Jane M. Read

• 2024 Spring
  • GEO 482/682 Environmental Remote Sensing
  • IRP 499 Honors Capstone Project
• 2023 Fall
  • ESP 470 Experience Credit
  • GEO 383/683 Geographic Information Systems
  • GEO 215 Global Environmental Change
• 2023 Spring
  • ESP 470 Experience Credit
  • GEO 108 Mapping Today: Technology and Spatial Thinking
• 2022 Fall
  • ESP 470 Experience Credit
  • GEO 383/683 Geographic Information Systems
• 2022 Summer
  • ESP 470 Experience Credit
• 2022 Spring
  • GEO 482 Environmental Remote Sensing
  • GEO 383/683 Geographic Information Systems
  • GEO 682 Remote Sensing for Environmental Applications and Research

I am an associate professor and director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Geography and the Environment at Syracuse University. I hold degrees from the University of London (B.S. environmental science 1987; M.S. surveying 1990) and a Ph.D. in geography (1999) from Louisiana State University. I have served on the faculty at Syracuse University since 1999.

I specialize in geographic information systems, remote sensing, land use and land cover, and human-environment interactions. Much of my research has focused in the neotropics, including Costa Rica, Brazil and Guyana, although I have also studied historical land changes in the Adirondacks of New York state.

I have published on applications of GIS and remote sensing to land-use and land-cover changes, selective logging operations, indigenous hunting patterns and uses of traditional knowledge in vegetation mapping using remote sensing imagery and identification of multiple-use tree species in Guyana. I am currently examining the spatial history of land use around Onondaga Lake, New York, through multiple perspectives, and attempting to find new ways to map and visualize those changes.

I teach courses in introductory and advanced GIS/GIScience, remote sensing, global environmental change, tropical environments and spatial storytelling, and advise graduate students within my realm of expertise. I am interested in strategies to improve curriculum and student engagement.

Geographic information systems and remote sensing, human-environment interactions, geohumanities, indigenous livelihoods, Latin America

Applications of remote sensing and GIS to environmental and biogeographical questions; tropical environments, tropical forest ecology and human-environment interactions (land-use and land-cover changes); geographic information science and technologies (geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, global positioning systems, UAS); geohumanities and spatial storytelling; teaching methods in geographic information systems and technology; promoting women and girls in geospatial sciences.

"Modeling the Next Big Thing, a Seminar Series in Spatial Biochemical Monitoring and Prediction", Sponsored by CUSE Grants - Interdisciplinary Seminar Grant.

"Developing a UAV Testing Lab and Collaborative Research Projects - Subproject for Institution # 29403", Sponsored by New York State Department of Economic Development.

"Environmental Monitoring and Geoscience Surveying Applications for SU sUAS - Subproject for Institution # SP-29403-2", Sponsored by New York State Department of Economic Development.

"Onondaga Lake: Finding a restorative center in digital space", Sponsored by National Endowment for the Humanities/Natl. Fndn. on the Arts & Humanities.

"Biodiversity Dynamics and Land-Use Changes in the Amazon: Multi-Scale Interactions between Ecological Systems and Resource-use Decisions by Indigenous Peoples", Sponsored by National Science Foundation.

• Journal Articles
  • Cummings, A. R., Read, J. M. and Fragoso, J., "Implications of forest type and land tenure diversity for the sustainability of ecosystem services provided by northern Amazonia’s multiple-use tree species.." Landscape Ecology, 2018.
  • Cummings, A. R., Read, J. M., "Drawing on Traditional Knowledge to Identify and Describe Ecosystem Services Associated with Northern Amazon’s Multiple-Use Plants." International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management, 2016.
  • Fragoso, J. V., Levi, T., Oliveira, L. B., Luzar, J., Overman, H., Read, J. M. and Silvius, K., "Line Transect Surveys Underdetect Terrestrial Mammals: Implications for the Sustainability of Subsistence Hunting.." PLoS ONE, 2016.
  • Cummings, A. R., Read, J. M. and Fragoso, J., "Utilizing Amerindian Hunters' Description of Vegetation to Guide the Production of a vegetation Cover Map." International Journal of Applied Geospatial Research, 2015.
  • McNeil, B. E., Read, J. M. and Driscoll, C. T., "Foliar Nitrogen Responses to the Environmental Gradient Matrix of the Adirondack Park, New York.." Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 2011.
  • Luzar, J., Silvius, K. M., Overman, J., Giery, S. T., Read, J. M. and Fragoso, J., "Large-scale environmental monitoring by indigenous peoples." Bioscience, 2011.
  • Read, J. M., Fragoso, J., Silvius, K. M., Luzar, J., Overman, H., Giery, S. T. and de Oliveira, L. F., "Space, Place, and Hunting among Amerindians of the Guyanese Rupununi." Journal of Latin American Geography, 2010.
• Book Chapters
  • Read, J. M., "Satellite Remote Sensing for Management and Monitoring of Certified Forestry: An Example from the Brazilian Amazon.." In Globalization and New Geographies of Conservation. University of Chicago Press, 2006.
  • Read, J. M., Denslow, J. S. and Guzman, S. M., "Documenting Land-cover History of a Humid Tropical Environment in Northeastern Costa Rica Using Time-Series Remote Sensing Data.." In GIS and Remote Sensing Applications in Biogeography and Ecology. Millington, A. C., Walsh, S. D. and Osborne, P. E. (eds.) Kluwer, 2001.
  • Cox, G., Read, J. M., "Cracidae Country Report for Bolivia." In The Cracidae: Their Biology and Conservation. Strahl, S. D., Beaugon, S., Brooks, D. M., Begazo, A. J., Sedaghatksh, G. and Olmos, F. (eds.) Hancock House Publishers, 1997.
• Abstract
  • Read, J. M., Lam, N. S., Land cover from Landsat-TM Data Using Selected Spatial Statistics. Caschetta, A. R. (ed.) , 2000.
• Editorials
  • Mennis, J., Kemp, K., Sinton, D., Read, J. M. and Shaw, S., "UCGIS at 25." Transactions in GIS, 2021.
  • Read, J. M., "GIS studies on Latin America." Journal of Latin American Geography, 2010.
• Encyclopedia Entries
  • Read, J. M., Chambers, C. and Torrado, M. J., "Remote Sensing." International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, 2019.
  • Read, J. M., Torrado, M. J., "Methods: Remote Sensing." In International Encyclopedia of Human Geography. Kitchin, R., Thrift, N. (eds.) Elsevier, 2009.
• Technical Report
  • Cox, G., Read, J. M., "Las Aves y los mamiferos de Perseverancia." Ecología en Bolivia: Documentos, Serie Zoología, 1992.

American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting, "UAS in Higher Education – Challenges and Prospects in Instruction" (April, 2019)

Blanford, Read, J. M., Pennsylvania State University, "Geospatial Sciences: Where are the women leaders of tomorrow?" (November, 2018)

Spatial Humanities conference, "Geospatial technologies for spatial storytelling: experiences from research and teaching" (September, 2018)

NYS GIS Association, "Integrating geospatial technologies into higher education" (September, 2018)

University Consortium of Geographic Information Science Symposium Frontiers of Geospatial Data Science., "Data Science in Higher Education" (May, 2018)