Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Ian Muehlenhaus

By Daniel Vieth

“Never give unsolicited advice, because making mistakes is how people learn best. Then again, listening to any unsolicited advice I give may be a mistake!”

- Dr. Ian Muehlenhaus

This fall, the James Madison University Department of Integrated Science and Technology’s (ISAT) Geographic Science (GS) program welcomes Dr. Ian Muehlenhaus as one of its newest faculty members. Muehlenhaus’ passions include persuasive map design and geopolitics, which fit perfectly with the type of courses he will be teaching at JMU. “I fell in love with the JMU campus and the area immediately,” said Muehlenhaus. “The ISAT Department is unique and dynamic, and seems to promote innovative thinking and endeavors.”

Muehlenhaus earned his BA in International Studies and Geographic Sciences at the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 1999 and his M.Sc in Geography from Penn State in 2002. While working on his Ph.D. in Geography at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Muehlenhaus worked as a full-time Human Geography Lecturer and GIS Lab Manager at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF). After earning his PhD in 2010, Muehlenhaus took his first tenure track job at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse from 2011 and worked there until he came to JMU. In addition to his duties at JMU,  Muehlenhaus is the Coordinator for the Cartography and Geographic Information Society’s Annual Map Competition, participates on the editorial board of the Cartographic Perspectives journal, and has served as Vice-Chair, Chair and Past-Chair of the Cartography Specialty Group of the Association of American Geographers.

Muehlenhaus’ research focuses on map design, such as how to design maps that are convincing, the impact of rhetoric on map’s visualizations, map aesthetics and designs, and even the history of propaganda maps. “I love persuasive map design,” exclaimed Muehlenhaus. “It’s a small field, but one that is truly exciting!” For example, Muehlenhaus’ most recent research was on the connection between film form and maps, an idea that came to him while reading on film theory for fun. “I realized that what I was reading about on film form and aesthetics might be adaptable for understanding map style and aesthetics,” Muehlenhaus explained. “I love the excitement of unexpectedly coming up with a new research problem and thinking about how to best tackle it!” Currently, Muehlenhaus is working on a textbook about persuasive cartography which should be completed in the summer of 2015 and published by Springer Publishing Company later that year.

Muehlenhaus was recently awarded an $80,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study flow map design, a project that will directly involve the help of JMU students. He will be working on the grant for the next two years. “My colleague at Oregon State University and I will be attempting to figure out what types of flow maps are the most aesthetically pleasing and easier to read via survey studies,” Muehlenhaus explained. “Then we will design a software plugin that allows mapmakers to automate these styles and design flow maps of their own.” To help him with this project, Muehlenhaus is also planning to hire two or three undergraduate students. “I am really excited about working with students on this project,” he continued. “I love seeing my students succeed beyond their initial expectations.”

Muehlenhaus’ expertise and passion for cartographic visualization and map aesthetics is a valuable addition to JMU’s GS Program. Along with teaching and research, Muehlenhaus and his wife, a fellow GIS educator and Instructional Designer, have two daughters and a wheaten terrier. “This department is extremely adept at teaching the advanced technological and data-driven aspects of Geographic Information Science (GIS),” said Muehlenhaus. “We have a fabulous faculty here, and I am hopeful that my interests add a further dimension to an already extremely robust and powerful curriculum.”