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During the Tuesday, May 2 meeting of the Arts & Sciences Council, Geography Dept. Chair Peter Lindquist announced the proposed Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Spatially Integrated Social Sciences (SISS).
With growing demand for expertise in the field of spatial analysis, universities across the nation are expanding their programs to encompass spatial studies.
If everything goes according to plan, UT will begin offering the PhD program in SISS in the Fall of 2008.
The program will be multidisciplinary, offered jointly by a consortium of four academic departments in the College of Arts & Sciences:
Geography & Planning
Economics
Political Science & Public Administration
Sociology & Anthropology
The following are highlights from Dr. Lindquist's presentation.
The principal foci of Spatial Integrated Social Science (SISS)
- An emphasis on space as a unifying theme in social science that transcends disciplinary boundaries
- An emphasis on space as a means to integrate social processes; social science problems are viewed as processes occurring in place
- An emphasis on understanding spatial interdependence in observations of social phenomena across the landscape
 Spatial Analytic Approaches (from CSISS*)
- Spatial Econometrics
- Geographic Information Systems
- Cartography & Visualization
- Spatial Simulation & Spatial-Temporal Dynamics
- Spatial Optimization & Spatial Interaction Modeling
- Remote Sensing
- Use of GIS to integrate data by location and
- Use of spatial analysis to integrate multidiscipline views
Topics to Explore (from CSISS*)
- Environmental / climate change
- Social, economic and political inequality
- Criminal justice
- Social and business networks
- Community studies / grassroots organizations
- Health and disease
- Race and space issues
- Transportation
- Voting patterns and political redistricting
- Community Development
- Cultural analysis / symbolic meaning of space
- Urban Studies
*CSISS: Center for Spatially Integrated Social Sciences (www.csiss.org)
Evidence of Need
- $30 billion industry (U.S. Labor Department)
- Significant NSF Funding (CSISS)
- Changing academic landscape
- Demand for GIScience / Spatial Analysis expertise in the social sciences
- Growing volume of social science researchin GIS, Spatial Statistics, and Spatial Analysis
- Similar programs being developed at Brown and Harvard
UToledo's Expertise and Ability to Deliver the Program
- Success of GISAG in Geography and Planning
- $6 Million in Research Funding over past 5 years
- Designated Area of Research Enhancement
- Provost's Hiring Plan
Dr. David Weiguo Liu (GEPL)
Dr. Hiroyuki Iseki (GEPL)
Dr. Oleg Smirnov (Economics)
Dr. Julian Brash (Anthropology)
- National Recognition in Spatial Econometrics
- Expertise in all four academic departments
Education and Training Structure
- Program to be funded entirely through research
- Admit students with Masters Degree only
- Sixty Credits beyond Masters Level
- 30 Credits of Coursework
- Three required core courses
- Four seminars
- Remaining courses from list of electives
- 30 Credits of Dissertation
Timetable
- Academic Year 2006-07
- Seek approvals from A&S Council, Graduate Council, Faculty Senate, RACGS
- Academic Year 2007-08
- Obtain research funding
- Recruit students
- Finalize course approvals and scheduling
- Admit first class of students
- Fall, 2008: Program Begins
 (left to right) Professors Nemeth, Reid, Lawrence, and Hammel listen to Lindquist's SISS degree presentation.
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