News

The CaGIS board is currently seeking nominees for future board positions.  Currently, we are seeking nominations for Vice President and two members of the Board of Directors.  The elected Vice President will serve a four-year term as VP, President-Elect, President, and Past President.  The Directors will each serve a four-year term.    

CaGIS rotates the officer positions among 1) government or private sectors and 2) academic sector, the next VP nominee will be selected from government or the private sector. The terms for those elected this year will run from spring 2024 until spring 2028. 

These positions include participating in one face-to-face Board meeting per year as well as one virtual Board meeting.  The face-to-face meeting is typically in conjunction with other meetings CaGIS members attend (such as the Annual AAG Meeting or CaGIS Conference) with travel reimbursement provided.   Other time required will depend on which CaGIS activities you choose to be more involved in as an officer or director. 

By choosing to serve as an officer or a board member, you will have the opportunity to influence the direction of the Society while working with a fabulous group of people.  You will be able to have direct input on the priorities of the society, future conference planning, and membership and financial strategies while expanding your professional network of amazing cartographic and geospatial contacts. 

The next two years are extremely important for CaGIS.  We will be co-hosting the 2024 CaGIS + UCGIS Symposium in Columbus, Ohio from June 3-6 and will be providing support for the International Cartographic Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia July 28-August 1, 2025.   In addition to conference support, CaGIS provides the community with a peer-reviewed journal, a number of student scholarships, an annual Map Design Competition, and serves as the United States liaison to the International Cartographic Association.  As an officer or a board member, you will have the opportunity to participate and influence all of these activities. 

So, if you would like the opportunity to make a significant contribution to CaGIS and the geospatial community as a whole (or if you would like to nominate someone whom you think could make a significant contribution), please contact me via e-mail at coled@si.edu by November 15, 2024.  The election of CaGIS officers will take place in December 2024.  The first face-to-face CaGIS Board meeting after elections will be in conjunction with the 2024 meeting in Columbus in early June.  

Dan Cole, CaGIS Past President

CaGIS is joining the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science June 3-6 in Columbus, Ohio for our 2024 CaGIS Conference.  The theme will be related to understanding climate change and sustainability through Cartography, GIScience and GeoAI.  Watch for the Call for Abstracts, coming soon!

CaGIS is pleased to announce the results of the CaGIS 2023 Officer Election:

Caglar Koylu will become the CaGIS Vice President.  Dr. Koylu is an Assistant Professor of Geographic Information Science in the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences at the University of Iowa. He received his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina in 2014.

Samantha Arundel was elected to another term on the CaGIS Board of Directors.  Dr. Arundel is a research geographer in the Center of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science at the U.S. Geological Survey. Her research focuses on automating terrain feature mapping and modeling using various techniques like traditional raster modeling, GEOBIA and machine learning.

Sam Stehle will join the CaGIS Board of Directors for his first term in 2023.  Dr. Stehle is a data scientist for the Center for Analytics at the U.S. Department of State. Sam is interested in geopolitical applications of machine learning and natural language processing, which he applies as a project manager, engineer, and civil servant. Sam received his PhD in Geography from Penn State in 2017 with his dissertation titled “Mapping Semantic and Spatial Mediascapes in the Catalonian Independence Movement: Geopolitics, Sports, and Black Boxes.”

We want to thank everyone who participated in the election, including those who ran for an office and those who voted and look forward to a successful and productive year!

Brianna Bambic will be presenting “Allen Coral Atlas: A New Technology for Coral Reef Conservation” at the next GeoBytes webinar on Friday, September 23 at 12:00 pm ET. The webinar is FREE for all CaGIS members. See attached abstract for more information about the presentation.

Please see the CaGIS GeoBytes page for more information on registering.

Abstract

Coral reef managers and decision makers at multiple scales need information, in near real time, to react to the increasing threats facing reefs. However, more than three quarters of the world’s coral reefs have never been mapped and lack monitoring. To address this knowledge gap and to support, inform, and inspire critical actions to manage and protect coral reefs, the Allen Coral Atlas combines high resolution satellite imagery, machine learning, and field data to produce globally consistent benthic and geomorphic maps and monitoring systems of the world’s coral reefs. The initiative’s goal is to help stakeholders ranging from local communities to regional and national governments reach their conservation targets and improve their coastal resilience. The multi-disciplinary partnership is led by Arizona State University, in collaboration with Planet, University of Queensland, and the Coral Reef Alliance. Baseline maps have multiple uses, including: sustainable coastal development, site selection of marine protected areas, planning of restoration activities, and reef fisheries management. In this presentation, we will demonstrate how the Allen Coral Atlas supports data-driven management, conservation, and restoration of coral reefs at local, national, regional, and global scales. We have developed online courses to facilitate increased use and impact of the Atlas, and are collaborating with networks of individuals and institutions who can be alerted when changes are detected (e.g., large-scale bleaching or sedimentation events).

Brianna Bambic leads the Allen Coral Atlas Field Engagement team at the National Geographic Society and Arizona State University. With a coral reef biology and resource management background, she was an Independent Researcher for 7 years that culminated in a virtual reality experience of Half Moon Caye National Monument, Belize with a National Geographic Explorer Grant, helping communicate science to the public. Brianna received her MS in natural resource management from the University of Akureyri, Iceland in 2019. Her expertise includes coastal and marine management, global science communication, and developing capacity around remote sensing and mapping. With countless hours underwater and >700 logged dives, she loves spending time exploring the ocean.

Rodney Jackson will be presenting “2022 Update of the USDoL Geospatial Technology Competency Model (GTCM)” at the next GeoBytes webinar on Friday, June 3 at 12:00 pm ET. The webinar is FREE for all CaGIS members. See attached abstract for more information about the presentation.

Please see the CaGIS GeoBytes page for more information on registering.

Abstract

In collaboration with the US Department of Labor (USDoL), the National Geospatial Technology Center (GeoTech Center) is updating the Geospatial Technology Competency Model (GTCM). The GTCM framework was developed through a collaborative effort involving the US DoL Employment and Training Administration (ETA), the GeoTech Center, and industry experts. We are seeking geospatial professionals to complete a review of the GTCM. Their commitment to participate in an assessment of the GTCM tiers via online survey will enable us to update the competency model to best reflect the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed in the geospatial industry.

Dr. Rodney D. Jackson serves as the Director for the Special Operations School of Information Technology (SOSIT). He has 20 years of experience in higher education, having held various teaching and administrative positions at community colleges, universities, and governmental institutions of higher learning. A geographer by training, Rodney is Certified Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP). He prefers to fly-fish local freshwater streams during his free time. Rodney retired from the United States Army Reserves as Lieutenant Colonel in the Engineer Corps (Geospatial Designator) in 2017.

Bo Zhao will be presenting “Deep Fake geography? A humanistic GIS Reflection upon Geospatial Artificial Intelligence” at the next GeoBytes webinar on Friday, May 27 at 12:00 pm ET. The webinar is FREE for all CaGIS members. See attached abstract for more information about the presentation.

Please see the CaGIS GeoBytes page for more information on registering.

Abstract

The ongoing development of Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) has raised deep concerns about the emergence of deep fake geography and its potentials in transforming the human perception of the geographic world (Zhao et al 2021). This seminar presents a humanistic GIS reflection upon GeoAI (Zhao 2022) and its social implications using an empirical study that dissected the algorithmic mechanism of falsifying satellite images with non-existent landscape features. To demonstrate our pioneering attempt at deep fake detection, a robust approach is then proposed and evaluated. Our proactive study warns of the emergence and proliferation of deep fakes in geography just as “lies” in maps. We suggest timely detections of deep fakes in geospatial data and proper coping strategies when necessary. More importantly, it is encouraged to cultivate critical geospatial data literacy and thus to understand the multi-faceted impacts of deep fake geography on individuals and human society.

Bo Zhao is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Washington, Seattle. His recent research interests include GIScience, geographical misinformation, and social implications of emerging GIS technologies, especially in the context of the United States or China.

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