Xiang (Peter) Chen

Associate Professor

Department of Geography, Sustainability, Community, and Urban Studies

Education/Professional Certification

Ph.D., The Ohio State University (2014)

Expertise

GIS Spatial Analysis & Modelling, Health Geography, Transport Geography

Biography

As a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) scientist, Dr. Chen employs equity-oriented, mixed-method approaches that integrate spatial data and models to address public health issues, including gun violence. Aside from his research, he has developed several community-oriented GIS tools, ranging from static maps and web maps to more complex data dashboards and mobile apps, to make GIS more policy relevant. In particular, he is the primary developer of the ARMS Violent Mortality Dashboard and have maintained it on an ongoing basis.

Dr. Chen’s GIS research and community-based work are closely aligned with ARMS’s mission to advance data-driven, equity-centered approaches to understanding and preventing gun violence. Gun violence is inherently place-based and can manifest in distinct spatial patterns (e.g., the geographic distribution of crime rates). Spatial inequities and contextual factors can be revealed through spatial data and GIS tools. His work supports ARMS’s goal of translating complex violence data into meaningful spatial patterns and actionable insights that enable evidence-informed decision-making.