Shashi Shekhar is a leading scholar of spatial data science and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In the 1990s, Shashi's research developed core technologies which paved the way for modern navigation apps, which are used by billions today. In the mid-2000s, research played a critical role in evacuation route planning for homeland security. His recent research is exploring scalable algorithms to process spatial big data to recommend eco-routes, which reduce emissions and energy use. Moreover, he pioneered the research area of spatial data mining via pattern families (e.g., colocation, linear hotspots, patterns of evasion), keynotes, surveys, and workshop organization.
Shashi is a U.C. Berkeley alumnus and serving as a McKnight Distinguished University Professor and a Distinguished University Teaching Professor at the University of Minnesota. He is also serving on the Computing Research Association (CRA) board, and as a coeditor in chief of Geo-Informatica journal. Shashi has also served as the president of the University Consortium for GIS (UCGIS), and on many National Academies' committees, including Priorities for GEOINT Research at the NGA, and From Maps to Models. Recognitions include IEEE-CS Technical Achievement Award, UCGIS Education Award, IEEE Fellow, AAAS Fellow and CTS Research Partnership Award for significant impact on transportation. He was also named a key difference-maker for the field of GIS by the most popular GIS textbook.
Shashi's publications include 350+ refereed papers, a Spatial Computing book for professionals, a Spatial Database textbook,) and an Encyclopedia of GIS. Many of Shashi's 100 advisees are serving in leadership positions and have received prestigious recognitions such as the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers and NSF CAREER.