Category Archives: GIS

2012 Harvard CGA Conference: Re-mapping Africa in GIS: From Humanities to Health: March 29-30, 2012

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2012 Harvard CGA Conference: Re-mapping Africa in GIS: From Humanities to Health

 This two-day conference, to be held on March 29-30, 2012, brings together scholars on GIS and Africa to share their knowledge and experiences; to explore the potential of geospatial methods in the social sciences, further humanities scholarship by critically engaging GIS methods, and promote interdisciplinary collaborative research in health and humanities in the continent of Africa. WorldMap training and demo are offered on March 29. Keynote address by Patrick Vinck “Putting Peace on the Map,” lightning talks, and panel discussion will be on March 30. To view details and register: http://gis.harvard.edu/conference
 
Two competitions for excellence in GIS are held in conjunction with this conference.

Posters and videos will be considered from Harvard students for:

Submission deadline for both prizes is 11:59 PM on Tuesday, March 27th.

‘GIS & Spatial Thinking in the Undergraduate Curriculum’ conference at Bucknell University November 16-18, 2012

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Bucknell University is seeking panelists and participants for a fall 2012 conference, “GIS & Spatial Thinking in the Undergraduate Curriculum” 
  • What: Workshop on current challenges and emerging opportunities in GIS and spatial analysis in undergraduate teaching and research
  • When: November 16-18, 2012
  • Where: Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA
  • Who: Designed for Faculty and GIS/IT staff with an interest in using GIS for teaching and/or research in higher education. Although the workshop is oriented towards the undergraduate liberal arts curriculum, participants from any type of higher education institution are welcome and encouraged to attend. 

**Information on cost, registration & how to submit papers and posters is coming soon**

 
About the conference:
Bucknell University is hosting this conference to discuss and identify some of the current challenges and emerging opportunities in using GIS and spatial analysis in higher education teaching and research.   We expect the meeting to be a ‘problem-solving’ workshop wherein faculty specialists from various disciplines can share tools, methods and resources for integrating GIS and spatial analysis into their work and GIS/IT staff can learn about the discipline-specific ‘spatial’ needs and goals of faculty.
Desired outcomes from the workshop include: (1) providing mutual support for imaginative and challenging applications of spatial technology in undergraduate education; (2) fostering potential collaborative efforts between and within participant schools, such as joint research initiatives and/or shared resources for data, web maps and teaching materials, and; (3) creating a regional community of faculty & GIS/IT staff to interact on a regular basis, share information, and exchange ideas about the priorities identified during the workshop.
Tentative sessions include: (1) Quantitative Analysis & Scientific/Technical Applications of GIS; (2) Mapping Human Activity – Qualitative Analysis with GIS; (3) GIS in Pedagogy; (4) GIS in Higher Education Outreach & Service Learning; and (5) Software & Data Issues in GIS Instruction
This conference is hosted by Bucknell University Library & IT Division

GIS and Public Health Workshop, University at Albany School of Public Health, April 24-25, 2012

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GIS and Public Health Workshop, University at Albany School of Public Health, April 24-25, 2012
The 8th Annual GIS and Public Health Day will be held on Tuesday, April 24th at the University at Albany School of Public Health in Rensselaer, NY.  The theme of the workshop is public participatory GIS.  In addition to formal presentations on April 24th, there will be a training day on April 25th.  At this time, two classes are scheduled:  one day-long class in which participants will learn how to collect information and pictures for display on the internet as interactive maps (fee, limited enrollment); half-day class in which participants will learn how to create maps with SAS/Graph (no fee, no limit on attendees).
More details are available on the conference web site … http://www.albany.edu/sph/cphce/gis_2012.shtml
and that web site will always have the most recent workshop and training information.  The web site includes a “Contact Us” link for questions.   The fee for the conference is only $30 (includes continental breakfast and lunch) while the training day fee is only $15.  Registration is now open.
For details about past conferences, see … http://www.albany.edu/~msz03/

CT GIS User to User Network Meeting – March 30

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Mark your Calendars!

The Connecticut GIS User to User Network will hold their Spring Quarterly Meeting on Friday, March 30, 2012 at the University of Connecticut, Greater Hartford Campus at 85 Lawler Road West Hartford, Connecticut  in room 104 of the Hi-Tech Classroom Building (HITC) [View Campus Map].

The meeting will start with networking opportunities at 8:30 AM and the first presentation will begin promptly at 9:00 AM. Among the presenters and presentations will be Mr. Tyler Kleykamp from the State Office of Policy and Management. He will be speaking on the recent Governor’s Bill Number 5027 regarding the impacts on the Connecticut Geospatial Council and future plans regarding GIS in the State of Connecticut.

Virtual Attendance via Live Stream!
For those of you unable to physically attend the meeting, you can attend this meeting virtually! To attend this meeting virtually please register via the link below. Participants registering for the virtual stream will be sent an email one day prior to the event with connection details and users will also be able to ask questions virtually.

Register Here for Virtual Meeting


Cost:
Free!

Parking: 
Parking is available in the parking lot on Trout Brook Road  [Map]

View the Live Stream at: http://ustre.am/J8GC or via the video window below. The live stream will begin at 9:00am on Friday March 30, 2012 and will end by 12:00pm.

Free live streaming by Ustream

CLEAR Spring/Summer GIS/GPS Training Schedule

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Are you interested in learning more about GIS, Model Building, Python Scripting and more? The Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) has just opened registration for their Geopatial Workshop series. Be sure to register quickly as these sessions to fill up fast!

Included below is a brief listing of the workshops available and visit http://clear.uconn.edu/geospatial for more details about these training opportunities.

Upcoming Courses

Dates

Registration Info


Geospatial Technologies at Work: An Introduction to GIS [more]

April 18-20
June 20-22

Creating and Using Geospatial Models: Introduction to ModelBuilder [more]
April 25

Developing Custom Geoprocessing Tools: An Introduction to Python Scripting [more]
May 1-2

Coming Soon!
Using ArcGIS.com to Create and Share Interactive Web Maps

Early Summer 2012
Coming soon!

Mashup Madness: Using Google Tools to Create Maps on the Web [more]

TBD

Pictures, Points & Places:
An Introduction to GPS [more]
June 14-15

NEARC Spring Conference Call for Papers – Due March 23, 2012

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The NEARC Spring Conference will take place Tuesday, May 22 at the Smith College Campus Center in Northampton, MA. If you have an exciting project, GIS resource, or other spatial-focused research that you are ready to present, then consider submitting a proposal to participate at the NEARC Spring Conference. 
Proposals  are due by March 23, 2012!   
To view an outline of the schedule of the day and to submit your proposal visit: http://www.northeastarc.org/html/springnearc.shtml
There are many different ways that you can participate in this fun and dynamic event!
  • Extended Talk (45-60 Mins.)          
  • Panel (45-60 Mins.)
  • Standard Talk (20-30 Mins.)                     
  • Workshop (60 Mins.)
  • Lightning Talk (5 Mins.)
  • Video Poster
  • Poster

 Other Features of the NEARC Spring Conference include Lightning Karaoke, the Pub Social and more!
Mark Your Calendars!
The NEARC Spring Conference will be held on May 22, 2012 at Smith College Campus Center in Northampton, MA. We hope to see you there!

New York State GIS Conference – May 15-16, 2012

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Register today for the 2012 NYS GIS Conference!
May 15-16, 2012
Oncenter Complex in Syracuse, NY



Jeff Howe, who coined the term “crowdsourcing,” will be our keynote speaker for the 2012 conference! Jeff is a professor of journalism at Northeastern University and a former Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. He previously worked as a contributing editor at Wired Magazine, where he published “The Rise of Crowdsourcing” in June 2006. He has continued to cover the phenomenon in his blog crowdsourcing.com, and in August 2008 published Crowdsourcing: Why the Power of the Crowd is Driving the Future of Business. For more information on Jeff, visit here!
 NYS GIS Conference 2012 has a new format!
  • Exciting workshops and seminars to choose from
    These workshops and seminars are included in your conference registration and are a great way to get an in-depth look at important emerging topics.  Find out where your field is heading; don’t miss out!
  • Special Spatial Spotlights
    Learn how GIS technology applications are being used in exciting ways!
  • New Showcases
    We’re soliciting apps from the general public and inviting exhibitors to join the zoo!
    • App Garden – a designated space on the exhibitor floor to showcase mobile, web-based, and/or desktop applications.
    • Technology Petting Zoo – a designated space on the exhibitor floor to showcase the latest and greatest hardware, gadgets, and technology developed and distributed by exhibiting companies.
Crowdsourcing, smartphones, cloud computing…if it’s a hot topic in the industry, we’ll be talking about it!  Register for this exciting conference at www.esf.edu/nysgisconf/2012/register.htm.


This conference was brought to our attention from a posting on the Connecticut GIS User to User Network Listserv. To keep current on the latest GIS news, employment opportunities, conferences, and more subscribe to the Connecticut GIS User to User Network Listserv. 

The MetroMonitor

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The Brookings Institution’s MetroMonitor is a great resource for economic performance at the scale of the metropolitan area. It contains data that tracks economic performance from 1993 to the end of 2011 spanning the entire globe (click here to read a summary of economic change from 2010-2011). The data is organized into the following categories: Overall Rankings, Income Growth, Employment Growth, and Industrial Structure. In addition to an interactive map (see screenshot below), the MetroMonitor also contains summary reports for each respective metro area that shows a breakdown of the aforementioned categories (for example, click here to see the report for Hartford, CT).

For an explanation of the importance of the scale of the metropolitan area in the global economy, watch the video above. The video explains three major findings regarding Brookings’ research regarding metro areas and the global economy: 1. The global economy is led by metro areas, 2. The Great Recession accelerated a shift in the metro map, and 3. The macro and metro scale are important for economic growth. Also, check out this article by Alan Berube, Senior Fellow and Research Director at Brookings. Berube discusses why local economic growth is important given recent global events, like the Great Recession and Arab Spring, and how local economic growth can be the catalyst for a sustained economic recovery. For more regarding economic recovery, visit our earlier post regarding the MetroMonitor.

CT GIS User to User Network Meeting – January 27

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Mark your calendars and plan to attend the Connecticut GIS User to User Network Annual Business Meeting!
When: Friday, January 27, 2012
Time: 9:00am-12:00pm (networking begins at 8:30am with meeting beginning at 9:00am)
Location: MDC Training Center, 125 Maxim Road, Hartford  (http://www.themdc.com/2trainingcenter.htm for directions)
This meeting will include the following topics:
  • Election of Steering Committee members
    • Election of  a new president, secretary, utilities representative, non-profit representative, and member at large
  • Discussion on organization by-law revision
  • Presentation on Mobile Applications
If you are interested in becoming an active member of the steering committee (this can help with your GISP application!), please try to attend this meeting. If you have questions regarding steering committee obligation and related questions, feel free to contact Thad Dymkowski, or speak to a member of the current steering committee at the meeting.

Eyes on Political Violence in Syria

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Yesterday, Syria accepted an Arab League plan to end the political crisis that has transpired over the last seven months. It is being reported that the proposal calls for the withdrawal of tanks and armored vehicles from cities, halting the violence against protesters, and for the Assad regime to open dialogue with the opposition within two weeks. There is some skepticism over the weight this proposal will carry, however, as Syrian security forces have opened fire on protesters in the past despite ceasefire orders, and reports are indicating that Syrian security forces have already violated this agreement by shelling residential areas of the city of Homs and killing four people.

Amnesty International has created an interactive map of the political violence in Syria, which can be seen below:

This screenshot from Amnesty International’s Eyes on Syria displays deaths occurring in custody of government security forces.

The map displays stories & photos and stories and videos for the following categories:

Documentation- Deaths in Custody, Harassment of Expatriates
International Solidarity – Activism Stories
Urgent Actions and Web Actions – Take Action