of Research Interests

Darren Ruddell utilizes geospatial technologies to investigate issues of urban sustainability and resiliency.

Research Keywords

Geospatial Technologies, Climate and Society, Sustainability, Human-Environment Interactions, GeoDesign, Urban Sustainability, Distance Learning

Detailed Statement of Research Interests

My research interests focus on the dynamic relationship between climate and society. My interest in this line of research is motivated by the profound linkages between the climate system and human health and well-being, agriculture and forestry, the economy, water resources, among other systems, and I want to better understand the impacts of human development on the climate system and the subsequent responses of atmospheric processes on social and environmental systems with the overall objective of reducing human vulnerability to climate change. To date, my research efforts have followed three lines of investigation: 1) physical processes; 2) coupled natural-human interactions and tradeoffs; and 3) social perceptions.

A recent study accepted for publication in Climate Research examines historical trends of threshold temperatures from the Phoenix regional weather station to assess the influence of human activity and population growth on the climate record. Research findings show: 1) warming trends among temperature thresholds, which results in warmer winters, hotter summers, and more intense heat wave conditions; 2) disjointed associations between global climate systems (ENSO and PDO) with frost and misery days, signaling anthropogenic interference between temperature thresholds and historic atmospheric processes; and 3) potentially significant and wide-spread adverse impacts on many local environmental, economic, and social systems as a result of pronounced changes in threshold temperatures.

A second line of inquiry, under review in the International Journal of Biometeorology, explores environmental and social tradeoffs between energy consumption, water use, vegetation cover, and temperature variability among 16 census block groups (2000) within the City of Phoenix. While municipalities within metropolitan Phoenix are subsidizing homeowners to convert irrigated turf landscapes to drought-resistant yards, there are serious implications of this policy in terms of urban heat island intensification, human health and vulnerability to heat stress, as well as resource management. Preliminary results indicate: 1) analyses of energy, water, vegetation, and temperature data vary considerably by census block group; 2) residential consumption of energy and water is tightly coupled; and 3) census block groups classified as dry landscapes (desert and xeric) consume the greatest amount of energy and water resources.

A third area of investigation examines social perceptions. Understanding public opinion is fundamental for developing effective policy to adapt to and/or mitigate the impacts of climate change on human and environmental systems. An article published in Climatic Change (2012) utilized a mixed method research framework to compare self-reported perceptions of temperature with simulated temperatures from an atmospheric model at the regional and neighborhood scales of analysis. Results indicate that: 1) human exposure to high temperatures varies substantially throughout metropolitan Phoenix; 2) public perceptions of temperature are more strongly correlated with local environmental conditions; and 3) perceptions of temperature are related to social characteristics and situational variables. The social constructionist paradigm explains public perceptions at the regional scale while experience governs attitude formation at the neighborhood scale.

Conference Presentations

• “Community Resilience and Climate Change: The Role of Solid Waste” , Municipal Waste Management Association Fall SummitTalk/Oral Presentation, Invited, San Diego, 2014-2015
• “Geodesign Education: Reflections on a Collaborative Geodesign Summer Course” , Association of American GeographersTalk/Oral Presentation, Chicago, 2014-2015
• “Geodesign Education: Reflections on a Collaborative Geodesign Summer Course” , Geodesign Summit EuropeTalk/Oral Presentation, Delft, the Netherlands, 2014-2015
• “Geospatial Technologies and Urban Resilience: Building a Better World” , UNIGIS International u_Lecture seriesLecture/Seminar, Invited, Webinar presentation, 2014-2015
• “Geographic Information Science & Technology: Experiences in Online Education” , Esri UCTalk/Oral Presentation, San Diego, 2013-2014
• “Heat Advisory: An Investigation of Health Outcomes and Heat Warning Systems in Phoenix, AZ.” , Association of American GeographersTalk/Oral Presentation, Tampa, 2013-2014
• “Vitality in the City and Region: Lessons from the Dutch” , Connecting Sustainable CitiesTalk/Oral Presentation, Invited, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 2013-2014
• “The Energy-Water Nexus: Are there Tradeoffs between Residential Energy and Water Consumption in Arid Cities? ” , Association of American GeographersTalk/Oral Presentation, Los Angeles, 2012-2013
• “Human Impacts of Climate Change: Research Highlights on Excess Exposure to Extreme Heat. ” , Symposium on Climate ChangeTalk/Oral Presentation, University of California Global Health Institute, Invited, Riverside, 2011-2012
• “Scales of Perceptions: Public Awareness of Regional and Neighborhood Climates. ” , Association of American GeographersTalk/Oral Presentation, New York, NY, 2011-2012

Other Presentations

• “Community Resilience and Climate Change: The Need for GeoDesign”, Oral Presentation, La Crescenta, 2014-2015
• “Modeling Microclimates on USC’s Campus”, Poster Presentation, Los Angeles, 2014-2015
• “USC Libraries Strategic Planning 2015”, Panel Presentation, Los Angeles, 2014-2015
• “Aerial Mapping of USC’s Argue Plaza Using a Balloon-based Platform”, Poster Presentation, Los Angeles, 2013-2014
• “B.S. in GeoDesign Information Session”, Panel Presentation, Los Angeles, 2013-2014
• “Doing Geography: Teaching and Webmaps in the Lower Division Classroom”, Panel Presentation, Tampa, 2013-2014
• “Geography and Social Media: Engaging Lower Division Geography Students in the Virtual Field”, Panel Presentation, Tampa, 2013-2014
• “Geospatial Technologies and Social Work: A Critical Union”, School of Social Work GIS Day, Los Angeles, 2013-2014
• “Urban Systems”, Sidney Harman Academy for Polymathic Study, Los Angeles, 2013-2014
• “Geography, Social Media, and Distance Learning”, Panel Presentation, Los Angeles, 2012-2013
• “Temperature Variability and Equity in Communities in Phoenix, Arizona.”, GIS Day for the USC School of Social Work, Los Angeles, 2012-2013
• “Distributional Effects: Vulnerability, Resilience, and Risk. “, External Advisory Committee for the Decision Center for a Desert City, Tempe, AZ, 2011-2012
• “Geospatial Contributions to Urban Sustainability Research: Highlights from Phoenix, AZ. “, GIS Day for Ventura County, Keynote Speaker, Ventura, CA, 2011-2012
• “Heat Stress and Vulnerable Communities in Phoenix, Arizona: Temperature, Place, and People. “, Ecology Explorers Teachers Group, Tempe, AZ, 2011-2012

• Hartford CT Geodesign Workshop for Planning Hydrogen Stations
  Hartford, Connecticut, October 2019
  Lead facilitator and co-organizer for a geodesign workshop that aimed to site hydrogen fuel stations in greater Hartford, CT. The workshop featured 17 local and national stakeholders in the transportation, energy, and environmental fields representing industry, government, universities, and non-profit organizations. Support from National Science Foundation (NSF).
• Age-Friendly Los Angeles Geodesign Charrette
  Los Angeles, California, September 2018
  Serve as lead facilitator and co-organizer of a one-day geodesign charrette that investigated a USC Provost Wicked Problem initiative on Aging. The event gathered input from over 80 stakeholder participants including seniors, students, professionals, and policy makers. The workshop engaged a diverse group of professionals, faculty, and students. Support from USC Provost Office, Wicked Problem Practicum.
• Los Angeles River Revitalization Geodesign Workshop
  Los Angeles, California, January 2018
  Organize and facilitate a one-day geodesign workshop that aimed to discuss and build consensus around the Los Angeles River Revitalization effort of the Taylor Yard G2 Parcel. The workshop engaged a diverse group of 16 local stakeholders that featured professionals, faculty, and students. Support from USC Spatial Sciences Institute.
• GeoDesign in the Netherlands
  Amsterdam, Netherlands, June 2014-2015
  Organize and direct a two-week living-learning experience in collaboration with Dutch colleagues at the Vrije University, Amsterdam that introduces students to the critical and spatial thinking skills of GeoDesign while engaged in both classroom and field settings in the Netherlands. GeoDesign is a forward-thinking, interdisciplinary framework that pairs planning, design, and environmental systems with geospatial technologies to explore ways to build a better world.
• The Decision Center for a Desert City
  Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ August 2005-present.
  Research efforts at DCDC develop fundamental knowledge about decision making under uncertainty vital for long-term planning in the arid metropolis of Phoenix, AZ. Lead investigator is David White, Associate Professor in the School of Community Resources and Development at Arizona State University. Research funding provided by National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant number SES-0951366.
• Urban Vulnerability to Climate Change: A System Dynamics Analysis
  Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ July 2008-2014.
  The UVCC research project is an interdisciplinary collaboration examining the interplay between changing urban climates and the socio-ecological systems that amplify or mitigate heat-related hazards among different socio-economic and racial/ethnic groups. Lead investigator is Sharon Harlan, Associate Professor in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change (SHESC) at Arizona State University. Research funding provided by National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant number GEO-0816168.
• Archaeological Mapping in Peru
  Moqi, Peru, July 2012
  Spent three weeks in the Andes Mountains of Moqi, Peru with a research team of twenty members where we excavated and utilized geospatial technologies to map an ancient Incan civilization. This effort was conducted in collaboration with the Institute for Field Research (IFR) and was led by archaeologist and Director, Ran Boytner.
• Phoenix Area Social Survey (PASS)
  Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ August 2005-2012.
  The Phoenix Area Social Survey (PASS) is a longitudinal study (2003: N=245; 2006: N=808; 2011 N=900) that examines the attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions of local residents across 40 neighborhoods on four environmental themes (e.g., climate change, water supply, air quality, and land use). PASS was conducted under the supervision of Sharon Harlan, Associate Professor in SHESC. Research funding provided by the NSF under grant number DEB-0423704.
• Field Mapping and Excavation on Santa Catalina Island
  Santa Catalina Island, CA, March 2012
  Developed curriculum and taught 12 undergraduate students and five faculty members Global Positioning System (GPS) data collection techniques utilizing advanced Trimble hardware and software systems at the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies. The project investigated and catalogued Native American sites of the Tongva tribe. This research project was led by USC Dornsife researcher Lynn Dodd.

Book Chapter

• Brown, H., Comrie, A., Drechsler, D., Barker, C., Basu, R., Brown, T., Gershunov, A., Kilpatrick, A. M., Reisen, W., Ruddell, D. M. (2013). Human Health. Assessment of Climate Change in the Southwest Unit pp. 506. Washington: Island Press.
• Ruddell, D. M., L. Chow, W. T., Brazel, A. J. (2012). The Urban Heat Island (UHI) Effect and Sustainability Science: Causes, Impacts, and Solutions.
• Ruddell, D. M., Harlan, S. L., Grossman-Clarke, S., Buyantuyev, A. (2010). Risk and Exposure to Extreme Heat in Microclimates of Phoenix, AZ. Springer.

Journal Article

• VoPham, T., Wilson, J. P., Ruddell, D. M., Rashed, T., Brooks, M., Yuan, J., Talbot, E., Chang, C. H., Weissfeld, J. L. (2015). Linking pesticides and human health: a geographic information system (GIS) and Landsat remote sensing method to estimate agricultural pesticide exposure. Applied Geography. Vol. 62, pp. 171-181.
• VoPham, T., Brooks, M., Yuan, J., Talbot, E. O., Ruddell, D. M., Hart, J. E., Chang, C. H., Weissfeld, J. L. (2015). Pesticide exposure and hepatocellular carcinoma risk: a case-control study using a geographic information system (GIS) to link SEER-Medicare and California pesticide data. Environmental Research. Vol. 143, pp. 68-82.
• Harlan, S., Chowell, G., Yang, S., Petitti, D., Morales, E., Ruddell, B., Ruddell, D. M. (2014). Heat-related deaths in hot cities: estimates of human tolerance to high temperature thresholds. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
• Ruddell, D. M., Hoffman, D., Ahmad, O., Brazel, A. (2013). Historical Threshold Temperatures for Phoenix (Urban) and Gila Bend (Desert), Central Arizona, USA,. Climate Research.
• Ruddell, D. M., Dixon, P. G. (2013). The energy-water nexus: Are there tradeoffs between residential energy and water consumption in arid cities?. International Journal of Biometeorology.
• Petitti, D. B., Harlan, S. L., Chowell-Puente, G., Ruddell, D. M. (2013). Occupation and Environmental Heat-Associated Deaths in Maricopa County, Arizona: A Case-Control Study. Plos One.
• Ruddell, D. M., Harlan, S. L., Grossman-Clarke, S., Chowell, G. (2012). Scales of Perception: Public Awareness of Regional and Neighborhood Climates. Climatic Change.Vol. 581-607
• Harlan, S. L., Ruddell, D. M. (2011). Climate Change and Health in Cities: Impacts of Heat and Air Pollution and Potential Co-Benefits from Mitigation and Adaptation. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability.Vol. 126-134
• Ruddell, D. M., Wentz, E. (2009). Multi-tasking: scale in geography. Geography Compass.

Research Report

• Harlan, S. L., Budruk, M., Gustafson, A., Larson, K., Ruddell, D. M., Smith, V. K., Yabiku, S., Wutich, A. (2007). Phoenix Area Social Survey 2006 Highlights: Community and Environment in a Desert Metropolis. Central Arizona – Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research Project.

Magazine/Trade Publication

• Ruddell, D. M.The New Job Every City Needs. Time. Time
• Earl, S. R., Brazel, A. J., Chow, W. T., Ruddell, D. M. Twenty years of Climate Change in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area and McDowell Sonoran Preserve. McDowell Sonoran Conservancy.

Proceedings

• Ruddell, D. M., Wentz, E. (2007). Scale, Population, and Spatial Analysis: A Methodological Investigation. In Samet, C. Shahabi, and M. Schneider (Ed.), New York. Association of Computer Machinery.

• Non-Tenure Track Larger Faculty Development Grant, 2014-2015
• Non-Tenure Track Faculty Development Grant, 2013-2014
• Non-Tenure Track Faculty Development Grant, 2012-2013
• Graduate Student Paper Competition, University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) , 2009-2010
• Best Poster, CAP LTER 2008 Poster Symposium, 2008-2009
• Tony Gonzalez Excellence in GIS Scholarship, Geospatial Information Technology Association of Arizona (GITAAz) , 2008-2009
• Peace Corps Service Award, 2002-2003

Office Hours

Tuesday, Wednesday : 10am-noon

Administrative Appointments

• Faculty, GIS Research Laboratory, 2011
• Assistant Professor (Teaching), Spatial Sciences Institute, 2013-2017
• Director of Undergraduate Studies, Spatial Sciences Institute, 2012-2017
• Member, USC Academic Senate, 2013-2016
• President, Dornsife Faculty Council, 2015-2016
• Vice President, Dornsife Faculty Council, 2014-2015
• Member, Dornsife Faculty Council, 2013-2014
• Lecturer, Geographic Information Science & Technology (GIST) Graduate Programs, 2011-2013

Committees

• Academic Senate Sustainability Committee, 2015-2018
• GeoDesign Retreat Organizing Committee, 2014-2017
• Water Conservation Sustainability Subcommittee, 2014-2017
• GeoDesign Academic Program Advisory Committee, 2012-2017
• Dornsife College, Ad hoc Committee, 2015-2016
• Fulbright U.S. Student Grant Campus Evaluation Committee, 2015-2016
• Academic Senate Sustainability Committee, 2015-2016
• Spatial Sciences Institute, Faculty Merit Evaluation Committee, 2014-2015
• Spatial Sciences Institute, Visiting Scholar Committee, 2014-2015
• Spatial Sciences Institute, Administrative Officer Search Committee, 2014-2015
• Spatial Sciences Institute, Faculty Search Committee, 2014-2015
• Spatial Sciences Institute, Faculty Merit Evaluation Committee, 2013-2014
• Spatial Sciences Institute, Geospatial Roundtable Group, 2012-2013
• USC Library GIS Fellow Search Committee, 2011-2012
• USC Archaeology Faculty Search Committee, 2011-2012

Other Service to the University

• Completed USC SIS training to provide administrative support for students,
• Organize and lead USC GeoScavenge event twice per academic year as part of USC Welcome Week for Fall and Spring intake.,
• Organize and lead annual GIS Day event at USC each November to engage students, faculty, and staff with opportunities in geospatial technologies.,
• Provided technical support for USC Dornsife faculty member in Archaeology, Lynn Dodd, on research efforts utilizing geospatial technologies on a summer research excursion in Turkey., 2011-2012

Committees

• “Academic Senate Sustainability Committee”, 2015-2018
• “GeoDesign Retreat Organizing Committee”, 2014-2017
• “Water Conservation Sustainability Subcommittee”, 2014-2017
• “GeoDesign Academic Program Advisory Committee”, 2012-2017
• “Dornsife College, Ad hoc Committee”, 2015-2016
• “Fulbright U.S. Student Grant Campus Evaluation Committee”, 2015-2016
• “Academic Senate Sustainability Committee”, 2015-2016
• “Spatial Sciences Institute, Faculty Merit Evaluation Committee”, 2014-2015
• “Spatial Sciences Institute, Visiting Scholar Committee”, 2014-2015
• “Spatial Sciences Institute, Administrative Officer Search Committee”, 2014-2015
• “Spatial Sciences Institute, Faculty Search Committee”, 2014-2015
• “Spatial Sciences Institute, Faculty Merit Evaluation Committee”, 2013-2014
• “Spatial Sciences Institute, Geospatial Roundtable Group”, 2012-2013
• “USC Library GIS Fellow Search Committee”, 2011-2012
• “USC Archaeology Faculty Search Committee”, 2011-2012

Conferences Organized

• Organizing Committee Chair, GeoDesign Retreat “,
• Organizing Committee Member, Third Annual Los Angeles Geospatial Summit”,

Media, Alumni, and Community Relations

• Geospatial Technologies and Urban Resilience: Building a Better World. A webinar presentation for UNIGIS International u_Lecture series, November 2014.,
• SSCI-587: GPS/GIS Field Techniques. A webinar meeting for the Spatial Sciences Institute Geographic Information Science & Technology (GIST) graduate program.,
• GIST Tracks. A webinar meeting for the Spatial Sciences Institute Geographic Information Science & Technology (GIST) graduate program.,
• Meet the Faculty. A webinar meeting for the Spatial Sciences Institute Geographic Information Science & Technology (GIST) graduate program.,
• Required Course Review. A webinar meeting for the Spatial Sciences Institute Geographic Information Science & Technology (GIST) graduate program.,