Geospatial Systems - Kristina Wolf
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Biography
About Kristina Wolf
I have graduated with a Bachelor of Science (B. Sc.) degree in International Management for Business and Information Technology and a Master of Science (M. Sc.) degree in Management Information Systems (MIS). The focus of my final year was on Geographical Information Systems (GIS). During my research semester at the Transportation & GIS Laboratory at Tohoku University, Japan, I worked with static and dynamic data from probe vehicles and analysed the effects of (natural) hazards on transport networks. For my master thesis “Identification of pilot areas for broadband expansion using GIS-based models” I was awarded with the Esri Young Scholar Award Germany. For my MRes in Geospatial Data Science, I developed a geodatabase model to estimate flood impacts on the environment, society, and infrastructure for Newcastle upon Tyne and had the opportunity to present my work at the Esri Resilient by Geodesign Summit.
As part of my bachelor’s degree, I was employed by the logistics service provider Deutsche Post DHL and worked on projects focusing on data warehousing, BI analytics and procurement. I completed a traineeship in Technology Consulting at Pricewaterhouse Coopers and worked as a consultant in various sectors, including GIS-related projects. During my work experience, I was involved in projects in the USA, UK, India and the Netherlands.
What attracted you to undertake research in geospatial systems?
During a software development project at the University, I came across a GIS plugin to visualise customer flows in the city centre in the form of a heat map. This GIS plugin was the catalyst for me to discover the world of spatial analytics. From then on, I worked on various projects to develop location-based decision support systems providing stakeholders with a more thorough analysis of the current situation.
Why did you choose the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Geospatial Systems?
I believe that the CDT for Geospatial Systems provides me with an excellent opportunity to expand my analytical skills and improve my understanding of data models from internal BIM buildings to city models, taking into account various environmental, infrastructural and social factors. I am convinced that the workshops and individual research training included in the PhD program are a good complement to the research study. Further, I am looking forward to being part of a larger research network, connecting with others and exchanging ideas on resilience-related projects for smart environments.
What are you long term career goals?
During my research semester in the Tohoku region, which was hit by the earthquake in Eastern Japan in 2011, I was able to personally experience the extent of natural disasters and develop a great situational awareness for existing emergency systems. For my long-term career goals, I want to help communities prepare for the future and use GIS-based technology to build a resilient city and sustainable environment
Research
PhD topic and outline
The topic of my PhD is Multi-scale multi-domain geospatial data modelling. The aim is to develop a geospatial data infrastructure and data model for a unified incident response system. In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11 to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, cities and the environment need to be equipped with the ability to better respond to and be prepared for unforeseen events. Using Internet of Things (IoT) and sensors deployed in a smart environment, this PhD will explore how to transform raw data into intelligence, support stakeholders in real-time response and improve resilience. A use case is developed including incident types from different domains, such as flooding, traffic incidents or utility failures that can cause a disruption across different systems, trigger an alarm, and require actions along the response chain involving different stakeholders.
Therefore, this PhD aims to use cloud computing capabilities and spatial big data analytics to process the vast amounts of geospatial data collected by sensors, CCTV data feeds and social media transmitted as data feeds. By integrating knowledge from different stakeholders into a common ontology, this PhD will contribute to a better understanding of the requirements for future data models for incident response.
Visit my website to find out more about my projects: https://wolfgeo.solutions/
