Yoonjung Ahn

Yoonjung Ahn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography & Atmospheric Science at the University of Kansas. She specializes in health and medical geography, spatial analysis, and GIS, focusing on environmental hazards' disproportionate impacts. Her research integrates spatial modeling and big data to address health inequities, built environment dynamics, and climate change effects. She holds a PhD in Geography from Florida State University, an MS in Landscape Architecture from Seoul National University, and a BS from Sanmyung University.

Research Focus: Dr. Ahn’s work explores intersections between social determinants of health, environmental justice, and extreme weather. Notable projects include the HISDAC-US dataset tracking 200 years of U.S. settlement evolution and studies on heat stress disparities and air conditioning ownership in Florida.

Teaching: She teaches courses like GEOG 316 (Data Analysis), GEOG 358 (GIS Principles), and GEOG 571 (Health Geography). Her 2024 GEOG 316 course was enhanced through a Research-Intensive Course Mini-Grant.

Grants & Projects: Awards include University of Kansas grants supporting research-intensive pedagogy. Ongoing work includes presentations at the American Association of Geographers (AAG) on urban heat and pollution analysis in Chicago.

Labs & Teams: Collaborates on interdisciplinary teams for spatial data compilation (HISDAC-US) and heat action planning, emphasizing community engagement and evidence-based policy solutions.