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Thursday, September 13, 2018

GIS Education Weekly: Why Did I Get that GIS Master's Degree?

Education News

EdWeek: State Grades on Chance for Success: Map and Rankings - "Examine the grades and scores that states and the nation earned on the Chance for Success Index in Quality Counts 2018, along with how they scored on a host of socioeconomic and other indicators that go into those rankings. For a description of what these education indicators mean, view the grading scale and methodology." Related article.


Esri Story Maps Team: Studying up on Education - My colleagues on the story maps team created this story map that explores the cost and diversity of learning after high school in nine maps.

Support and Outreach

GeoTech Center: "In collaboration with the US Department of Labor, the National Geospatial Technology Center (GeoTech Center) is updating the Geospatial Technology Competency Model (GTCM). We have released the working version of the 2018 GTCM update and seek input from the community."

Esri: The first 300 or so organizations that register to host GIS Day event on www.gisday.com will receive a free box "of wonderful GIS items" to support their event. Via my colleague Joseph Kerski, GIS Day coordinator.

NASA: Help make a better world land map with NASA app - NASA is working on a landcover map and is tapping citizen scientists to snap some photos.

For Students

Compass Rosie: Intermediate of Many, Master of None - Recent UWGIS Master's in Cartography & GIS recipient Rosemary Wardley reflects on the degree's purpose.

The International Statistics Institute (ISI) Esri Student Poster Competition 2018/19 has been announced. Final judging will take place during the ISI World Statistics Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, August 18–23, 2019.

GeoMundus: The deadline has been extended to 15th September 2018 for submissions for the student run conference. Three submissions will receive funding for travel and lodging to Lisbon in December. Via @geomudus.

C&G Newspapers: Macomb County launches art appreciation map - The map is here, but I want to emphasize how the community is ensuring it grows. "Individuals can also submit their favorite pieces of public art to the map in an effort to help the county build its catalog. As an incentive, prizes will be randomly awarded to individuals who submit entries. Upcoming prize packages ..." But here's the best part: "There is also a scholarship program tied to submitting images and art to the map. While specific details have yet to be finalized, the program will be aimed at local college and high school students. The scholarships — sponsored by First State Bank, The Mitt.tv and OneMacomb — are valued at $1,500, $1,000 and $500. More information will be announced by the county in the fall, according to officials."

On and Off Campus

UCF: Researchers receive $1.25 million grant to map marine ecosystems with drones - Timothy Hawthorne, assistant professor of GIS in the Department of Sociology, and his collaborators at the Smithsonian Institution, Cornell University and the University of California-Davis recently received a $1.25 million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation to look at eelgrass health along North America's Pacific coast.

The Charger Bulletin: Professor Finds a New Home With GIS - The University of New Haven has a new GIS faculty member and PhD student.

Resources and Events

QGIS Open Educational Material: Hans van der Kwast, Senior Lecturer Ecohydrological Modelling at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education shares his QGIS version 3 course materials covering georeferencing, digitizing vectors, creating a GeoPackage, join attribute tables, spatial interpolation, map algebra, catchment delineation, use of opendata, styling and map design, 3D view and more. The videos are also available on YouTube. Via LinkedIn.

New York State GIS Association: Integrating Geospatial Technologies into Higher Education Webinar - The event is Wednesday September 19, noon ET, with faculty from Syracuse, Hunter College and Jefferson Community and Technical College.

Press Release: 3 Geospatial Events Combine to Form Geo Week JAN 25-31, 2019 - The International LiDAR Mapping Forum, the ASPRS Annual Conference and the MAPPS Winter Conference will be co-located during “Geo Week 2019” taking place January 25-31, 2019 in Denver.

Programs and Courses

Penn State: University Libraries offers maps and geospatial info sessions for fall 2018 - Among the technologies to be covered: ArcGIS Pro and QGIS.

University of Miami: UM Libraries to offer seminars to enhance research skills - Among the technologies to be covered: Insights for ArcGIS, Tableau, and OpenRefine.

University of North Alabama Center for Education and Professional Development: The online GIS Analyst Certificate program includes seven courses and starts on September 18. It's been updated to use ArcGIS Pro.

Oregon State: Oregon State University Taps Into Big Data with New Online Bachelor’s Program in Geography & Geospatial Science - "To meet the demand for geography and geospatial professionals in the national job market, Oregon State University now offers a bachelor’s degree in geography and geospatial science 100 percent online..." The first course starts January 7, 2019.

PrecisionAg Magazine: Top 20 Two-Year Colleges for Precision Agriculture - The methodology is informal.

Boundless Blog: Introducing Boundless Learning - Boundless released Boundless Learning, "the one-stop shop for all your open GIS learning needs." Courses run from free to $50. A year long subscription to all online courses is available for $1300. There are also instructor-led offerings.