Jia Zhao

I specialize in urban data science and GIS, transforming raw geographic data into insights for spatial
decision-making. My foundational GIS skills from undergraduate urban planning studies and practical experience at an
urban planning research institute enable me to proficiently handle geographic data. Pursuing a master’s degree has allowed
me to perform advanced tasks using machine learning libraries in Python, R, SQL, and geographic databases. I thrive on
solving technical challenges within the GIS team and completing tasks under tight deadlines, which fosters my practical
growth.

Intern Geographic Information Systems Analyst Oct 2021 — Jun 2022
China Urban Construction Design & Research Institute Beijing, China
Project: Chifeng City Balinzuoqi Urban System Planning
– Led the use of ArcGIS topology tools to validate and correct low-precision road network data for remote towns,
ensuring alignment with city database basemap standards. Improved spatial data accuracy, enabling seamless
integration into urban planning systems.
– Conducted object extraction and identification on high-resolution urban satellite imagery using the ENVI. Applied
supervised classification with the Region of Interest (ROI) Tool to distinguish water bodies, green spaces, bare
land, roads, and buildings. Enhanced classification accuracy by calculating indices through spectral analysis and
band combinations, resulting in an 83% accuracy land use map.
– Developed a reusable ArcPy script to compute the Cumulative Opportunities Indicator and visualize results
through accessibility heat maps. Leveraged road network and public service POI data to enhance urban planners’
ability to optimize public service facility layouts, resulting in better resource allocation and improved accessibility.
Project: Guilin City Land Space Ecological Restoration Plan
– Participated in SWAT modelling to assess soil and water conservation using elevation, meteorological, and soil data,
and delineated Eco-environmental Conservation Red Lines (ECRLs) based on the results. Primarily responsible
for ensuring data consistency by performing coordinate system transformation, clipping data to the target area
and resampling using ArcGIS 10.

Master of Science in Geographic Data Science and Spatial Analytics(GDSSA)