AutoCarto 2008 Registration Now Open

Registration for AutoCarto 2008 is now open. Produced by the Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS) the symposium will be held September 8-11 in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The event focuses on Cartography and GIScience and features keynotes, workshops, and field trips.

You can register at the CaGIS AutoCarto website.

$5 Million Awarded to Promote GIS Education

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $5 million grant to Del Mar College (DMC) and project partners through the NSF Advanced Technological Education Program to establish the National Geospatial Technology Center of Excellence (GeoTech Center) at DMC. The goal of the GeoTech Center is to increase the number and quality of educated geospatial technicians in the fields of GIS, GPS, remote sensing and mobile- and location-based services (LBS).

Dr. Phillip Davis, DMC professor of computer science says their is shortage of geospatial technicians in the U.S. "Institutions and businesses are worried that this type of work will be outsourced to other countries. We want to keep these jobs here; but right now, there’s not a sufficient number of geospatial technicians to meet the demand," he said. Geospatial technology was listed among the top three high-technology, high-growth industries in the country as part of President Bush’s High Growth Job Training Initiative.

The GeoTech Center is a partnership that includes seven community colleges, four universities, ESRI, and the Texas Engineering Experiment Station.

Magazine to Target Future Mapping Professionals

Reed Business Geo plans to launch a new magazine and website aimed at attracting young people to the fields of geomatics and hydrographics the firm announced today. Set to launch at the beginning of the new school year, Young Geo Professional will focus on young people who are about to make a study choice. The publication will make students aware of the future job possibilities in mapping fields.

The firm cited a current shortage of personnel in the fields along with a lack of new students at universities worldwide as the driving force behind the new venture. Examples of fields of study the magazine will focus on include land surveying, electronic charting, remote sensing, positioning or hydrographic surveying. At least 15,000 copies are planned to be distributed to about 350 educational institutions aimed at students ages 16 to 27.

Based in the Netherlands, Reed Business Geo is an international publishing house providing information to professionals active in the survey and mapping fields of geomatics, hydrography and navigation.

Former Educator Maps Busy Retirement

A lot of seniors take up painting in their retirement years. Today's Benton Evening News profiles a senior citizen who paints on a nation-wide scale. Since 1992, Gene Alexander, known as “Mr. A.” to thousands of school children, has volunteered his time to produce big colorful maps of the United States for schools and other public facilities.

More from the News:

“The maps are all numbered and dated,” Alexander said. “The 71st map is almost finished and is located at Franklin Early Childhood in Mt. Vernon. I have two more to create in Centralia and one in Radom at St. Michael's School.”

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“After about two months of retirement, I decided I wanted to do something to continue to educate young people,” he said. “I mail letters to school districts and include color copies of maps I have finished. People can't believe I don't want any money for doing this.

Mr. A told the News that creating the maps is a three-phase process that takes between 10 to 12 hours of work.

Map Design Competition Underway

The Cartography and Geographic Information Society is now taking submissions for their 35th Annual Map Design Competition. The competition is designed to promote interest in map design and recognize significant design advances in cartography. Noted cartographers judge the entries based on: color, overall design and impression, craftsmanship, and typography. Entries are displayed at a number of national and international functions and then become part of the permanent collection of the U.S. Library of Congress.

There are separate categories for professionals and students. If you need some inspiration, you can browse some previous winning maps here. But you had better get busy, the deadline is January 15th, 2008.

High School Students Learn to see Things Differently in GIS Course

Two California high schools are using GIS to educate students about their community as well as the technology systems used by decision-makers in a new program.

The North County Times has more:

After spending two months analyzing maps, studying topography and cataloging information by locations, Valley Center High School sophomore Abraham Chambers said he sees his city in a whole new light -- from above.

Abraham, 16, is one of 60 students enrolled in a new Geographic Information Systems course at Valley Center and Fallbrook high schools that brings high-tech computer hardware and software used for environmental research and urban planning into the classroom. The class aims to educate students about the community and the technology systems used by decision-makers. It was introduced to the campuses this year after the districts secured a two-year, $450,000 career-technical education grant from the state in 2005.

"This has opened my eyes to a whole different realm of what (computerized maps) can be used for," Abraham said Monday, as he built a map of Valley Center with recently released San Diego Land Use and Management Data.

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With the help of Global Positioning System software and the computerized mapping database, provided by a Redlands-based Geographic Information Systems software company -- Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc. -- students learn how to take satellite images of an area and turn them into their own maps that chart trends and store information on everything from crime data to water sources.

Some of the projects the students have worked on include locating all the possible helicopter pads for pilots making emergency landings, mapping popular surfing beaches against known shark attacks and identifying all area water sources. Students who pass the course with an A or B earn course credits for the introductory Geographic Information Systems course at Palomar Community College.

See also: Using GPS to Turn Kids on to Geography

Researchers "Rebirth" Rome Using Virtual Map

A three-dimensional, virtual map, called Rome Reborn, is the result of a ten-year effort to better understand the Eternal City. The effort is led by the Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities at the University of Virginia, and has brought together a team of international researchers hope to create a three-dimensional map of Rome as it is believed to have appeared in about 320 AD. The map contains details of 7,000 buildings and allows users to "fly" over much of the ancient city.

Researchers have been studying Rome for centuries, and have discovered quite a bit about life in ancient times. The researchers hope the digital map will help fill in the gaps of knowledge that remain. Fourth century Rome covered 35 square kilometers and is believed to have had a population of about a million people.

At the present, the virtual map is too big (800 megabytes) for people to truly "stroll" through the city. But The Times reports that the creators are in discussions with Linden Labs and other online “multiverse” pioneers to bring Rome Reborn to the masses.

See also: Old & New Combine To Map "Eternal City"

Charting the Unknown: Mapping Bangladesh's Capital

In an age where digital maps are available on your cellphone, it's hard to imagine a place where digital maps simply don't exist. Bangladesh, one of the world's poorest countries, is such a place. However, University of Alabama at Birmingham Associate Professor Akhlaque Haque, has set out to change that.

Dr. Haque has begun a four-month project to create the first comprehensive digital maps of Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka. A native of Bangladesh, Dr. Haque is teaching graduate students at BRAC University in Dhaka to map the capital city. He and the students will travel around the city by car and rickshaw collecting location-specific data on major roadways, railway stations, hospitals and other public service facilities using GPS units.

The team will then import the data into GIS software to create the digital map of the city. The maps will be made available online and presented to local government officials. The team intends to map alternative routes for entering and exiting the city during times of crises, including natural disasters such as the recent floods.

See also: GIS for the Third World

Geographical Ignorance Leads to Foreign Policy Missteps, Trio Says

A lack of geographical knowledge in the United States has led to misconceptions of the world and misguided foreign policy decisions, Jerry Dobson, professor of geography at the University of Kansas recently told The University Daily Kansan:

“It is not just our beauty contestants that have these problems,” Dobson said. “We face a society in which national leaders don’t understand fundamental geography.”

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“For the past 60 years, we’ve had more quagmires than victories,” Dobson said. “This coincides with the American purge of geography. We’re playing a game of blind man’s bluff.”

Dr. Dobson was joined by Brian McClendon, co-founder of engineering for Google Earth and Alexander Murphy professor of geography at the University of Oregon, in presenting “World Hot Spots: What Google Earth and Geography Tell Us About War, Peace and Politics” at the Dole Institute at the university last Thursday.

During their presentation, the trio made the case for what they called a largely forgotten field: geography.

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“It is not just our beauty contestants that have these problems,” Dobson said. “We face a society in which national leaders don’t understand fundamental geography.”

Dr. Murphy stated that part of the problem is that people view geography as nothing but the memorization of states and capitals. Mr. McClendon said he hoped the availability of Google Earth would help people embrace geography.

Dr. Dobson told the Daily Kansan that of the top-20 private universities in the U.S., only two have geography departments.

See also: Study of Geography is Becoming a Lost Art

Kids, Others, Invited to Help Map Light Pollution

Schoolchildren as well as amateur astronomers are being asked to participate in the Great World Wide Star Count. The event, which is scheduled from October 1 to 15, is designed to help scientists map light pollution globally while educating participants about the stars. The initiative is part of the Windows to the Universe project at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).

Participants in the Northern Hemisphere will look for the constellation Cygnus, while those in the Southern Hemisphere will look for Sagittarius. They will then match their observations with magnitude charts available online. "This is an important event that brings families together to enjoy the night skies and become involved in science," says Dennis Ward of UCAR's Office of Education and Outreach, who is one of the event coordinators.

Mr. Ward explained that there is a purpose beyond family togetherness, "It also raises awareness about the impact of artificial lighting on our ability to see the stars." Bright outdoor lighting at night is a growing problem for astronomical observing programs around the world. By searching for the same constellations, participants in the Great World Wide Star Count will be able to compare their observations with what others see, giving them a sense of how star visibility varies from place to place.

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research is a consortium of 70 universities offering Ph.D.s in the atmospheric and related sciences.

See also: Schoolchildren to Map Light Pollution.

Ivy League Students Tackle Problems With GIS

When it was founded back in 1769, Dartmouth students were using cutting edge technology such as terrestrial and celestial globes to study geography. Dartmouth Life takes a look at how today's students are using GIS to help solve a variety of problems:

Dartmouth students use the powerful GIS platform to explore environmental, social, or logistical questions. In Environmental Applications of GIS, Caroline Burns '08 documented the optimal spots for landfills in Grafton County, N.H., while Katie Moerlein '08 tracked the movement of a glacier in Glacier Bay, Alaska, over the course of seven years. Maxwell Schwartz '07 recommended sites for new wildfire dispatch centers in northwestern Montana, and Brian Schwartz '08 analyzed the economic impact of Wal-Mart stores in Los Angeles County. "I've heard a lot about Wal-Mart, but I wanted better insight on what the truth of the matter really was," says Schwartz.

Guiding many of the students in their GIS projects is Assistant Professor of Geography Xun Shi. "Shi has a knack for breaking complexities down to simple concepts," says Ben Wilson '07. For Wilson's senior thesis, he works with Shi on a GIS map available online that tracks the status of home rebuilding in the Gentilly district of New Orleans. "The purpose of the online map is to allow residents to share information that could aid in restoration decision-making," says Wilson. Shi also works with students on a National Institutes of Health project investigating the potential relationship of environmental factors to lung cancer incident rates in New Hampshire.

Dartmouth is the only Ivy League school with a distinct geography department. Students majoring in the subject have increased from 17 last year to a planned 38 next year.

Study of Geography is Becoming a Lost Art

The Rutland Herald details the sorry state of Geography education in the United States:

As teachers across the country try to help their students meet test score standards set by policies like the No Child Left Behind law, there is one subject that has been left behind: Geography.

Geography extends beyond where rivers are located to how topography impacts society. Geography is taught as a stand-alone subject in schools from Russia to France to India. But in most American public schools the study of the world is generally buried somewhere in social studies and history. How geography is covered is often left to the discretion of individual schools or teachers — to the dismay of experts.

“There are a lot of opponents to this style of teaching geography,” said Dr. Michal LeVasseur, executive director of the National Council of Geographic Education. “It will eventually be to the detriment of the youngsters in this country.”

LeVasseur is not the only one concerned about flagging geography education in an era of globalization. Sens. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., recently introduced in Congress the Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act.

If passed, the bill would authorize competitive grants through the Department of Education to improve K-12 geography curriculum, teacher training and instructional materials.

The article goes on to quote from a conducted last year by National Geographic magazine and Roper Public Affairs. Among the findings:

• 63% of Americans, aged 18 to 24 could not correctly locate Iraq on a map.
• 70% of the same group could not find Iran or Israel.
• 90% couldn't find Afghanistan
• 54% didn't know that Sudan is a country in Africa.

When it comes to their own country, the young people didn't fare much better:

• Half could not find New York state on a map of the United States.
• One-third could not place Louisiana, this right after Hurricane Katrina.

Dr. Michal LeVasseur said of the survey results, "It is a troubling trend.”

Mt. Shasta Map Takes Prize at AAG Meeting

A map created by a student at the University of Nevada, Reno, is to be honored at the Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers. The map, created by Cassie Hansen, details hiking trails, lakes, streams, and roads, as well as climate data for the Mt. Shasta, region.

More from the Mount Shasta Herald:

The map, which looks 3D but is actually 2D, received rave reviews from the judges.

“Very accomplished and technically proficient,” stated one judge. “Nicely framed and balanced with the elements around the map supporting but not overcrowding the message.”

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The mapping project became “part of a practicum class at HSU, which provides real life Cartographic work for students,” Cassie said. “Other projects that I have worked on in this class are book illustrations and other individual maps.”

Cassie used the California Spatial Information Library (CaSIL) to obtain “data layers” for the map, which were public information.

She used several software programs to create it, including ArcGIS, Natural Scene Designer, and Adobe Illustrator.

Ms. Hansen, who spent over 300 hundred hours on her map, has a degree in Geography and a certificate in GIS from Humboldt State University. She is currently pursing a masters in Physical Geography at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Test Your Geographic IQ

A post by Catholicgauze sent me wandering over to the website of the National Geographic Bee. What a spelling bee is to English, the Geography Bee is to anyone who enjoys geography, maps, and stuff like that.

At the website, I stumbled upon some sample questions, which I'm sharing for those brave enough to test their geographic IQ:

1. Which state has a climate suitable for growing citrus fruits—California or Maine?
2. Which country has the world's largest Muslim population—Indonesia or Mexico?
3. The North Atlantic current brings warm waters from the tropics to the west coast of which continent?
4. What is the term for a part of an ocean or sea that cuts far into the bordering landmass and may contain one or more bays?
5. The port of Rotterdam is built on the delta of which major European river?
6. Which Canadian province produces more than half of the country's manufactured goods?
7. To visit the ruins of Persepolis, an ancient ceremonial capital of Persia, you would have to travel to what present-day country?

Modesty prevents me from saying how many I got right.

Non-Profit Formed to Give Away Satellite Imagery for Educational, Humanitarian Use

Geospatial information firm GeoEye announced that it has formed a non-profit foundation to promote teaching of of geospatial information technologies as well as assist humanitarian and environmental research studies.

The GeoEye Foundation intends to provide free archive satellite imagery to students and faculty at select educational institutions. Analysts or researchers at non-governmental organizations can also apply for the free imagery. The foundation will make available to the selected researchers, some of GeoEye's 278 million square kilometers of satellite imagery. To obtain the free imagery, an applicant must submit an application outlining their research goals and objectives.

Matt O'Connell, CEO of GeoEye said that he hopes the program will help attract more young people to university's geospatial programs. "One of the biggest challenges facing our rapidly growing industry is attracting new employees fast enough," he said. "We're looking forward to seeing the exciting and groundbreaking work that will arise from GeoEye Foundation's partnership with universities and institutes."

The GeoEye Foundation has already provided satellite imagery to assist in the study of urban sprawl in Mexico, land-use planning for Jerusalem, and study polar ice in Antarctica. If you've got an idea for a study you think could us some free satellite imagery, contact Mark Brender (info@geoeyefoundation.org) to find out more.

Using GPS to Turn Kids on to Geography

There's a good article in today's Bowling Green Daily News about how the Kentucky Geographic Alliance and Western Kentucky University are using handheld GPS units for a scavenger hunt as a fun way of introducing kids to geography.

More from the Daily News:

The second annual scavenger hunt - dubbed the “Geo Fest” - was organized by Scott Dobler, a professor in the geology and geography department, and Kay Gandy, a professor in the curriculum and instruction.

The Kentucky Geographic Alliance initiative serves to introduce department children and parents to GPS. Those who found the quickest routes to the boxes on Saturday received a Kentucky atlas, Gandy said.

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Dobler familiarized Saturday's scavengers with the devices, teaching them how to program longitude-latitude points for the small treasure boxes. He also lectured on the increasing importance of GPS tools.

“All this stuff is popping up on the Internet as the information age goes. It gives us a good idea where we are on the earth's surface,” Dobler said.

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After his crash course on GPS virtues, Dobler dispersed the nine child-parent tandems, who scattered but eventually met again at the same point.

Professor Dobler told the Daily News that the kids usually acquire GPS programming skills faster than their parents because of finger dexterity developed from video gaming.

Schoolchildren to Map Light Pollution

Schoolchildren around the world will gaze skyward from March 8 to 21 in an effort to help scientists map light pollution. They will be looking for specific constellations, then share their observations through the Internet. The program, called GLOBE at Night, is designed to both help scientists map light pollution while educating kids about the stars, according to BBS News.

Last year, more than 18,000 people from 96 countries on every continent except Antarctica reported a total of more than 4,500 observations as part of the program. GLOBE at Night is a project of The GLOBE Program (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment), a worldwide science and education program managed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and Colorado State University.

Outdoor lighting is a growing problem for astronomical observing programs around the world. By having students in many places hunt for the same constellation, GLOBE at Night will allow students to compare their observations with what others see, giving them a sense of how light pollution varies from place to place.

Worldmapper: A New Way to View the Planet

An interesting website run by a collaboration of cartographers and other researchers offers, "the world as you've never seen it before." Worldmapper contains 366 maps each of which re-size territory according to a specific subject of interest. For example, with a couple of mouse clicks, you can see a map of the Earth where each country's size relates to the number of people living in cities, or the number of tractors working.

Not surprisingly, the U.S., Europe and Japan tend to be greatly exaggerated from their true size in the wealth and income maps. Africa and most of Asia, what we think of as the "third world" tend to increase in size whenever the categories are poverty and disease. However, it's one thing to know the numbers. Seeing displayed the way Worldmapper does adds new meaning to it, and can be kind of fun.

The site is sponsored by the University of Michigan, the University of Sheffield, the Leverhulme Trust, and the Geographical Association.

Geography Professor Studies the Paranormal in Unique Class

Determined to show, "that geography can be a fun and relevant subject," Dr. Charles "Fritz" Gritzner, Professor of Geography at South Dakota State University has begun a new class called, "Geography of the Paranormal".

The Collegian has more:

Gritzner's idea for the class came from his interest in the abnormal. One year, a student of his did a research paper about crop circles, which then lead to his own research on crop circles. He then found the book "Unexplained," by Jerome Clark, which was all about abnormal activity. Using a list of six research criteria, Gritzner picked fifteen of the book's 350 topics to cover in class. The topics include crop circles, the Bermuda Triangle and spontaneous combustion.

"Almost everything can be explained using geography," Gritzner said.

Despite concerns that he might be labeled a "wacko," Dr. Gritzner has high hopes for the class and it has proven popular with students. "This class dealt with a lot of stuff that you would never discuss in any other class," Matt Frankenstein, a geography major. "It was interesting because we got to study strange phenomena and the causes behind them."

Deadline Near for Map Competition

You only have until January 15th to enter the map design competition sponsored by the Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS) and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM). The competition's goal is to promote interest in map design and to recognize significant design advances in cartography. Anyone in the U.S. or Canada can enter.

There is a special category for student entries, which are especially encouraged. First prize in either of the student sections receives $500 as well as some other prizes.There are numerous categories in the professional category as well. For complete details, visit the CaGIS website.

You can admire last year's winning entries here.