Dr. Dawn Parker is a professor at the University of Waterloo in the School of Planning. Her research focuses on the development of integrated socio-economic and biophysical models of land-use change. Dr. Parker works with agent-based modeling, complexity theory, geographic information systems, and environmental and resource economics. Her current ongoing projects include Waterloo Area Regional Model (WARM) Urban intensification vs. suburban flight, a SSHRC funded development grant that explores the causal relationships between light rail transit and core-area intensification, and the Digging into Data MIRACLE (Mining relationships among variables in large datasets from complex systems) project.

• GIS Analyst / GIS Specialist: Experienced in applying GIS tools and spatial analysis techniques to
support decision-making in urban planning, environmental management, transportation, and infrastructure
projects. Skilled in producing high-quality maps, conducting spatial analysis, and delivering actionable
geospatial insights for operational and policy use.
• Geospatial Data Scientist: Specialized in developing spatial predictive models by integrating machine
learning and geospatial data to perform risk assessment, suitability analysis, and forecasting using large-
scale datasets such as satellite imagery, climate variables, and land-use data.
• Spatial Data Engineering & Processing: Strong ability to manage and preprocess complex geospatial
datasets, including raster and vector data, DEMs, remote sensing products, and climate projections, with
rigorous attention to spatial reference systems, accuracy, and data quality control.
• GIS Workflow Automation & Optimization: Proven experience in automating geospatial workflows
using ArcGIS Pro, ArcPy, ModelBuilder, FME (ETL), and Python to improve efficiency in spatial analysis,
data processing, and large-scale mapping tasks.
• Remote Sensing & Earth Observation Analysis: Proficient in satellite imagery processing and analysis,
including cloud masking, spectral analysis, vegetation indices, land cover classification, and temporal
change detection using Google Earth Engine and Python.
• Geospatial Visualization & Cartography: Skilled in producing professional-grade thematic maps, spa-
tial dashboards, and web-based geovisualizations to communicate complex geospatial patterns to both
technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Experienced working with multidisciplinary teams across academia,
government, and industry to deliver geospatial solutions for planning, environmental risk assessment, and
policy-driven decision-making.