Motti Zohar is a geographer and GIScientist whose research lies at the intersection of Geography, Environmental Sciences & GIScience (Geographic Information Science). His research seeks to understand how geographical processes shape interactions between people and the environment across space and time. To address these questions, he develops GIScience methodologies integrating historical records, environmental data, Earth Observation, GeoAI, and spatial data science to generate new insights into environmental change, historical landscapes, and natural hazards. He leads the GIScience Environmental Lab and serves as Head of the Spatial Data Science Program. His research combines methodological innovation with interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together geography, environmental science, geospatial technologies and digital approaches to address complex environmental and societal challenges.

He is affiliated with several national and international research initiatives, including the IGU Commission on Geographical Information Science, the Climate and Environmental Sustainability Center, the National Knowledge & Research Center for Emergency Readiness, and the Chaikin Chair for Geostrategy. He serves as a member of the editorial board of the ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information and has served as a guest editor for several special issues. Through these academic roles, he contributes to advancing geospatial research and its applications to environmental science, disaster resilience and historical and societal challenges

Professor Zohar received his BA from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, his MA from Tel Aviv University, and his PhD in Geography from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where his dissertation examined patterns of historical earthquake damage in the Levant. He subsequently held a postdoctoral fellowship at Freie Universität Berlin, applying advanced geospatial methodologies to environmental research. Alongside his research, Professor Zohar teaches and supervises undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral researchers while collaborating with academic institutions, governmental agencies and industry partners on projects involving geospatial technologies, environmental analysis and spatial decisions.

Before entering academia, Professor Zohar worked in the software industry as a GIS systems analyst and project manager, designing and implementing enterprise geospatial systems and contributing to technology startups. This professional background continues to inform his research through a strong emphasis on methodological innovation, computational thinking and the practical applications.