The 2025 Malcolm L. Comeaux Lecture, hosted by ASU’s School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, features speaker Rachel Franklin, Executive Director of the Center for Geographic Analysis at Harvard University. Franklin will explore the promise—and distractions—of spatial data, data science & AI, sharing insights for geography, higher ed and beyond.
📅 Friday, November 7 (4:30-5:00 p.m. Reception; 5:00-6:30 p.m. Lecture)
📍 Memorial Union, Alumni Lounge 202
🔗 RSVP here:
http://bit.ly/ComeauxLecture2025
Lecture Abstract:
We live in exciting times for spatial data and methods. Even if we are not users of quantitative geographic methods and data, decisions, policies and priorities around us are increasingly shaped by them. In this talk, Rachel Franklin will cut through the hype to explore real value—and distractions—of spatial data, data science and AI. She will examine the challenges researchers face in today’s rapidly evolving data landscape and share insights from her own work, closing with big-picture takeaways for geography and higher education.
About the Speaker:
Rachel Franklin is the Executive Director of Harvard University’s Center for Geographic Analysis. A population geographer, her research explores the relationship between spatial analysis and demographic change, with a focus on spatial inequality.
Previously, Franklin was faculty at Newcastle University in the UK and part of the Alan Turing Institute’s Science of Cities and Regions program. She is the outgoing editor of Geographical Analysis, co-editor of the Annals of the American Association of Geographers, co-host of a research podcast, and is deeply committed to building research capacity and community.
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