Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center

Dr. Hartwig Henry Hochmair

Professor of Geomatics

Dr. Hochmair leads the Geomatics program at the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (FLREC). Using the general framework of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Dr. Hochmair provides leadership in teaching activities and research related to the analysis and quality assessment of geodata and geodata visualization.

Using a variety of geo-data collection and analysis methods he collaborates with researchers from a range of disciplines to address current issues in natural resource management, sustainability, transportation, and tourism.

Research

Research: Big data analytics

The Geomatics lab analyses a wide range of big data sources, including social media, online reviews, citizen science platforms, news channels, online searches, crowdsourced drone and street imagery, and collaborative mapping platforms to explore and model human activity patterns (e.g., visitation of and activities in State parks), travel behavior (e.g., in response to natural disasters) and user sentiments (e.g., perception of locations or events). While big data can reach hundreds of millions records or more, research is needed to assess the data quality and potential bias of big data to better understand and capture its usability for geo-applications.

Research: Non-motorized transportation

The Geomatics lab identifies which environmental factors and road network design characteristics encourage alternative modes of transportation (walk, bike, transit) that mitigate congestion and come with health benefits. It further uses crowd-sourced data, such as social media data or records from sport tracking apps to model human mobility patterns locally (e.g., route choice behavior in road networks) and on a global scale (e.g., refugee migration or travel to support local crisis mapping efforts).

Research: Unmanned aerial vehicles (drones)

The Geomatics lab uses drones to collaborate on interdisciplinary research between geospatial mapping, phycology, plant pathology, and turfgrass science, including monitoring of aquatic plants, invasive shrubs and trees, and measuring the efficacy of chemical and biological control.

Teaching
Teaching: Mission

The primary goal of the Geomatics program is to prepare students for careers as practitioners and researchers in response to the increasing demand for licensed surveyors and experts in geospatial technologies.

Teaching: Courses

Dr. Hochmair’s teaching portfolio includes a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses:
- SUR 3520 Measurement Science/SUR 5525 Least Squares Adjusted Computations
- GIS 4121 Geospatial Analysis/GIS 6116 GIS Analysis
- SUR 5365 Digital Mapping
- GIS 6103 GIS Programming and Customization

Lab Team

Geomatics Lab

Education
- Ph.D.,Geographic Information Science, Technical University of Vienna, Austria, 2002
- M.S., Surveying and Geodesy, Technical University of Vienna, Austria, 1998
- M.A., Electroacoustic Composition, University for Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, Austria, 2000

Publications

Extension Publications

Research Publications

Professional Service and Awards
- Recipient of the 2019 NACTA (North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture) Excellence in Teaching and Learning with Technology Award
- Recipient of the 2014 NACTA (North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture) Teacher Fellow Award.
- Associated Editor of ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information
- Editorial board member of Geographies, Journal of Location Based Services

Videos

Instructional Videos: UF Geomatics @ Fort Lauderdale - You Tube Channel

Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center

Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center

Geomatics Lab