Michael Minn

Michael Minn serves as Teaching Assistant Professor and GIS Professional Science Master's Faculty Advisor in the Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a position he has held since September 2020. A PhD alumnus of the same department (2014), his dissertation, "The Energy Futures of Long-Distance Passenger Rail in the United States," examined sociotechnical aspects of rail transport amid energy constraints. He previously served as Assistant Professor of History, Politics, and Geography at Farmingdale State College (2017-2020), Assistant Professor of Geography and Anthropology at Eastern Washington University (2016-2017), Visiting Assistant Professor in Geography and the Environment at the University of Denver (2015-2016), and Postdoctoral Research Associate in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at UIUC (2014-2015). Earlier, he was a Teaching and Research Assistant in Geography and GIS at UIUC (2010-2014). Minn holds an MA in Geography with an Advanced Certificate in GIS from Hunter College/CUNY (2010), an MS in Computer Science from North Texas State University (1988), and a BM in Music Education from the same university (1986).

Minn's research specializations include the energy-transportation nexus, GIS education, foodscapes, urban futures, high-speed and passenger rail systems, energy transitions, neighborhood change (such as Chinese restaurants in New York City), foreclosure impacts on landscapes, and geospatial techniques. He focuses on training diverse populations to apply geospatial technologies across fields. His teaching portfolio features core courses like GGIS 379: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems, GGIS 380: Geographic Information Systems II, and GGIS 479: Enterprise GIS, aiding students in integrating quantitative and qualitative analyses. Notable publications encompass "Chinese Restaurants and Neighborhood Change in New York City" (The Professional Geographer, 2024), "A Case Study of HyFlex in GIS Classes at the University of Illinois" (Journal of Geoscience Education, 2024), "Shared-Use Rail Corridors: A Comparison of Institutional Perspectives in the United States and the European Union" (Transport Reviews, 2022), "Contested Power: American Long-Distance Passenger Rail and the Ambiguities of Energy Intensity Analysis" (Sustainability, 2019), "Dead Grass: Foreclosure and the Production of Space in Maricopa County, Arizona" (Urban Planning, 2018), "American Long-Distance Locomobility and the Spaces of Actor-Network Theory" (Social Sciences, 2016), and "Detection of Foreclosure-Related Landscape Management Changes Using Landsat" (Applied Geography, 2015). As a frequent conference presenter and publication reviewer, he contributes to departmental and campus committees, enhancing GIS education and research.

Professional Email: minn2@illinois.edu