Join the CMU Libraries Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Services team on Wednesday, November 20 for “GIS Day 2024: Sustainable Communities and Technologies” to celebrate the positive impact of GIS applications. The Libraries is hosting a day-long symposium exploring the connections between GIS, spatial inquiry, and sustainability.
GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems and are computer-based tools used to store, visualize, analyze, and interpret geographic data. GIS Day is celebrated on the third Wednesday of November as an international forum for users of GIS technology to demonstrate real-world applications that are making a difference in society, and for people to learn more about GIS and its benefits. For the second year, the Libraries’ GIS Services team has teamed up with the Sustainability Initiative to create programming that connects GIS with sustainability efforts.
“GIS Day is a chance for our students to learn more about how to take the skills they learn at CMU and apply them to life after graduation,” said Data Education Librarian Emma Slayton. “By focusing our discussions on the needs of communities and cities, we are also showing how students can use GIS skills today to benefit the world around them.”
The day begins with short presentations from event sponsors including GIS software company Esri, the Sustainability Initiative, and Larson Design Group. This will be followed by lighting talks from participants all across the Pittsburgh region, focusing on a variety of topics, including social and economic research, arts and culture, spatial applications of AI, creating a sustainable local GIS community, using GIS tools, and more. These presentations are between three and five minutes long, and showcase a variety of research in areas like policy, architecture, urban studies, and digital humanities.
Last year Laura Santos, a Heinz College graduate student studying public policy and management, presented at GIS Day 2023 after being encouraged to participate by GIS and Spatial Data Librarian Jessica Benner. As a result, she secured a summer internship required for her masters program.
“I was just eager to use GIS and engage with other GIS professionals, but the GIS Day presentation was an opportunity for me to show my talent to potential employers,” Santos said. “My presentation suggested adjusting the Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) system to meet the new demand for public transit for special events (sports games, concerts, community events, etc.). Afterward, PRT GIS Analyst Aniqua Zahra told Dr. Benner that she would love to offer me an internship at PRT.”
Following talks given by both students like Santos and professionals like Zahra, attendees will participate in roundtable discussions about how GIS can support communities and encourage the use of sustainable technologies that answer spatial questions asked by those communities.
After lunch, attendees can explore the Map Gallery, a select number of participant maps that will be posted in the Open House area. Submitted maps cover a variety of topics from almond production to solar energy to transportation. The day concludes with more short presentations, and then a happy hour for participants to mingle and network.
This year’s event will be held in the Cohon University Center, with activities split between the McKenna Peter Wright Room and Rangos Ballroom. In addition to the Sustainability Initiative, collaborators include Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh, who were early partners and continue to guide the event. Graduate instructor and Ph.D. candidate Suzy Li from the School of Architecture and Joshua Mullenite, an assistant professor at Chatham University, are the planning committee’s newest partners.
“GIS Day is an excellent platform for GIS professionals in the Western Pennsylvania region to build valuable connections. Last year, I had the opportunity to attend CMU’s GIS Day as a speaker for the first time — it was a fantastic experience where I connected with my data collaborators, met future students, and made new friends,” said Li, whose thesis on climate-resilient urban surface guidelines and decision-making relies on GIS applications like image classification using remote sensing and spatial statistical analysis. She also teaches an advanced ArcGIS course in the School of Architecture. “This year, I’m thrilled to join the planning committee. With the theme focused on sustainable communities and technologies, I look forward to engaging in discussions about the integration of emerging AI technologies into GIS research and encouraging future collaborations.”
“GIS Day 2024: Sustainable Communities and Technologies” is an in-person event. Register to attend.
Keep an eye out for information about additional programming, including a series of workshops during the month of November. If you are interested in working with the GIS Services team or presenting your work, reach out to gislib@andrew.cmu.edu.
Photo by Will Truettner on Unsplash