Rate My Professor Reginald Archer

Reginald S. Archer, PhD, GISP, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture at Tennessee State University, where he joined the faculty in 2015. His academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2013), an M.S. in Civil and Coastal Engineering from the University of Florida (2005), and a B.S. in Surveying and Mapping from the University of Florida (1996). Archer specializes in applied Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing, with research interests encompassing spatial analysis, GeoINT, environmental change detection, disaster recovery monitoring, climate adaptation, sustainability, public health applications including vector-borne diseases and respiratory health determinants, hazards and vulnerability assessment, and environmental justice. He directs the Geospatial Research and Analysis Lab (GRaAL) and the GIS certificate program at Tennessee State University, fostering geospatial expertise among students.

Archer teaches an extensive array of courses, from Fundamentals of Geospatial Information Systems (AGSC 2510) and Introduction to GIS for Natural Resource Management (AGSC 3580) to advanced graduate-level offerings such as Advanced Spatial Analysis (AGSC 6520), Geospatial Metadata (AGSC 6530), Spatial Database Design (AGSC 6540), and PhD seminars (AGSC 7610/7620). His key publications highlight his impact, including the highly cited "New baseline environmental assessment of mosquito ecology in northern Haiti during increased urbanization" (Samson et al., Journal of Vector Ecology, 2015; 69 citations), "Ecological determinants of respiratory health: Examining associations between asthma emergency department visits, diesel particulate matter, and public parks and open space in Los Angeles, California" (Douglas et al., Preventive Medicine Reports, 2019; 45 citations), "Climate, population, food security: adapting and evolving in times of global change" (Smith & Archer, International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 2020; 36 citations), "Impacts of urbanization: diversity and the symbiotic relationships of rural, urban, and vacant urban lots in Nashville, TN" (Smith et al., 2017), and "Inland wetlands mapping and vulnerability assessment using an integrated geographic information system and remote sensing techniques" (Akumu et al., Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management, 2018). He has co-edited volumes such as "GEOPAths—Broadening the Voices in Geosciences: Pathways to Innovative Pedagogy and Professional Development" (Geological Society of America Special Paper 564, 2025) and a special issue on COVID-19 lessons in the Journal of Geoscience Education (2024). Archer's influence is evident in invited lectures, including "Geospatial Advances Since Hurricane Katrina" at the University of Miami (2017), public health modeling at St. Georges University (2016), and GIS workshops in Haiti and Colombia, alongside presentations at AAG conferences on post-disaster recovery.