Special Journal Issue Honors the Work of Nina Lam

BATON ROUGE - What does a study assessing landslide risks in the Indian city of Darjeeling have in common with an examination of the spread of Lyme disease?

The answer? The scholarship of Nina Lam, the Abraham Distinguished Professor of Louisiana Environmental Studies in the Department of Environmental Sciences.

Lam is a leading researcher in the field of GIS, or geographic information systems, and has explored a wide array of interests over her 50-year career - from remote sensing to environmental health to sustainability and disaster resilience.

Now, an LSU colleague and a former student have co-edited a journal highlighting the range of Lam’s influence – including work on landslide risks and Lyme disease, COVID mitigation strategies, and new, innovative models using spatial data sources and GIS technology.

Michael Leitner, the Carl O. Sauer Professor in the LSU Department of Geography and Anthropology and Jane Read, Lam’s former student and now an associate professor of Geography and Environment at Syracuse University, co-edited the special issue of Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing dedicated to Lam.

Leitner said the special issue celebrates Lam’s significant contributions to the GIS field. It’s a way of giving her “what she gave to me over the past 30 years and [honoring] her as a scholar [who] not only built the GIS program at the Department of Geography and Anthropology, but also somebody who has become a leading and very respected scholar in geographic information science in the US and worldwide,” he said. “She has a long list of accomplishments and this certainly increased LSU's reputation, as well.  However, at the same time, Nina always remained very humble.”

 “I appreciate very much the long and hard effort of Michael and Jane in editing the special issue. As well, I am elated to see the paper contributions from several of my former students and colleagues. It was a surprise. It is the best gift a teacher can have. I am honored and grateful,” Lam said.

The issue is comprised of six papers, all submitted by authors influenced by Lam’s research and teaching.

“Dr. Lam has been not only my Ph.D. advisor but also an incredible mentor and role model throughout my academic career. She was always kind, approachable, and deeply supportive, which made a profound impact on my development as a scholar,” said Esra Ozdenerol, professor at the University of Memphis and a co-author of a paper included in the journal. The paper examines COVID mitigation strategies, and was included as a reflection of Lam’s influence in environmental health.

“Under her guidance, I worked on the spatial analysis of cancer along the Mississippi Delta—an area known as ‘Cancer Alley’—which shaped my focus in medical geography. Her pioneering work and encouragement inspired me to continue publishing in this field and to push the boundaries of applying GIS and spatial methods to pressing public health issues. Her legacy continues to guide my research and teaching today,” Ozdenerol continued.

The special issue is the latest in a series of accolades for Lam, who has also been named a fellow of the American Association of Geographers and the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science, as well as being named an LSU Rainmaker and recipient of the LSU Distinguished Faculty Award and Distinguished Research Master Award