People >> Scott Bell  
   
 
 
 
Scott Bell

Population Studies and Training Center
(401) 863-1064
Scott_Bell@brown.edu
 
  Introduction:
Scott Bell joined S4 in January 2006, he is an Assistant Professor, research assigned to S4 through the Transportation Studies and Training Center. He arrives at Brown from the University of Saskatchewan where he is an Associate Professor of Geography. His graduate training (MA and PhD) was completed at the University of California, Santa Barbara under the supervision of Reginald Golledge. He has contributed journal articles and chapters in edited works on several topics and comes to Brown excited to contribute to the variety of research and training endeavors being developed through S4.
 
 
Current Projects:
At S4 Professor Bell will be primarily working on expanding the research collaborations that the unit supports as well as developing new and ongoing training opportunities for Brown faculty and graduate students. This includes workshops, seminars, and longer term training institutes that will be delivered on-demand as well as at scheduled times throughout the year. For more information about upcoming training opportunities or to discuss how S4 can help support your research program please contact Scott at Scott_Bell@brown.edu.

Professor Bell is also working on a variety of projects that are part of his ongoing research agenda. His primary area of interest is human spatial behavior and GIScience. Along with graduate students under his supervision he is exploring several topics related to human navigation and wayfinding, in particular he is exploring how navigational problems are solved in previously unknown environments. Specific topics of interest include shortcutting, piloting, path integration, and navigation behavior when lost. A better understanding of spatial behavior has implications for how geographic information technology develops and will provide important inputs for technology intended to support human navigation.

In the emerging realm of qualitative GIScience Scott is exploring ways that researchers who use qualitative methods can better integrate GIS into their research programs. His primary focus has been on “sketch maps” and other spatial schematics that are often used to express spatial knowledge. He is also interested in ways that GIScience researchers can help build new analytical tools for qualitative spatial data.

In addition to his appointment at Brown, Professor Bell is also an Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada. He is currently advising six graduate students (4 MA, 2 PhD) in geography working on a variety of topics including GIScience, human spatial behavior, and health geography. If you are interested in graduate training opportunities with Professor Bell please contact him at Scott_Bell@brown.edu.