2023-24 Board of Directors

Sam began attending events through the Arizona Chapter in 2020 and became an active member of Women in GIS in 2021. She participated as a mentee which led to being involved in the Outreach & Map Committees, and WiGIS events. She co-founded the Colorado Chapter in 2022. Sam was selected to the 2023-25 cohort of the URISA Vanguard Cabinet, an advisory board of passionate young geospatial professionals; and has an MS in Applied Geospatial Sciences from Northern Arizona University.

“I love serving others and working hard to improve my community. I ran for VP of WiGIS because I want to help improve opportunities for women working in geospatial sciences. I am so honored to have been elected to this role and I cannot wait to learn more and help our community!”
- Sam Dinning

Wanmei Liang works at NASA Earth Observatory as a Science Data Visualizer, specializing in cartography, science communication, GIS, and remote sensing to produce maps and satellite imagery for NASA's Image of the Day.

Beyond her professional role, Wanmei is a passionate advocate for promoting diversity and inclusion in the geospatial field, particularly through her commitment to Women in GIS. Since August 2022, she has been a consistent presence at every Communities of Practice, Mugs and Mornings, and virtual gatherings across all chapters. In addition to her involvement in Women in GIS, she engages with a global audience through her active online presence, in which she shares her geospatial journey and cartography skills.

Wanmei is honored to continue her journey with Women in GIS as Vice President, driving the organization's expansion and inclusivity. With her passion, experience, and dedication, she is committed to empowering others and shaping a vibrant future for Women in GIS.

I am honored to have served as President of Women in GIS. This organization has provided countless opportunities for growth in my career, network, and within myself. I graduated from University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee in 2010 with a Bachelors in Geography. I earned by Master of Science in GIS at St Mary’s University of Minnesota. The majority of my GIS experience has been in the government sector. I’ve worked in transportation planning at the Iowa DOT, asset management at Fort McCoy, land conservation at Mississippi Valley Conservancy and now municipal GIS for the City of Onalaska. I am also a Board Member for our State GIS organization, Wisconsin Land Information Association and Adjunct Professor at Viterbo University. My passion lies in developing solutions that inspire collaboration and induce efficiency. One of the best parts of Women in GIS is getting to know what others are doing in Communities of Practice. The years of knowledge and experience are priceless. The WiGIS network has helped me navigate the workplace waters with a little more ease. I love this community and I hope I can give back all that it has given me.

Madyson is a dedicated GIS & Data Science professional, passionate about shaping the future of Geospatial technology. She earned her BS in Geographic Information Science & Technology with a specialization in Computation, Design, and Analysis from Texas A&M University in 2022. With a keen interest in standardizing the geospatial industry and driving innovation in GIS technology, Madyson actively participates in multiple research and GIS organizations as well as Women in GIS: the Arizona Geographic Information Council, the Arizona Association for Economic Development, and the Council for Community and Economic Research. Her involvement focuses on advancing industry standards, professional development, economic development, and exploring novel applications of geospatial data. Madyson's enthusiasm for technology extends beyond GIS, encompassing a deep appreciation for programming languages and open-source software, with Python and R being her favorites. She strives to automate GIS processes wherever possible, leveraging her knowledge in these languages to streamline workflows. Madyson's diverse work experience spans geospatial AI startups to government entities.

Beth Houser has been a GIS professional since 2007. She earned a BS in Environmental Science and a MS from UPenn in Urban Spatial Analytics, focusing on land use and planning. Beth began her career at a regional planning commission, and since 2009, has been the GIS Specialist at WRT, a planning and architecture firm. Working to design communities to be more resilient and equitable, she gets the opportunity to analyze and portray data at differing scales across the US. She served for four years as Treasurer for the Chester County Mothers of Multiples club and is excited to be able to serve the WiGIS community in a similar capacity. During Beth’s “spare” time, she enjoys spending time with her four children, reading, playing board games, gardening, and camping.

Azza is a Teaching Associate Professor in the Program in Environmental Design at the University of Colorado Boulder. She has over 15 years’ experience in the GIS and Geodesign applications. Her research is at the intersection of geotechnology and social and environmental justice. Her research informs policies for housing instability and affordability, equitable planning, and resilient communities. She was a 2023 Fulbright Specialist to TU Berlin and the recipient of  the University of Florida RTA award to develop the climate adaptation dashboard for Berlin historic churches. In Texas, Maryland, Colorado, and Arizona, she led projects to examine Low Impact Development, Neighborhood Stabilization Program, and Sustainable workforce housing in the Eagle Ford Shale region. Azza’s research is published in the Journal of Urban Planning and Development, International Journal of Architectural Research, Camino Real Journal, Elsevier books, ARCC and CUPUM proceedings. She is currently working on addressing climate change impact on chronic homelessness and an evaluation of PSH Programs in Texas and Colorado.

Naz Ali, GISP is a Senior Manager at CBRE Canada. She has over 20 years of experience in GIS and built the Location Intelligence platform at CBRE Canada. She specializes in commercial real estate applications. She provides comprehensive market analysis across various commercial property types, including retail, industrial & logistics and office leasing. He expertise lies in developing data-driven methods that empower businesses to make informed decisions.

Beyond her role at CBRE, she is thrilled to serve as the External Engagement Committee Chair. She also serves as a member of the GIS Program Advisory Committee at British Columbia Institute of Technology, is a board member at URISA BC and sits on the steering committee at Vancouver GIS Users Group. She is very passionate about GIS. In her leisure time, Naz indulges in her passion for traveling and exploring architectural wonders. She’s an avid photographer, capturing the beauty of landscapes and streetscapes, and she finds inspiration in everything nature has to offer.

Danielle Bram is a co-founder, former President, and current Board Member of Women in GIS. She has a passion for GIS and supporting women in the field of geospatial technology. Danielle is a GIS Professional with over 20 years of experience in the public agency, higher education and nonprofit sectors. Her applied research interests and experience cover a variety of topics such as municipal, conservation and water resource GIS. Danielle is currently Director of the Center for Geospatial Science and Technology at CSU, Northridge in California. She is on the Board of the California Geographic Information Association representing education interests, and is a member of the California GIS Council Hydrography and Education Workgroups.

An-Min Wu, Ph.D., GISP, is Assistant Professor of Spatial Sciences at the University of Southern California (USC). An-Min teaches geospatial information science and technology, and her research of interest is in the intersection of socioeconomic development and environmental sustainability. Her research focuses on understanding spatial dynamics of environmental pollution and climate change to inform sustainability and health impacts and their implications of environmental disparity and injustice. An-Min is a faculty cluster lead for M.S. in Spatial Economics and Data Analysis, a faculty co-director for the online Master of Public Health – GeoHealth track, and a mentor for the USC Environmental Health Center’s EH MATTERS fellowship program where she supervises under-representative students on environmental health research. Wu has been actively involved in both faculty governance and professional communities. She previous served on USC Academic Senate and Dornsife Faculty Council, American Association of Geographers (AAG) Specialty Group Human Dimension for Global Change (HDGC) board, and was a past president for California Geographic Information Association. She currently co-leads Women Network at the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers (APCG) and is looking forward to working with the dynamic team in Women in GIS (WiGIS) to support women for their professional career development.

Swati Grover is a Geospatial Solutions professional, with over 22 years of work experience spanning the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors in India and internationally. She holds an M.Phil. in GIS & Remote Sensing from the University of Cambridge, UK, and an MS in Geology from the University of Delhi, India. She has worked on a variety of GIS based projects related to developing technical architecture, database/geodatabase management and finding customized solutions. She is a seasoned instructor, delivering specialized courses in GIS & Remote Sensing practices, and capacity building programs catered to specific industries. Currently, she is working as a GIS specialist for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-Assisted Delhi Water Supply Improvement Project. She has worked as a consultant for several agencies and served visiting faculty positions in multiple institutes. In addition, she holds advisory positions for the Wo-Men Geospatial Coterie, and the Disaster Resilient & Research Foundation, India. In 2019, Swati Grover was honored for her contributions with the Women Empowerment Leadership Award in Disaster Management for Geospatial Technology Awareness.