Jim Sparks, Indiana State Geographic Information Officer, to speak at noon

Visit http://www.indiana.edu/~gis/gisday for more information.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Consider an industry in the public or private sphere and it most likely utilizes advancements in geographic information and mapping technology. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the National Zoo tracks endangered pandas and Asian elephants, FEMA manages disaster operations, and businesses monitor marketing trends, to name just a few examples. To spread the word about the impact of GIS on countless scholarly and professional fields, Indiana University will celebrate GIS Day on Wednesday, November 19, 2008, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the lobby of the Herman B Wells Library. This is the 10th anniversary of GIS Day, a worldwide, annual event showcasing GIS technology and its applications.
At IU’s local event, GIS professionals from the Bloomington area will showcase topics including the IndianaMap, deforestation and reforestation studies, environmental applications, and mapping services for the City of Bloomington. GIS professionals and educators will talk with attendees about the GIS job market, training opportunities, internet mapping, ongoing projects and other ways that GIS technologies are shaping the way we live, learn and do business. The celebration will include games including a large photo puzzle and giveaways.

Jim Sparks, Indiana’s first Geographic Information Officer, will present the GIS Day keynote at 12 PM. Governor Mitch Daniels appointed Jim in October, 2007, and gave him the mission to facilitate the development, maintenance, and distribution of comprehensive statewide geographic data. After one year on the job, Jim will update us on his vision for Indiana GIS data.

IU’s GIS Day Celebration will again include the “Earth as Art” contest, which showcases images of the earth with an artistic perspective. This year’s contest permits not only the IU community, but the general public to enter. All participants are encouraged to base their artwork on geographic data, imagery or map features from around the world. The winner will receive a $50 VISA gift card.

What is GIS?
GIS is a multibillion-dollar industry employing hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. GIS converts the rows and columns in databases and spreadsheets to maps displaying locations for new businesses, routes for emergency responders, or geological features for locating minerals, oil or gas. GIS technologies provide value to organizations of all sizes and users in almost every industry by supporting better decision making, improved communication and greater efficiency resulting in cost savings.

GIS at Indiana University
Indiana University staff provides support for GIS technologies on all Indiana University campuses and contribute to state efforts in building a single map for Indiana. Indiana University’s advanced computing and networking infrastructure serves as the foundation for supporting state-of-the-art GIS instructional facilities. The Indiana University GIS community has access to enterprise GIS services, geospatial data libraries, and professional software to support academic and research excellence in diverse fields.

See http://www.indiana.edu/~gis/gisday/