Kristen Seamens Kurland

Teaching Professor of Architecture, Information Systems, and Public Policy, H. John Heinz III College and School of Architecture
412-268-4512
e-mail: kurland@cmu.edu

Kristen Kurland holds a joint faculty appointment between Carnegie Mellon University’s H. John Heinz III College and School of Architecture. In addition to her full time position at CMU, she is the president of a local consulting firm that has implemented computer technology programs in numerous organizations since 1989. Her clients include architects, engineers, hospitals, universities, corporations, as well as local, state, and federal governments. Kurland's research focuses on interdisciplinary collaborations in health, the built environment, and spatial analysis using geographic information systems (GIS.) She works closely with the School of Architecture’s Remaking Cities Institute and Heinz College colleagues and students on urban design, economic development, and sustainability issues. She actively collaborates with the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and the RAND Corporation. Kurland's teaching at CMU includes building information modeling (BIM), computer aided design (CAD), 3D visualization, computer aided facility management (CAFM), and GIS. At the Heinz College, she also teaches infrastructure management to executive physicians in the Master of Medical Management (MMM) program. Kristen has a strong interest in distance education and has been teaching through this medium for many years.

 

PRESENTATIONS and APPEARANCES

 

·         “GIS and HEALTH: Applications to Promote and Support Healthy Communities” , Keynote Speaker, Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute Biennial International Conference, Adelaide Australia, October 2009

·         “Technology, Health, and the Built Environment”, Adelaide Department of Planning, and Local Government, Adelaide Australia, September 2009

·         “GIS for Health and the Built Environment”, Chatham University, Pittsburgh, PA, November 2008

·         “GIS for All Health Organizations”, Preconference Workshop:  Environmental Systems Research Institute Health GIS Conference, Washington, D.C., October 2008

·         “Using The Web To Cover Healthcare”, Online News Association Annual Conference, Washington, D.C., September 2008

·         “Applications of GIS for Health Policy Research and Analysis”, Department for Families & Communities, Adelaide, Australia, September 2008

·         “Application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Mapping in a Pediatric Obesity Center”, Pediatric Academic Societies, Poster Presentation, Honolulu, Hawaii, May 2008

·         “The Human Layer: Solving Public Health Problems Using GIS “, Connected Urban Development Global Conference, Cisco, San Francisco, CA,  February 2008

·         “Obesity Research”, Washington Post, Washington, DC, February 2008

·         “Executive Overview of GIS for Health Organizations”, Preconference Workshop:  Environmental Systems Research Institute Health GIS Conference, Scottsdale Arizona, October, 2007

·         “Applications of GIS to Health Policy Research and Analysis”, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica California, September 2007

·         Guest Speaker, New York City Department of Public Health, GIS Department, August 2007

·         “GIS Tutorials: A Lesson in Teaching with GIS”, author’s panel, Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. – 27th International User Conference, San Diego California (June 2007)

·         “Designing a Healthy Community”, Highmark Childhood Obesity Regional Strategy Bounce Event, September 2006

·         “GIS Tutorial for Healthcare Organizations”, Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. - 26th International User Conference, Heath Users Group, San Diego California August 2006

·         ”Spatial Teaching with GIS Tutorial”, Microcomputers in Education Conference, University of Arizona,  Tempe, AZ, March 2006

·         “Geographic Information Systems: Mapping Health, Trauma, and Injury Cases”, Trauma Conference, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, November 2005

·         “GIS in the Study and Prevention of Childhood Obesity”, Grand Rounds, St. Margaret’s Hospital, Pittsburgh PA, September 2005

·         ” GIS Tutorial Workshop”, Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. - Fifth Annual ESRI Education User Conference, San Diego California, July 2005

·         “Working with GIS”, Legal Services Corporation – TIG Conference, Austin, TX, January 2005

·         “GIS in the Study and Prevention of Childhood Obesity”, Highmark Childhood Obesity Regional Strategy Committee Meeting, March 2005

·         “GIS in Legal Services”, Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. - Fourth Annual ESRI Education User Conference, San Diego California,(July 2004

·         “GIS in Legal Services”, 4th Annual Western PA GIS Conference, California PA , September 2004

·         “Developing Educational GIS Materials”, Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. - Third Annual ESRI Education User Conference, San Diego California, July 2003

·         “Developing Educational GIS Materials”, 4th Annual Western PA GIS Conference, California PA, September 2003

·         “GIS Distance Education to Non-Traditional Users”, Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. - Second Annual ESRI Education User Conference, San Diego California, July 2002

·         “GIS Technology To Link Youth and Workforce”, Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., First Annual ESRI Education User Conference, San Diego California, June 2001

 

MEDIA COVERAGE

 

·         “Move near a park and keep children healthy”, The Advertiser, Adelaide Australia, By Tory Shepard, Health reporter, September 2009

·         “Young Lives at Risk: Our Overweight Children”, Washington Post, By Steve Hendrix and Hamil R. Harris, Washington Post Staff Writers,  May 20, 2008

·         CMU Today, “Solving a Weighty Issue”,  pages 12-14 (April 2007)

·         The Piper,  “Location, Location, Location: It May Be Why You’re Overweight”,  page 6 (January 2007)

·         Pittsburgh Tribune Review, “Architects join in the battle of the bulge”,  (September 16, 2006)

·         Carnegie Mellon University, 8.5 x 11 News, Vol. 17, no. 6, “Research Says US Cities Are Making Children Obese”,  (August 2007)

·         Ann Devlin Show, Night Talk, December 2006

·         Pittsburgh Today LIVE, October 2006

·         DUQ Radio, October 2006

 

PUBLISHED BOOKS

 

·         GISTutorial for Health,Third Edition, with Wil Gorr, ESRI Press, (2009)

·         GISTutorial : Workbook for ArcView 9 Third Edition, with Wil Gorr, ESRI Press, (2007)

·         Learning and Using GIS: ArcGIS Edition, with Wil Gorr, Thomson Learning: Course Technology, (2006)

·         Learning and Using GIS: ArcExplorer Edition, with Wil Gorr, Thomson Learning: Course Technology, (2005)

 

PUBLICATIONS, PROCEEDINGS, and PROFESSIONAL REPORTS

 

·         “Examination of the built environment and prevalence of obesity: neighborhood characteristics, food purchasing venues, green space and distribution of Body Mass Index” with Dubowitz T, Osypuk T., chapter in S. Babones (ed.), Social Inequality and Public Health  (2009)

·         “Application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Mapping in a Pediatric Obesity Center”, with Tamara S Hannon, MD, Goutham Rao, MD, Dana Rofey, PhD, Fida Bacha, MD, Ingrid M Libman, MD PhD, and Silva Arslanian, MD Weight Management & Wellness Center (WMWC), Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, Pediatric Academic Societies Conference, (2008)

·         “Evaluating the Relationship of All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Motocross Tracks and Pediatric Injury Using Geographic Information Systems,” with Sohail R. Shah, MD , Noel Zuckerbraun, MD  , Kathy Gismondi  , Christine J. McKenna, MSN , Marianne Miller, BS, Barbara Gaines, MD , and Jeffrey S. Upperman, MD., abstract and oral presentation, American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition, (2006)

·         “Application of a Geographic Information System (GIS) to Identify Neighborhoods at High Risk for Severe Pediatric Pedestrian Injuries and the Relation to Green Space Density.” with NS Zuckerbraun, T Songer, K Gismondi and BA Gaines, abstract and poster presentation, Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting Abstracts, Pediatric Research, (April 2006)

·         “Geographic Information Systems (GIS)”, Pennsylvania Public Health Association (on-line news issue), (Fall 2006)

·         “How Physician Executives Can Use Geographic Information Systems (GIS)”, American College of Physician Executives, vol. 2, no1., (January  2005)

·         Architecture and Engineering, Guest Editor, Pittsburgh Engineer Magazine, pages 2-11 (Spring 2004 Edition)

·         “Curriculum Development for a New Class in Advanced Visualization of Urban Systems and Infrastructures”, (with Ramesh Krishnamurti and Luis Rico-Gutierrez, Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research, (Spring 2004)

·         “Businesses see importance of facilities management training”, Pittsburgh Business Times (online edition), contributing editor, (Fall 2003)

·         “Going Back to School: Doctors Learn about Infrastructure Issues”, Health Facilities Management, contributing editor, (August 2002)

·         “Legal Aid GIS”, with George Tita, University of California Irvine: GIS training publication for Legal Aid Society of North America/Legal Services Corporation, (2003)

·         “NEELAM:A Networked Environment for Education Learning And More”, Carnegie Mellon University, (with Ramesh Krishnamurti and Luis Rico-Gutierrez),  (Fall 2003)

·         “Information Technology - That's Dr. CIO”, contributing editor, Hospital and Health Networks, 76 (9) : pages 18-20, (2002 September)

 

SELF-PUBLISHED TEACHING MATERIALS

·         ARCHIBUS/FM Training Tutorials: Space Management, Asset Management, Telecommunications, Building Operations, Real Property and Lease Management, Core Applications, used by Archibus, Inc. business partners world-wide teaching CAFM (1996-2007)

·         AutoCAD: 2D and 3D Tutorials and Videos/DVD
Used in CMU courses and independent studies       
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/48-568 (link to videos/course)

·         Geographic Information Systems Video Lectures
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/95-708 (link to videos/course)

·         Infrastructure Management Video Lectures
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/90-982 (link to videos/course)

 

 COURSES TAUGHT

 

·         HCPM Systems Synthesis (Programmatic Space Plan), client: Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (Spring 2009)

·         HCPM Systems Synthesis (Patient Empowerment), client: West Penn Allegheny Health System (Spring 2008)

·         HCPM Systems Synthesis (Urban Senior Living), client: Presbyterian Senior Care (Spring 2007)

·         Distance GIS, Heinz School Adelaide Campus (Spring 2007, Fall 2008, Fall 2009)

·         Advanced CAD/Building Information Modeling (BIM)/3D Visualization, School of Architecture (2006-present)

·         Healthcare Geographic Information Systems, Heinz School (Fall 2005-present)

·         Geographic Information Systems, Heinz School (1999-present)

·         Geographic Information Systems Distance Course, Heinz School/MSIT (1999-present)

·         Infrastructure Management, Heinz School, Master of Medical Management (1999-present)

·         Systems Synthesis, Heinz School/School of Architecture Urban Lab (2002-2004)

·         Advanced CAD/3D Studio MAX, School of Architecture (1999-2006)

·         GIS/CAFM, School of Architecture (1999-present)

·         Knowledge Management in Infrastructure Planning, School of Architecture (2003- present)

·         Special Topics, AutoCAD, CIT – Civil and Environmental Engineering, (1999-present)

·         Knowledge Management in Infrastructure Planning, Heinz School (1999-2002)

·         AutoCAD, School of Architecture (1995-1999)

·         Computer Aided Facilities Management, Heinz School (1994-1999)

 

AWARDS and SPECIAL RECOGNITION

 

·         H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management, Martcia Wade Teaching Award, (2005)

·         Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research (SEER), Spotlight on SEER Faculty featuring my work at CMU, (Spring 2005)

·         AIA Columns magazine, “Are American Cities Making Us Fat?”,  (November 2005)

·         Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), Special Achievement in GIS Award, (2004)

·         CADENCE Magazine, “New Technology Drives AutoCAD Training Techniques”, (January 2000)

·         ARCHIBUS, Inc., Outstanding Educator Award, (1998, 2000, 2003)