Robert McMasterThe University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) is pleased to present its 2010 Education Award to Robert McMaster, Professor of Geography at the University of Minnesota (link is external). Throughout his career, Bob has demonstrated a commitment to advancing the quality of GIScience education, through his research, his contributions to his department's curriculum, and his service to his university and the GIScience community.

Bob has served in a number of leadership roles at the University of Minnesota that have given him the opportunity to further the cause of GIScience, including department chair and currently Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education. He has developed a number of GIScience courses, including a well-received general education GIS course, and was instrumental in the development of the University's Master of Geographic Information Science degree, one of the first professional graduate programs in the United States, and an interdisciplinary minor in GIScience.

He has held many leadership positions in the GIScience and Cartography community, including terms as president of UCGIS, the Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS), Chair of both the Cartography and GIS specialty groups of the Association of American Geographers (AAG), the International Cartographic Association (ICA), and National Research Council Mapping Science Committee. As a leader, he has consistently promoted the continuing development of GIScience education.

His research has also provided long-lasting educational opportunities. Most recently, the National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS), a warehouse of historic U.S. Census data, was made freely available to the public, and has been hailed as an invaluable resource for scholars, teachers, and students in GIScience, Geography, History, Sociology, Economics, and many other disciplines.

UCGIS is proud to have Dr. McMaster as a leading contributor to GIScience education.