Columbia

INFORMATION

Director Spatial Information Design Lab

email: sw2279@columbia.edu

DESCRIPTION

Sarah Williams is currently the Director of Columbia's Spatial Information Design Lab. Her research focuses on the representation of digital information/mapping and ecological design & planning. Before Sarah came to Columbia University she was at MIT where she started the Geographic Information System (GIS) Laboratory. While at MIT, Sarah also worked with the SenseAble City Laboratory, which is a joint program between MIT's Media Lab and Department of Urban Studies and Planning. Before starting MIT's GIS Lab, Sarah worked with the West Philadelphia Landscape Project and the Philadelphia Water Department. In this work she applied her GIS and design skills to target vacant lots that could be used as both stormwater retention basins and environmental education centers. Sarah has 10 years of experience with Geography Information Systems (GIS), dating back to her early work with the Clark Labs/IDRISI project. At the Clark Labs, Sarah worked on Remote Sensing research and was a member of the IDRISI Programming team. Sarah has a background in Geography, Landscape/Urban Design, and Urban Planning. Sarah has a Masters degree from MIT in Urban Planning and Urban Design and received her Bachelors degree in Geography and History from Clark University .