Daniel Sui, professor and chair, Department of Geography, has been appointed to an advisory committee of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to explore the applications of geospatial technologies to human rights issues.

The two-year, Geospatial Technologies and Human Rights Project will: (1) identify the human rights-related applications of new high resolution and technically advanced satellite technologies, as well as underutilized lower resolution sensors; and (2) increase understanding among human rights courts and human rights organizations regarding the evolving and potential applications of geospatial technologies and associated research methodologies in human rights litigation.

Sui will be guiding the work of the AAAS on the state of geographic research, particularly in the areas of legal and ethical research and volunteered geographic information, to identify ways in which geospatial technologies could be applied in new and innovative ways to the study of human rights. Geospatial technologies include a range of modern tools, such as remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) that allow for mapping and analysis of multiple layers of georeferenced data.

For more on the Geospatial Technologies and Human Rights Project of the AAAS, go to http://srhrl.aaas.org/geotech/