Zhaoxu Sui

My name is Zhaoxu Sui, and I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Geography at Penn State. At the same time, I am a cartographer associated in the GeoGraphics Lab in the department.

My primary research focus is on integrating cartographic designs into various cultural, technical, and procedural contexts. I examine how mapmaking practices have evolved and transformed over time. My dissertation research focuses on techniques and workflows to produce vivid cartographic designs and validate those vivid designs in their roles shaping persuasion, attention, emotion, and readability. Besides my dissertation, I also have strong interests in digital humanities, toponymy, artificial intelligence, indigenous cartographies, and political geography. I am passionate about exploring mapmakings around the world, investigating maps as representational and ontological devices to reflect and influence political and cultural connotations.

As a cartographer, I like to make general reference maps using various tools, including ArcGIS, Mapbox, Adobe Suites, Blender, Procreate, and hand-drawing. You are invited to view my portfolio at zhaoxusui.com.

I earned my B.S. degree in Geography from the University of Minnesota, with minors in population studies, interdisciplinary designs, and GIS. Subsequently, I received my M.S. degree in Geography from the University of Oregon, where I conducted my thesis research on the maps of politically contested territories in Sakhalin Island.