UB PhD student receives national cartography and geographic information society scholarship

Ryan Zhenqi Zhou, a PhD candidate in the Department of Geography, has received a prestigious Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS) doctoral scholarship.

The national award — one of three given this year to PhD students — recognizes academic achievement and original research advancing cartography and geographic information science.

Originally from China, Zhou applies geospatial data science and artificial intelligence to tackle societal challenges related to natural disasters and public health. Zhou studies under the guidance of Yingjie Hu, associate professor of geography and director of UB’s GeoAI Lab.

“Through the design and application of AI and geographic information techniques, my research activities aim to support effective decision-making and improve quality of life,” he says.

Most recently, Zhou studied the 2022 Buffalo blizzard, where he was both a researcher and a resident experiencing the storm firsthand. As part of Hu’s National Science Foundation (NSF) -funded project on the blizzard’s impacts, Zhou analyzed Buffalo’s 311 call data, together with property and demographic information, identifying disparities in how communities sought assistance during the storm.

“Using both spatial statistical models and explainable geospatial artificial intelligence methods, I found that factors such as socioeconomic composition, housing condition and snow depth shaped which neighborhoods were most affected. These results can inform more equitable emergency resource allocation,” he says.

Zhou also used anonymous mobile phone location data to investigate how people’s movement patterns were disrupted before, during and after the blizzard, and how quickly communities recovered.

“By combining mobility data with snow and weather datasets, as well as socioeconomic indicators,” Zhou says, “my research reveals striking spatial disparities in resilience and recovery across neighborhoods.”

This study — as well as other research examining the 2021 Texas winter storm, and another study using mobile phone data to estimate obesity by analyzing neighborhood diets and physical activity patterns — frame his doctoral dissertation and contribute to a deeper understanding of how extreme winter storms affect different populations.

“Beyond Buffalo,” he says, “the insights and methodologies from this research can help other regions prepare for climate-related disasters, strengthen community resilience and ensure that vulnerable groups receive the support they need most.”

CaGIS supports research, education and practice to improve the understanding, creation, analysis and use of maps and geographic information to support effective decision-making and improve the quality of life. The society serves as a forum for the exchange of original concepts, techniques, approaches and experiences by those who design, implement and use cartography, geographical information systems and related geospatial technologies.

Receiving the CaGIS scholarship, with its award of $1,500, would not have been possible without the mentorship and support of Hu, Zhou notes.

“I am truly grateful to Dr. Hu for his guidance and encouragement, which have been instrumental to my academic achievements and this recognition,” he says.

Zhou says the most “unforgettable” part of this project is living through the 2022 Buffalo blizzard, “the very event I am now studying.”

“During Christmas week, Buffalo was hit with hurricane-force winds and over 50 inches of snow,” Zhou says. “The storm tragically claimed 47 lives and left much of the region stranded. Like many residents, I was snowed in with my roommate, spending the week glued to the news — hearing about travelers stuck at the airport, families without power and the city coming to a standstill.

“I even had a road trip planned right after Christmas, and at first I thought it would be impossible. But thanks to the city’s efficient snow removal efforts, I was actually able to make that trip once the storm subsided.”

“I hope our work can support more equitable disaster response and bring real benefits to the Buffalo community,” says Zhou.