Oracle: Oracle Launches Internet Map Providing a Unique View into the Global Internet - It's "a simple, graphical way to track the health of the internet and gain insight into the impact of events such as natural disasters or state-imposed interruptions."Wired: How Maps Became the New Search Box - "But now, a number of companies are producing maps that decode the three-dimensional world." A "state of mapping" update with a focus on Uber and friends.
Surveys
From my colleague Geri Miller: "In an effort to understand how ArcGIS is administered in educational settings, and in an attempt to provide further recommendations on how to minimize time and cost spent on managing ArcGIS (licensing, credits, users, content, Esri Access, etc.), we would appreciate your time in filling out this 5-minute survey." Please share the survey with people involved in administration of ArcGIS at your institution.
Teachable Moment
How GIS Changed the Face of Modern Geography - Read this post from GIS User and see if you can determine who might have written it and why.
Programs and Courses
USC now offers am M.S. in Spatial Economics and Data Analysis. It's a joint effort between the Department of Economics and the Spatial Sciences Institute in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and focuses on addressing business opportunities and public policy challenges using location-based Big Data with insights from geographic information science (GIS), urban economics, and spatial econometrics.
UIUC: The University of Illinois at Urbana Champagne announced its CS + GGIS proposal has been approved as a BS degree. Here's the proposal (pdf) for CS+GGIS which adds Geography & Geographic Information Science (GIS) to the list of units participating in the BSLAS [BS in Liberal Arts and Sciences] in Computer Science and an LAS Discipline (CS + X)." Via @UIUCGeogGIS.
STL Today: Monsanto awards $500,000 grant for new geospatial technology center at T-Rex incubator downtown - "The money will support the creation of a Geospatial Resource and Innovation Center to be housed at the T-Rex facility on Washington Avenue, according to a press release announcing the move. The center’s goal will be to provide both training and workspace to startup companies focused on geospatial technology."
Scholarships
Western Association of Map Libraries: WAML announces two scholarships (early career and diversity) to attend the 2018 annual WAML conference in San Diego this September 12-15. Each scholarship includes a stipend of $750 for costs related to the conference (lodging, travel, etc.), a one-year membership in WAML, and free conference registration and banquet ticket. The application deadline is Wednesday, July 11, 11:59 PM (PDT).
Open Source News
Scholarships
Western Association of Map Libraries: WAML announces two scholarships (early career and diversity) to attend the 2018 annual WAML conference in San Diego this September 12-15. Each scholarship includes a stipend of $750 for costs related to the conference (lodging, travel, etc.), a one-year membership in WAML, and free conference registration and banquet ticket. The application deadline is Wednesday, July 11, 11:59 PM (PDT).
Open Source News
A few years ago, on a podcast, I made the comment that open source software is just software. I think people sometimes forget that. Sometimes it misbehaves. I appreciate this thread from an educator.
Geo for All announced the winners of the OSGeo UN Committee Educational Challenge.
Challenge 1: Ketty Adoch (Uganda)
Challenge 2: Silvia Franceschi (Italy)
Challenge 3: Maria Ilie Codrina (Romania)
OSGeo: OSGeo requested that the WorldWind project join the organization so that Geo for All can tap it for its education efforts. It doesn't look like it's in the cards just now.
On and Off Campus
EdScoop: Advanced geospatial technology from higher ed comes to Chicago Public Schools - "The National Science Foundation awarded $2 million in grants to JMU, Northwestern University and Chicago Public Schools — one of the largest school districts in the country — to adapt the [Geospatial Semester] GIS program, which will launch this summer."
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| Penn State and ITC students at Kadaster in Zwolle, Netherlands |
Chase Herald (MN): 5 things to know about Eastern Carver County School's latest demographic study - "District officials and Lorne Woods, regional manager and senior school planner with Davis Demographics & Planning, gave an overview of the study and how the district is working to plan for future student population changes ..."
Appalachian State: From mitigating wildfires to re-creating a battlefield - Two 2017 grads are "working as geographic information system (GIS) technicians at the Southeastern Archeological Center (SEAC), in Tallahassee, Florida, managing data for several NPS sites..."