Kristen S. Kurland

Kristen S. Kurland is a University Professor at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), holding appointments in the H. John Heinz III College of Information Systems and Public Policy, the School of Architecture, and a courtesy appointment in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Her roles include chairing the Geographical and Geospatial Sciences Committee of The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and serving on the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources.

Her teaching focuses on GIS, Building Information Modeling (BIM), CAD, and 3D visualization, with courses at Heinz College targeting executive physicians and healthcare management students. Research interests span health and urban systems, geospatial analytics, machine learning, and smart cities. She actively collaborates with healthcare, government, and industry partners globally.

Notable awards include the 2020 Carlow University Women of Spirit Award, 2012 Esri Health Communications Award, and multiple teaching accolades. Her funded research includes projects on urban quality of life, 3D visualization, and pediatric healthcare access funded by The Heinz Endowments, Deloitte Foundation, and others.

Kurland advises numerous PhD students across architecture, civil engineering, and public policy, and leads grants addressing spatial health equity, urban design, and geospatial innovation. She is co-author of bestselling GIS workbooks like GIS Tutorial for Health and a frequent keynote speaker on geospatial technologies.