Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) - Key Concepts for New Users is a new MOOC from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. It's two weeks long and begins February 6.
Peggy Minnis from Pace University is offering her Desktop GIS MOOC starting January 23rd. It's twelve weeks, with badges and certificates available. More info: syllabus/FAQ, registration.Esri's Earth Imagery at Work and Do-it-Yourself Geo Apps MOOCs begin February 1.
Resources and Articles of Interest
New Scientist: Down with data! Sagas are more likely to save Earth - "Alex Evans has written an important book, The Myth Gap, about the need to bring inspiring narratives back to the heart of progressive politics. The good guys, he says, have lost the ability to link the science of the planet and its workings with real and important human values that we all can share."
Campus Technology: Harvard/MIT Report Analyzes 4 Years of MOOC Data - Trends match what I see at Esri. A certificate is a big draw and motivator.
The Guardian: Twelve Things You Need to Know about Driverless Cars - @re_sieber asks a great question for geography students to explore: "What's effect on landscape of self-driving cars? More sprawl, segregation, isolation?"
eSchool News: How we used GIS projects to connect with our community - Esri's Charlie Fitzpatrick writes about the Math, Science, and Technology Magnet Academy at Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles.
Esri Canada: How GIS Ambassador, Ian Manning is inspiring students - A master's student encourages younger students to see the world geographically.
The University of Florida offers resources to learn about the National Grid GIS Data Model. It offers:
- Starter GIS datasets for Florida
- Framework for custom data aggregation
- Tips for advanced visualizations
The AAG offers a transcript of its AAGChat on Careers in Geography from last week.
@USGIF suggests this human geography monograph from 2014.
Watershed Analysis in GIS: A Spatial Workbook - Nick Santos of UC Davis just released this first draft of a GIS tutorial.
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On and Off Campus
Accessibility data are now live in University of Kentucky maps. I found this use when looking for directions: "Check this box to find a route using an accessible path. An accessible path is only available in certain areas of campus and the route results will use it when available." Via @AnnaYall.
"More than 50 citizens took time out from their Friday afternoons to attend a presentation by Western Washington University students and professors on proposals they developed as a result of a year-long intensive study of the Edmonds Marsh." I see a lot of GIS among the projects. The work is part of Sustainable Cities Partnership between the City of Edmonds and WWU.
A hackathon drew Louisville, KY residents to develop an app to connect immigrants and refugees. The City of Louisville, several nonprofits and students at the University of Louisville are creating the GIS-based app which is expected to launch in February.
Western Kentucky students presented their GIS projects at the regional URISA event. An alum heads up Fruit of the Loom’s data science team, so several students intern there.
Esri Indonesia hosts a Spatial Heroes Program (story map), basically a mentoring program, for new graduates with an interest in GIS. It includes a 12-week challenge to show "creativity, passion, and knowledge to make the world a better place, and to deliver some of the most innovative solutions to conquer real world challenges."
EUROGEO Annual Meeting 2017 organizers announced that Suchith Anand of Geo for All will be among the keynoters of that event.
The Faculty-Undergraduate Summer Engagement (FUSE) program at the University of North Georgia (UNG) continues to grow. Among this summer's projects is one using remote sensing and GIS. UNG graduate Logan Moore, who earned a Bachelor of Science in environmental spatial analysis, and is currently pursuing a degree in geology. She'll be using geospatial technology to create a lithological map of the northwest Khoy region in Iran.
The Fire to iPhone theme, which can lead to a certificate, is a curriculum at Ohio University that offers "classes revolving around technology and how it both changes over time and affects human life." Students study GIS, English and other topics through a tech lens. Gaurav Sinha, an associate professor of geography is on the theme's steering committee.
For Students
USDA and the Governance Lab at New York University (GovLab) will deliver a “summer camp” in 2017 for middle- and high-school students that focuses on using Open Data related to Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Math (STEAM). Students will use tools for data collection and visualization. There's an open house in March, but I can't find details on dates or how to apply. As an attendee at an NSF-funded summer program (in number theory at Lehigh University during my junior year in high school) I can't recommend these opportunities highly enough!
@OSGeo tweets that it's "helped mentor and fund 167 students through the Google Summer of Code program, since 2007." Google is currently collecting open source organizations that are looking for students. Student applications open on March 20th, 2017.
@thehumangeo invites mappers, and I'm adding students, to its Mapthon in DC on January 31st 5-7pm. It's held in conjunction with ASPRS and there will be prizes and free food (and networking).