Gudrun Wallentin

Dr. Gudrun Wallentin serves as Associate Professor for Geoinformatics and Ecology at the Department of Geoinformatics (Z_GIS) within the Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences at the University of Salzburg. She is Program Director of the UNIGIS distance learning programs and heads the Research Group "Spatial Simulation". Her academic work bridges ecological theory with advanced spatial modeling techniques.

Dr. Wallentin's research focuses on spatial simulation in ecology, individual-based modeling, and complex systems. Her work integrates geographical information science with ecological modeling to understand spatial patterns and processes in natural and urban environments. She has developed innovative approaches to model ecological dynamics, animal behavior, and urban transportation systems using agent-based and hybrid modeling frameworks.

Analysis of her publication record from 2008-2017 reveals consistent research themes centered on spatial modeling approaches applied to ecological and urban systems. Her work demonstrates a progression from ecological modeling (particularly alpine tree line dynamics and invasive species) toward urban applications (especially bicycle traffic and safety), while maintaining a strong methodological focus on individual-based and agent-based modeling techniques. The interdisciplinary nature of her work spans ecology, computer science, transportation engineering, and geography.

Dr. Wallentin actively contributes to the academic community through service roles including Guest Editor for the ISEM 2019 special issue in "Ecological Modelling" and membership on program committees for major conferences such as AGILE, AGIT, and GI_Forum.

As Program Director for UNIGIS, she oversees distance learning programs in Geographical Information Science and Systems, and supervises master's theses across multiple programs including Geography, Applied Geoinformatics, and Ecology. Her teaching portfolio includes courses on Spatial Simulation, Modeling Geographical Systems, and GIS applications in ecological research.

She leads the "Spatial Simulation" research group, which focuses on developing and applying individual-based modeling approaches to complex spatial systems, with particular applications in ecological dynamics and urban transportation networks.