University Consortium for
Geographic Information Science
www.ucgis.org

In this issue

UCGIS 2005 Winter Meeting

UCGIS Winter Meeting Report

by Greg Elmes, Communications Committee

UCGIS held its 2005 Winter Meeting in Washington DC on February 10th & 11th. On Wednesday February 9th early arrivals held a planning meeting prior to the Congressional Breakfast events showcasing current GISc research and the UCGIS Board held a working dinner at the Capitol Hill Club.  Brisk and windy conditions greeted Thursday morning arrivals at the Hart Senate Office Building for the Congressional Breakfast and UCGIS presentations. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D NY), and Representatives Carolyn B. Maloney (D NY) and Christopher Shays (R CN) sponsored the breakfast.  The consortium thanks the honorable members for their support.  The presentations, ably coordinated by Sean Ahearn (CUNY - Hunter College), focused on contemporary roles and issues for geographic information science and Public Health, both human and animal.  Details of the six presentations are found at http://www.ucgis.org/winter2005/schedule.htm. 

Once again UCGIS members drew attention to newsworthy and scientifically crucial contributions of our science and technology with outstanding clarity and visual effect.  It was especially encouraging to welcome talks from newer members representing the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the University of Michigan / Biomedware.  Staffers from a number of congressional offices attended and several UCGIS members took the opportunity to meet their House and Senate delegations.

The Federal agency briefings were given in the U.S. Capitol Building. Peg Barratt, Division Director, Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences presented multidisciplinary opportunities for GISc funding at NSF. Ron Birk, Director, Earth Science Applications Division, spoke of the current Earth Science Applications Plan at NASA (http://science.hq.nasa.gov/strategy/AppPlan.pdf), emphasizing the need for interoperability of spatial data from disparate sources. Greg Smith, Chief Scientist and Scott Loomer, Science Advisor for Geospatial Science represented the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). The Geospatial Management Office, Department of Homeland Security focused on the emergence and establishment of the office today and the potential for interaction in future. Barbara Ryan, Associate Director for Geography, spoke of the effects and opportunities resulting from recent reorganization at U.S. Geological Survey.  The President’s just-released budget seeks additional funds for some agencies, notably NSF, but on the whole, budgetary restrictions are having a dampening effect on most available sources of funding. The organization of the Geospatial Management Office, Department of Homeland Security provides a promising counterpoint.

On Friday morning Art Getis (SUSD) introduced, and John Weeks (SUSD) chaired, a session devoted to reflections by participants in “Spatial Perspectives on Curriculum Enhancement (SPACE)" - a CSISS Funded Project in which UCGIS Cooperates.  SPACE stimulates the dissemination of spatial thinking and GISc into social science curricula including geography, but with an outreach into other disciplines and to institutions where geography is less well established. The enthusiasm of the participants was infectious, and the focus on inquiry based learning with field study and real applications clearly was successful in the pilot projects. Faculty members from Arizona State University, the University of Texas at Dallas, George Washington University, and Columbia University addressed the results of classroom projects in geography, criminal justice, urban fieldwork in Africa and public health.

Many attendees also commented very favorably on the offering following the SPACE talks by Mr. Robert Canavan of the Federal Management Strategies firm. Mr. Canavan, an unabashed and successful lobbyist for education spoke of the means by which UCGIS might hold a more effective meeting on Capitol Hill in the sense of dovetailing with the legislative process. Mr. Canvan stressed the importance of the authorization phase and the need for a clearly focused request to legislative committees for specific actions. The importance and hierarchy of congressional staffers was reinforced, along with the need to identify elements of agency agendas to which we can lend UCGIS support.

After lunch, delegates participated in the meetings of the Research, Education, Communication, Sponsored Programs, Research Projects, and Policy and Legislative Committees.  Reports from these meetings will be forthcoming.  The UCGIS Council meeting began with a vote on new members and Kansas State University, the University of Memphis and North Carolina State were duly elected. Welcome new members!  Nina Lam will succeed Lynn Usery as president; John Wilson was elected president-elect and Mei-po Kwan, Scot MacKay and Greg Elmes were elected to the board. The complete minutes of the Council Meeting will be available at http://www.ucgis.org/membersonly/Administration/mo_mtgminutes.htm. Upon reflection much was accomplished and much learned for communication of the value and necessity of GISc research and education at future meetings. Many thanks are due to Mr. Jack Sanders, UCGIS Executive Director for the seamless organization of a multi venued meeting, and to outgoing board members Zorica Nedovic-Budic and John Wilson, president, Lynn Usery and past-president, Carolyn Merry.

next page