DrJane Brennan

Jane Brennan received her PhD in Computer Science and Engineering (Artificial Intelligence/Information Systems) from the University of New South Wales in May 2009. Since 1994, as part of her Masters Thesis research and later part of her work as an academic and PhD candidate, she had worked in the field of spatial reasoning and knowledge representation with a particular interest in spatial cognition, formalising of qualitative spatial notions and spatial reasoning in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Her PhD research on modelling spatial proximity was characterised by being cognitively motivated, providing formalisations and then seeking to apply these formalisations in practical setting. These settings then shifted from the original road travel optimisation to the environmental domain. Due to Jane's strong interest in environmental sustainability and following an internship with the geodata group at the Environmental Ministry of the German state of Lower Saxony in 2008, Jane's research agenda is now based in the area of Environmental Information Systems with a focus on Geographic Information. Her major interests are spatial analysis of natural and human phenomena such as water runoff and land use, and facilitating the study of the man-land relationship through information systems approaches.After finishing her HSC, Jane did a one year internship as a computing trainee in Lubmin in East Germany and then studied Computer Science (with sub-major in Business Administration; specialising in Artificial Intelligence) at the University of Technology Chemnitz-Zwickau from 09/90 to 06/95. During this time she spent one year (92/93) in the UK at the University of Kent at Canterbury. Jane also spent several months at the University of Hamburg, where a great deal of her master thesis was written in collaboration with the Knowledge and Language Processing Group (WSV).After coming to Australia in 1995, Jane worked as an Omnimark programmer for CCH Australia Ltd for two years before moving on to the University of New South Wales to recommence her research activities; with the Artificial Intelligence Group in the School of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE). During her time there, she worked as a tutor for CSE, as a writing assistant/tutor for the UNSW Learning Centre and was employed as an Associate Lecturer with CSE from 2002-2003. Since 2004, Jane has worked at UTS as a Lecturer: initially with the Department of Information Systems in the Faculty of Information Technology, and since June 2008 with the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the joined Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.