Joel L. Morrison is a national and international leader in the areas of cartography and management of spatial data. He received his MS and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin and is presently Professor of Geography and Head of the Center for Mapping at Ohio State University.

Dr. Morrison's distinguished career includes service at several agencies. He served as Assistant Division Chief for Research in the National Mapping Division of the United States Geological Survey and Chief of the Geography Division at the U.S. Census Bureau. His articles have appeared in professional journals worldwide. He is the Senior Author of Elements of Cartography, and has been both an Associate Editor and a Senior Consultant to Rand McNally on Goode's World Atlas. He was Chief Editorial Consultant to the Atlas of North America for the National Geographic Society. He is a member of the International Steering Committee and Technical Program Committee for GIS/LIS in 1994. He has served as President of the International Cartographic Association, a member of the Board of Directors of the International Union of Surveying and Mapping, a U.S. representative to the Commission on Cartographic Communication of the International Cartographic Association, and Chairman of the United States Board of Geographic Names.