Faculty
Edward Boswell
Ed is faculty in the Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture and teaches GIS and Geodesign courses. Ed is involved in strategic planning, developing courses, certificates, and professional MS programs. Ed earned a Ph.D. in soil science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.S. in horticulture and a B.S. in biology from the Pennsylvania State University.
Students
Cole Michaelsen
Cole is a first-year graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, pursuing a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Global Health and certificates in Data Science and Environmental Studies, providing a strong foundation for his work in the Geodesign Collaboration.
In the Geodesign Collaboration, Cole focuses on managing ESRI applications and licenses on campus. He’s passionate about using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and data to address urban planning and environmental health issues.
Outside of academics, Cole enjoys spending time in Northwestern Wisconsin, where he grew up. He’s also into activities like running, biking, and skiing.
Finn Johnson
Finn is an undergraduate student in Agricultural Business at UW-Madison. His work focuses on the application of aerial platforms in gathering data for use in land development & agricultural analysis via GIS and GIS-adjacent applications.
His work for the Geodesign Collaborative focuses predominantly on using aerial platforms (drones) – particularly DJI products such as the Mavic 3 enterprise, DJI Flighthub, DJI Terra, & ArcGIS Drone2map.
Finn has a Remote Pilot Certificate with a Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) rating (FAA Part 107) and has hundreds of flight hours as a drone photographer and videographer https://www.finnjohnsonfilms.com/.
Sam Adeapin
Sam is in the Environmental Observation and Informatics program in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. He has a bachelor’s degree in Geology from Nigeria, where he developed a passion for environmental sustainability and local community projects.
Sam is working with Wisconsin Seat Grant in cooperation with the Geodesign Collaborative on methods for designing green infrastructure from site to sewershed scales using ArcGIS GeoPlanner. Sam’s career goal is to become an environmental sustainability professional who can help communities design and implement solutions that are equitable, democratic, and resilient through the use of earth observation technologies and mobile technologies.
Sam enjoys reading, hiking, classical music, and volunteering in his spare time. He is also involved in several campus organizations, such as the Environmental Studies Student Association and the African Student Association.
Gabriel Wilkins
Gabriel is a master’s student in Urban and Regional Planning at UW-Madison, where he also works as a project assistant with the Geodesign Collaborative, Wisconsin Sea Grant, and the ICICLE project. He has bachelor’s degrees in Geography & Environmental Studies and Philosophy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. His work focuses on connecting theoretical concepts to their practical implications, most often via GIS and GIS-adjacent applications (click here for a sample of his undergraduate work).
His work for the Geodesign Collaborative focuses predominantly on Geospatial applications – particularly Esri apps such as ArcGIS Pro, Urban, GeoPlanner, and StoryMaps – as well as some administrative and marketing work. He is currently helping redesign a GIS course in Planning and Landscape Architecture and contributing to UW Madison’s portion of the multi-university ICICLE project.
Lisa
Lisa is pursuing her Master of Science degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is interested in designing green infrastructure that is adaptable to the changing climate. She has a B.S in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M university, and hopes to engage others with nature and preserve the existing biodiversity. GIS is a helpful tool in identifying valuable habitats and making the environment more livable for humans and wildlife. Lisa is currently assisting for Dr. Boswell’s class-Introduction to Design Framework and Spatial Technologies and aspires to continued contributions to the GIS community.