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The School of Information Management is pleased to welcome Jennifer Grek Martin, who will start a three-year limited-term appointment on July 1, 2014.  

Ms. Grek Martin has a BA, International Relations, and a MSc, Geography from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a MLIS from HÂþ»­. Ms. Grek Martin’s research interests include geospatial information, visualization and mental imagery, and multimedia representation of information and cognition.  Ms. Grek Martin will be teaching courses in the MLIS, MIM, and Bachelor of Management programs.

In her own words:

I am fascinated by mental imagery and visualization and how we receive, process, and represent information – particularly geospatial information.  I am also curious about how we use online and digital information and how our use of these resources shapes us. In my graduate work, I focused on exploring the intersection between geography and visual representation.  I completed a geography thesis that uses iconology to understand representations of Hungary in 17^th century Dutch atlases and an MLIS thesis that uses geography, among other fields, to understand how we mentally visualize landscapes in both text and film.

Outside the classroom, I have continued to explore my love for geography and visual representation while developing new skills in information management.  I used a geospatial strategy to organize a collection of photographs for the State Historical Society of Wisconsin and I devised a library database and categorization system for an archaeological firm in Ontario.  For many years, I have also worked as a digital cartographer and illustrator.  After moving to Halifax in 2007, I taught introductory geography and cartography classes at Saint Mary’s University and HÂþ»­ University and found that teaching allows me to blend my love for learning with my desire to share what I learn with others.

I also enjoy gardening, all things Tolkien, and international folkdance.

Welcome to the SIM team, Jennifer!