SAL Staff & Steering Committee
The SAL is under-staffed by a full-time Director and a Spatial Data Specialist. One saving grace is our SAL Associates — skilled and talented students who share our interest and enthusiasm for all things spatial (especially maps).
The SAL Steering Committee informs and guides the development and advancement of spatial analysis capacities that align and support the educational and curricular priorities of the college. With at least one representative from each academic division, they advise the SAL Director and staff to enable broad application of spatial technologies to support the college’s diverse scholarship.
Ari Cross '25 Senior SAL Associate
Hello! I’m Ari, a senior double majoring in Psychology and Statistical & Data Sciences from Milwaukee, WI. I first became interested in GIS during the summer of 2023. I spent the summer doing an undergraduate research program for the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Division of Data Surveillance and Informatics. The project involved running a geographically-weighted regression on web-scraped and trauma registry data to explore spatial indicators of health for the purpose of improving injury-prevention initiatives.
Mags McLaughlin '25 Senior SAL Associate & Drone Thinker
I’m Mags (they/them) and I’m a senior Statistical and Data Sciences major and Astronomy minor. I became interested in ethical issues related to drones when I took IDP 109 in the fall of 2022, and I spent this summer working on the SAL’s drone ethics principles. I have taken many courses related to data analysis and statistics, and I took GEO 150 in the fall of 2023.
Lucy Hartley '25 ES&P SAL Associate
Hello! I’m Lucy, a senior majoring in Sociology and Environmental Science & Policy from Portland, Maine. My first exposures to GIS were within the ES&P department, culminating in a capstone project which explored bicycle connectivity and safety in Northampton. I am invested in exploring how our environments shape social processes and how we in turn shape these environments.
Jill Ferraro '26 SAL Associate
Hi, I’m Jill! I’m a junior from Central Oregon studying geobiology with a minor in archaeology. I’ve taken one SAL-specific class, a variety of geology classes that utilize story maps and Google Earth, and I’ve hands on experience using both good and bad maps. I’ve always found maps really interesting and my favorite are topographic maps (specifically 3D ones!)
Uchechi Anaba '27 SAL Associate
Hey! My name is Uchechi (oo-CHAY-chee) and I am a second year African studies major. I am from the one and only Pawtucket, Rhode Island and I use she/her pronouns. I can help with StoryMaps, ArcGIS Online, and QGIS.
Kala'i Ellis, Spatial Data Specialist
Kala'i Ellis is passionate about blending fields and knowledge bases to provide innovative approaches to new challenges in this ever changing world. His background in merging Indigenous and Western knowledge bases, especially in the realms of marine and terrestrial remote sensing and geospatial analyses, have been shaped by his lived experiences growing up in Hawaii and attending college in Utah. Kala'i holds a B.S. in Biodiversity and Conservation with a minor in Geospatial Sciences and Technology and received his M.S. in Biology from Brigham Young University, Provo.
Heather Rosenfeld, Director
Heather Rosenfeld is an environmental geographer, GIS analyst, and visual storyteller. Maps have long been the glue of Heather’s work, and they strive to encourage thoughtful and creative uses of maps and geospatial technology. Heather is excited to bring her experience in environmental and multispecies justice, community and participatory mapping, and accessible cartography to the SAL. Heather holds degrees in geophysical science (B.S.) and history, philosophy, and social studies of science and medicine (B.A.) from the University of Chicago and human geography (M.S., Ph.D.) from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.