NASA-MSU Professional Enhancement Awards: US-IALE Alaska Conference

NASA-MSU Professional Enhancement Awards
Please share the following message with potentially interested students.

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With support from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Michigan State University, NASA-MSU Professional Enhancement Awards (up to $700 each) are given to cover expenses associated with attending the conference of US-IALE (US Regional Association of the International Association for Landscape Ecology) in Anchorage, Alaska, during May 18-22, 2014 (http://www.usiale.org/sites/default/files/meetings/US-IALE_2014_FLYER.pdf).

Special consideration will be given to presentations related to telecoupling (environmental and socioeconomic interactions over distances, such as trade, water transfer, human and animal migration, species dispersal, species invasion, disease spread, and tourism). Topics may include any aspects of telecouplings, such as causes and effects of telecouplings on socioeconomic and ecological sustainability of coupled human and natural systems (CHANS).

For more information about telecoupling, please see papers http://csis.msu.edu/research/publications/framing-sustainability-telecoupled-world, http://csis.msu.edu/research/publications/integrated-assessments-payments-ecosystem-services-programs, and http://csis.msu.edu/telecoupling.

The application package includes a cover letter, application form, abstract (as it was submitted to the US-IALE conference, www.usiale.org), resume/CV, and budget. Applications are judged based on the merits of the applicants' abstracts, financial needs, and professional backgrounds and goals. Former award recipients are not eligible to apply. Underrepresented students are especially encouraged to apply. Application deadline is January 20, 2014.

More information (including the application form) about the NASA-MSU Program is available at the web site http://csis.msu.edu/education/nasa_msu_award. Questions can be directed to:

Dr. Jianguo (Jack) Liu
Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Email: liuji@msu.edu

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2011 Be Inspired Awards Competition Finalists Announced

Bentley Systems Incorporated, the leading company dedicated to providing comprehensive software solutions for sustaining infrastructure, today announced the project finalists in the 2011 Be Inspired Awards competition and the four winners of the 2011 Be Inspired Special Recognition Awards. The awards honor the extraordinary work of Bentley users improving and sustaining the world’s infrastructure. Five independent panels of jurors, comprising accomplished Bentley users and distinguished industry experts, selected the 59 finalists and the Special Recognition Awards candidates from nominations submitted by 270 organizations in 42 countries. The winners of the Be Inspired Awards will be announced at the invitation-only Be Inspired: Thought Leadership in Infrastructure event taking place Nov. 8-9, 2011, in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

“Our Be Inspired Awards program, which showcases excellence and innovation in the design, construction, and operations of infrastructure around the world, is celebrating its eighth year,” Bentley Systems COO Malcolm Walter said, “and I’m happy to report that we once again enjoyed record participation from our global community of users.”

He continued, “Our 59 finalists are stellar examples of the project and infrastructure performance improvements that are achievable when architects, engineers, builders, geospatial professionals, and owner-operators work smarter empowered by our portfolio of innovative information modeling software. The results are truly inspiring!”

Candidates for Bentley’s third annual Be Inspired Special Recognition Awards were placed into nomination by the jurors for their uniquely innovative and visionary achievements embracing multiple Be Inspired Awards categories. The nominees were then reviewed by a panel of Bentley executives. The achievements recognized by this year’s four awards are Attaining Return on Innovation, Sustaining Our Society, Sustaining Our Environment, and Sustaining the Professions.

Commenting on the 2011 Special Recognition Awards winners, Bentley Systems CEO Greg Bentley said, “In honoring these distinctive projects, we also highlight the virtuosity of the organizations that successfully delivered them. Each innovatively employed information modeling, collaboration, and best practices to advance Bentley’s mission of Sustaining Infrastructure. On behalf of my colleagues at Bentley, I congratulate this year’s Special Recognition Awards recipients and thank them for their accomplishments.”

The Be Inspired Special Recognition Awards winners for 2011 are as follows:

Attaining Return on Innovation

Cadre Design Group, Inc. – SFOBB East Span Seismic Safety Project – (San Francisco-Oakland, California, USA)

Sustaining Our Society

Secretaria de Finanzas del Distrito Federal – Programme for the Modernization of the Mexico City Cadastre – (Mexico City, Mexico)

Sustaining Our Environment

Shinryo Corporation – Shinryo Eco Renewal Project – (Tokyo, Japan)

Sustaining the Professions

GHD – (Melbourne, Australia)

The Be Inspired Awards finalists for 2011 are as follows:

Connecting Project Teams

AECOM – SH 161 Phase 4 – (Dallas, Texas, USA)
APIA XXI, S.A. – Connecting Project Teams on Two Continents – (Texas, USA, and Santander, Spain)
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power – LADWP ProjectWise Implementation – (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Innovation in Asset Lifecycle Information Management

Bristol Water plc – Enterprise Management of Street Works Noticing – (Bristol, United Kingdom)
Crossrail Ltd – Crossrail - Asset Information Management System – (London and South East England, United Kingdom)
Southern Company – Asset Management - ProjectWise Lifecycle Server – (Birmingham, Alabama, USA)

Innovation in Bridges

HDR, Inc. – Hoover Dam Bypass – (Mohave County, Arizona, and Clark County, Nevada, USA)
Hunan Provincial Communications Planning, Survey and Design Institute – Longyong Expressway Bridge Design – (Longshan County, Hunan Province, China)
Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development – I-10 Twin Spans Bridges – (Slidell and New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)

Innovation in Building

Foster + Partners – Scottish National Arena – (Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom)
UNStudio – EEA & Tax Offices – (Groningen, Netherlands)
Warren and Mahoney – The Rock, Wellington International Airport – (Wellington, New Zealand)

Innovation in Campuses, Airports, and Military Installations

Arup – Midfield Development Design Consultancy Services – (Hong Kong, China)
Hatch Associates Limited – QCLNG Upstream Surface Facilities – (Wandoan and Dalby, Queensland, Australia)
Samsung C&T Corporation/IDM E&C – Jeongok Marine Industrial Park – (Gyeonggi-do, South Korea)

Innovation in Communications Networks

Precision Contracting Services, Inc. – Martin County Community Broadband Network – (Martin County, Florida, USA)
Rainbow Design Services, Inc. – Disaster Assessment and Recovery Using Bentley Communications Products – (Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA)

Innovation in Construction

Grontmij – Norreport Station – (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Jacobs – Automating WorkFace Planning – (Corpus Christi, Texas, USA)
Matec Engenharia – Planning Innovation of a Medical Center – (São Paulo, Brazil)

Innovation in Generative Design

Arup – ArtScience Museum – (Singapore)
HOK and PLP Architecture – The Francis Crick Institute – (London, United Kingdom)
tvsdesign – Music City Center – (Nashville, Tennessee, USA)

Innovation in Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering

AECOM – A1 Dishforth to Leeming Improvement Scheme – (Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom)
Jan De Nul NV – Panama Canal Expansion – (Panama City and Colon, Panama)
PT. Tigenco Graha Persada – Geotech Investigation Java South Line – (Cirebon - Prupuk, Purwokerto, Kroya, West, Central Java, Indonesia)

Innovation in Government

H. Ayuntamiento de Metepec – Cadastral and Geographic Information System (SICyG) – (Metepec, Mexico)
Port of Helsinki – Vuosaari Harbour Maintenance System – (Helsinki, Finland)
The City of Newcastle – City Precinct 3D Modeling – (Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia)

Innovation in Metals and Mining

AngloGold Ashanti Limited – Refurbishment of Savuka Shaft – (Carletonville, Gauteng, South Africa)
SEI Engenharia Ltda – Cristalino Project – (Canaã dos Carajás, Pará, Brazil)
T&G Corporation Pty Ltd – Crushing Plant – (North West Australia)

Innovation in Multimedia

i-TEN Associates – Point Cloud Visualizations – (Portland, Oregon, USA)
Larsen & Toubro Limited – Ammonia Synthesis Gas Generation Project – (Bharuch, Gujarat, India)
Washington State Department of Transportation, Visual Engineering Resource Group – SR 20 Sharpes Corner Vicinity - Interchange – (Anacortes, Washington, USA)

Innovation in Power Generation

Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute – Hongyan River Nuclear Power Plant – (Dalian, Liaoning, China)
HydroChina Zhongnan Engineering Corporation – Tuoba Hydro-Power Station – (Diqing, Yunan, China)
L&T-Sargent & Lundy Limited – 3x660 MW Supercritical Thermal Power Plant – (Nagpur, Maharashtra, India)

Innovation in Process Manufacturing

Chemical Construction International (P) Limited – Carotino Fatty Acid Splitting Plant – (Johar Baru, Central Jakarta, Indonesia)
Larsen & Toubro Limited – CO2 Recovery and Injection Project – (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)
Qatar Petroleum – Creation of Intelligent As-built Models of Offshore Facilities Using a Combination of Terrestrial Laser Scanning and Verified Existing Engineering Drawings – (Doha, Qatar)

Innovation in Rail and Transit

Hatch Mott MacDonald – Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension – (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Parsons Brinckerhoff – Glenfield Transport Interchange – (Glenfield, New South Wales, Australia)
RITES Ltd. – Mechi-Mahakali and Pokhara-Kathmandu Electric Railway – (Nepal)

Innovation in Roads

Beam, Longest and Neff, L.L.C. – I-69 at State Road 61/56 – (Pike County, Indiana, USA)
Engevix Engenharia S.A. – Santa Catarina 108 Highway – (Angelina and Major Gercino, Santa Catarina, Brazil)
Kokusai Kogyo Co., Ltd. – Figuring the Disaster Status From Mobile Mapping System (MMS) – (Japan)

Innovation in Structural Engineering

Chuchawal Royal Haskoning Co., Ltd. – Hygenic Flex Factory at Samutsakorn – (Samutsakorn, Thailand)
L&T MHI Boilers Pvt Ltd – 2x700 MW Rajpura Thermal Power Plant – (Rajpura, Punjab, India)
Stopford Projects Ltd – Tata Soda Ash Plant Winnington – (Winnington, Cheshire, United Kingdom)

Innovation in Utility Transmission and Distribution Networks

AES Torino S.p.A. – Large-Scale District Heating Preliminary Development Project – (Torino, Italy)
Central Southern China Electric Power Design Institute – Qingdao Converter Station – (Qingdao, Shandong, China)
ENMAX Power Corporation – A Case Study on Bentley Substation – (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)

Innovation in Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants

Arup – Sludge Treatment Facility Hong Kong – (Hong Kong, China)
CDM – Galveston Main Wastewater Treatment Plant – (Galveston, Texas, USA)
Gippsland Water – Gippsland Water Factory – (Maryvale, Victoria, Australia)

Innovation in Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Networks

Barwon Region Water Corporation – Instant Access to Fire-Flow Results – (Geelong, Victoria, Australia)
General Directorate of Izmir Water and Wastewater Authority – IZSU Geographic Infrastructure Information System Project – (Izmir, Turkey)
SimTejo – Aquasafe - Smart Management System – (Lisbon, Portugal)

For more information about the 2011 Be Inspired finalists and Be Inspired Special Recognition Awards winners, visit www.bentley.com/BeInspiredAwards.

About Be Inspired: Thought Leadership in Infrastructure

The world’s leading practitioners will gather at Be Inspired, Bentley’s premier thought leadership and networking event, November 8-9, 2011, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. They will share the best practices behind the successful realization of their current projects and explore new ways to respond to the challenges driving today’s business. Also in attendance will be 80 journalists from around the world, who will additionally participate in a special media briefing on November 7.

Be Inspired is an intimate, invitation-only event that will feature presentations by the Be Inspired Awards finalists as well as executive roundtables focusing on critical issues in business, technology, and practice facing infrastructure professionals around the world. It will culminate with an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding achievement and innovation in infrastructure design, construction, and operations by winners selected from 59 project finalists by five independent panels of jurors. In total, nominations from 270 organizations in 42 countries were submitted in this year’s awards program.

This annual event provides a unique forum for senior-level executives to learn about the innovations driving the development and operations of the world’s top infrastructure projects. It also enables them to engage with other industry leaders in interactive discussions on topics of importance to the business of sustaining infrastructure. For additional information about the Be Inspired: Thought Leadership in Infrastructure event, visit www.bentley.com/BeInspired.

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URISA 2011 Exemplary Systems in Government Award Winners

URISA’s Exemplary Systems in Government (ESIG) Awards recognize exceptional achievements in the application of information technology that have improved the delivery and quality of government services. URISA is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s ESIG Awards.

ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS CATEGORY - Systems in this category are outstanding and working examples of using information systems technology in a multi-department environment as part of an integrated process. These systems exemplify effective use of technology yielding widespread improvements in the process(es) and/or service(s) involved and/or cost savings to the organization.

2011 ESIG Winner: URA Digital 3D Urban Model System

Submitted by Mr. Peter Quek Ser Hwee, Director Corporate Development, Information Systems - Urban Redevelopment Authority, Republic of Singapore

This solution was deemed exemplary by the ESIG Review Committee because this system was built not only to innovatively serve the needs of the jurisdiction and the community, but to embrace a cutting edge technology. The combination of 3D technology with 2D GIS technology has provided URA staff and their community with the tools to visualize the impact of urban development. The visual analysis provides a value added segment to the evaluation processes supporting the most educated decisions when building a greater Singapore. The use of 3D visualization has become a tool for Singapore’s marketing and communication of their land use plans. Quantitative impacts were given in terms of both “man-days” and monies saved to date, along with estimates of future benefits. Many different groups are now making use of the system and specific examples were given of projects/studies that used the system, along with visual representations for each. This is a unique application in that it presented an innovative system for producing visualizations of Singapore. The videos and images produced by the solution portray the vision of and for Singapore. Projects like these move the GIS and planning industries forward.

Distinguished Systems in this Category:

CAGIS Enterprise County Wide Construction Coordination System

Submitted by Raj Chundur, CAGIS Administrator, CAGIS - Cincinnati (Ohio) Area Geographic Information System

City of Calgary Cadastral Management System (CMS)

Submitted by Arne Svedahl, Leader - Land Asset Information & Mapping Infrastructure & Information, Corporate Services - City of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

iMAPS: Using Collaboration and Technology to Color Outside the Organizational Lines

Submitted by Charles Friddle, Director - Wake County (North Carolina) GIS

Portage County Enterprise Wide GIS

Submitted by Brian Kelley, CIO – Portage County (Ohio)

SINGLE PROCESS SYSTEMS CATEGORY - Systems in this category are outstanding and working examples of applying information system technology to automate a specific SINGLE process or operation involving one department or sub-unit of an agency. The system application results in extended and/or improved government services that are more efficient and/or save money.

2011 ESIG Winner: Philadelphia Stormwater Billing Application - "PhillyStormwater"

Submitted by Joanne Dahme, Watersheds Program Manager, City of Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Water Department

This solution was deemed exemplary by the ESIG Review Committee because it is an application that has benefited all stakeholders, including both the Philadelphia Water Department staff and the public alike. The System is an application in green storm water management that uses GIS to assess impervious site areas. It gives the public easy access to - and transparency to – storm water charges, and the ability to see the effect on their bills should property owners consider greener strategies. Processes have also been developed to address the data quality and consistency issues as they arise. The PhillyStormwater system has made a substantial impact on the new storm water billing process and saved hundreds of hours for the Water Department staff members per month. The system is the largest of its type in the country and certainly is progressive in the way it charges for storm water management costs.

Distinguished System in this Category:

Clark County Utility Tracker (C-Cut)

Submitted by Dan Kaler, GIS Coordinator – Clark County (Washington)

URISA congratulates all of the participants in the 2011 Exemplary Systems in Government Award program. For more information and to read each winning and distinguished system submission, visit http://www.urisa.org/2011ESIG

All of these exemplary systems will be celebrated during the Awards Breakfast at GIS-Pro 2011: URISA's 49th Annual Conference in Indianapolis on November 3, 2011.

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AGU Climate Communication Prize 2011

AGU is committed to the recognition and reward of AGU scientists for excellence in communicating science. It is pleased to announce the newly launched AGU Climate Communication Prize! This new Union prize, generously funded by Nature's Own, will honor an AGU member-scientist for the communication of climate science. The prize highlights the importance of promoting scientific literacy, clarity of message, and efforts to foster respect and understanding of science-based values as they relate to the implications of climate change.

The prize will be awarded annually and will be presented at AGU's Fall Meeting. It will carry a cash award of $25,000.

Nominate a colleague for this achievement now! The award will raise the visibility of this critical issue facing society and the winner will serve as an inspiring role model for other AGU scientists to emulate.

Please submit your nominations here.

Nominations must be complete and received at AGU headquarters by September 30, 2011

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Russia Wins 10th National Geographic World Championship

Defeating teams from 16 other regions, Russia took top honors at the 10th National Geographic World Championship held today at Google headquarters in Mountain View, California. Canada, the defending champion, came in second, and Chinese Taipei was third. The biennial competition, in which teams of students answer questions on physical, cultural and economic geography, is organized by the National Geographic Society. Google was the sponsor of this year’s contest.

Russia has entered a team in every National Geographic World Championship since the competition began in 1993. This is the first time the country has won. The Russian team comprised Alexander Bondarchuk, 16, of St. Petersburg; Masha Samoletova, 16, of St. Petersburg; and Egor Shustov, 16, of Sludyanka.

The Canadian team members were Alexander Cohen, 15, of Ottawa, Ontario; Aoife O’Leary, 15, of Surrey, British Columbia; and Alejandro Torres-Lopez, 16, of North Vancouver, British Columbia.

Representing Chinese Taipei were Chen-Luo Cheng, 15, of Taipei; Po-Chen Chu, 14, of Taitung; and Tong-hong Hsu, 14, of Banqiao District, New Taipei City.

In an Olympics-style ceremony, gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded to the first-, second- and third-placed teams. Alex Trebek, host of the U.S. television quiz show “Jeopardy!”, moderated today’s finals.

Russia, Canada and Chinese Taipei qualified for the final round after obtaining the highest combined scores in a written contest on Sunday and in Monday’s preliminary activity that included a hands-on activity at the San Francisco Zoo.

Students were eligible to take part in the World Championship competition by winning or being a top finisher in the national competitions of their home regions. The 14 other teams competing this year were from Australia, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, Singapore, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

John Fahey, chairman and CEO of the National Geographic Society, said the competition was a great way for talented young geographers around the world to match wits against each other and to enjoy a rewarding cross-cultural exchange. “The competition enhances geo-literacy, international dialogue and understanding, and promotes friendships around the globe,” he said.

The World Championship is held every two years. The first contest, held in London in 1993, was won by the United States, which beat teams from the United Kingdom and Russia. The Australians, competing against four other teams, won the 1995 competition in Orlando, Fla. The third championship, held in 1997 at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., was won by Canada, which bested eight other teams. The United States won the fourth competition against 11 teams in Toronto, Canada, in 1999. The United States also took first place in the 2001 contest in Vancouver, Canada; in 2003 at Busch Gardens, Fla.; and in 2005 in Budapest, Hungary. The 2007 competition at SeaWorld, San Diego, was won by Mexico. Canada took top honors in 2009 in Mexico City.

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ESRI Storytelling with Maps Competition Winners

Esri heralded the winners of the Storytelling with Maps competition at the 2011 Esri International User Conference (Esri UC). Chih Cheng Chang, director of the application system division at RiChi in New Taipei City, Taiwan, won first place for Best Web Map. Dr. Thanos Doganis, director of R&D at Terra Ltd., with Terra Mapping The Globe Ltd. in Athens, Greece, won first place for Best Mobile App.

Chang's web map shows natural resources data, including hydrology, water resources, geology, and soil, and introduces professional GIS-related information to a general audience. Terra's free mobile app for the iPhone provides points of interest, including hospitals and pharmacies on duty, for numerous cities in Greece. The winners were selected by a distinguished panel of judges comprised of Jean McKendry of the American Association of Geographers; Frank Biasi of National Geographic; and Allen Carroll, Deane Kensok, and Damien Demaj of Esri’s ArcGIS Online Team.

Jack Dangermond presented the awards to the winners at the Esri UC in San Diego, California, on Wednesday, July 13, 2011. The competition was created to show how maps can visually communicate meaningful and interesting information about the world, people, and places.

Winning Entries:

- First-Place Best Web Map: Chih Cheng Chang—Natural Environment Database Map in Taiwan
- Second-Place Best Web Map: Tom Sellsted—Yakima Transit iBus Widget
- Third-Place Best Web Map: Don Barker—The Search for Frederick Douglass' Birthplace
- First-Place Best Mobile App: Thanos Doganis—Livemap
- Second-Place Best Mobile App: Chih Cheng Chang—NGIS Natural Environment Maps in Taiwan iOS App
- Third-Place Best Mobile App: Patrick Bell—iGeology

- Community Favorite Award Best Web Map: Mark Laudon—Save the Rain!
- Community Favorite Award Best Mobile App: Patrick Bell—iGeology

View all contest entries at esri.com/storytellingentries.

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Asian Geospatial Awards 2011 Nomination

The Asian Geospatial Industry has been evolving and maturing as one of the mainstream business having its own identity in world economy. Undoubtedly, this has been possible only by innovations and excellence brought forward by geospatial technology developers, professionals, end users and policy makers in the region. In order to recognize and encourage such efforts, GIS Development – the Geospatial Media Company proposes to confer awards and recognitions for exemplary innovations and practices in the Asian geospatial industry. Such an exercise shall bring forward an appreciation and motivation to winners and also provide an opportunity for the geospatial industry to learn from these experiences.

I ardently invite you all to send in your nominations for the Asian Geospatial Awards 2011, instituted by GIS Development for innovations, applications, policies and programs in the geospatial domain.

You can send as many nominations as you wish for the various initiatives, programs and projects for the three categories of awards as listed below:

- Geospatial Excellence Awards - for exemplary usage of geospatial tools in various fields implemented in Asia.

- Geospatial Technology Innovation Awards – for innovations and developments in geospatial technology in Asia or having Asian collobaration.

- Geospatial Policies and Programs Awards - Policy makers and implementers whose work directly impacts in development of geospatial science, technology and business in Asia to submit their nominations for this category.

Who can nominate? Any individual or organisation involved with or associated with the development and usage of geospatial science, technology and policies in Asian Region.

How to nominate? Please visit http://awards.gisdevelopment.net for the details of the online nomination process.

Who will judge? A panel of judges from around the world has been constituted for the process of evaluation. The evaluation will follow a rigidly laid down procedure where confidentiality of the nominator as well as the panel of evaluators is ensured.

The Deadline? All nominations received only through the online submission process till 15th July 2011 will be scrutinised.

The Result? The decision of the panel of Judges will be communicated to the winners by the 31st August 2011.

The Prize? On the awards night, under the auspices of Asia Geospatial Forum 2011, being held in Jakarta, Indonesia from 17th -19 October 2011, the winners will be presented a trophy and more...

So, help us find the Top Guns of geospatial and join us in honouring and giving due credit to the best works in geospatial...

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GIS Day Poster Competition Recognition Supported by URISA

Poster competitions are an excellent means of illustrating and testing how well students are able to demonstrate both research skills and communication skills. Many geography and GIS degree and certificate programs sponsor student poster competitions, particularly as part of their GIS Day events. GIS Day 2011 is Wednesday, November 16, 2011 and URISA is pleased to announce its support of GIS Day student poster competitions.

Recognition of GIS Day achievements is important to URISA. We look forward to receiving two types of contributions to support GIS Day Student Poster Competitions. First, we welcome receipt of GIS Day poster competition guidelines. There will no doubt be similarities and differences among the guidelines, and we look forward to presenting an informative and comprehensive display of the kinds of criteria which professors use to give directions to students, and to the judges who are evaluating the posters. We also welcome receipt of the posters that are selected as winning entries to promote the accomplishments of both the students and institutions.

It is expected that URISA’s GIS Day Student Poster Competition page will quickly become a very valuable GIS teaching and research resource, and we look forward to assisting professors, students, and competition judges as they plan their GIS Day activities. For further details, please visit the site.

In further recognition of the winning posters, URISA is pleased to provide one-year student memberships for the best poster in each category.

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ESA Innovation Prize For Best Business Idea using GNSS

ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme Office (TTPO) aims to facilitate the use of space technology and space-based infrastructures -- such as global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) -- for non-space applications. Nowadays, it seems hard to get around without GPS. You get in your car, turn on your navigation device, and always know when to turn left or right. However, GNSS have potential for much more than just giving us directions.

This is why ESA is sponsoring a special topic prize in the international ideas competition ESNC. The organisation will award the ESA Innovation Prize to whoever comes up with the best business idea using GNSS. The judging criteria will be the amount of time required to implement the idea and its market potential, as ESA is looking for ideas that can be incorporated quickly into a profitable business. In addition to a EUR 10,000 cash prize, the winner may be supported at one of the five ESA Business Incubation Centres (ESA BICs). There, incubated companies not only get free office space, but technical and financial support to realise their ideas, as well.

Last year, Rafael Olmedo and Luis Burillo from Spain won the jury over with their project “NEPA”, which monitors waterways to identify and locate water pollution. Detecting sources of water pollution along minor waterways is of primary interest to authorities trying to uncover illegal activities and specific sources of water quality degradation. Sensors analyse the water quality, and the GPS augmentation system EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) locates the source of the pollution. “The innovation of NEPA lies in the combination of satellite navigation, wireless communication, and electronic technologies,” says Rafael Olmedo. The jury of experts agreed in rendering their assessment: “The different technologies for measuring and tracking water pollution are already there and can be rapidly implemented in the product. NEPA’s innovation lies in how it combines these technologies in a single new system.”

Tim Springer, the ESA special topic prize winner in 2009, is currently at the ESA BIC Darmstadt, Germany. In 2009, he submitted a high-accuracy GNSS solution for locating ships at sea. His spin-off now has three employees and his service, “Positim”, is in its testing phase. “We are also working on a survey to improve the accuracy for users,” Springer reports.

About the European Satellite Navigation Competition:

The European Satellite Navigation Competition is an international ideas competition that awards the best ideas based on satellite navigation. Anyone can participate, from companies and entrepreneurs to research institutes, universities, and private individuals. What counts is the idea. Between 1 April and 30 June, participants can submit their ideas at www.galileo-masters.eu.

Having started in 2004 with three partner regions, the ESNC has since grown into a global network of innovation and expertise. More than 20 regions now compete against each other to produce the overall winner – the Galileo Master – who receives EUR 20,000 and the chance to realise their idea at an incubation centre of their choice.
www.galileo-masters.eu

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2011 Cityworks User of the Year Award Recipients

Cityworks, the leading provider of GIS-centric management solutions, congratulates the recipients of the 2011 Cityworks User of the Year Award in Recognition for GIS-Centric Excellence and Leadership: Cucamonga Valley Water District (California), City of Delaware (Ohio), City of Kitchener (Ontario, Canada), City of Palm Bay (Florida), and Waterford Township (Michigan). The awards were presented at the 2011 Cityworks User Conference held last week in St. George, Utah.

The Cityworks User of the Year Award recognizes organizations as vanguards for their GIS-centric vision and practice which enables them to meet a variety of goals and objectives in asset management, permitting, licensing, and more. These five award-winning sites consistently demonstrate high levels of increased efficiencies and measured performance. Cityworks is very proud of their accomplishments as well as many others throughout the user community.

President and CEO of Cityworks, Brian Haslam, presented the awards at the plenary session of the Cityworks User Conference on Monday, May 16, 2011. The following individuals received the award on behalf of their organizations:

* Cucamonga Valley Water District, California - Marty Zvirbulis and Darron Poulsen
* City of Delaware, Ohio – R. Thomas Homan and Perry Mickley
* City of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada – R. Thomas Homan, Mike Bolger, Sharon McDonald and Janet England
* Palm Bay, Florida – Crystal Phillips-Mustain and Ellen Prendergast
* Waterford Township, Michigan – Carl W. Solden and Terry Biederman

“We have an amazing user base, and the group of clients awarded this year’s Cityworks User of the Year Award are as good as they get,” stated Mr. Haslam. “While it is difficult to pinpoint just a few, those selected are definitely lighthouses in our user community. We want to recognize and extend our appreciation to these organizations. They have demonstrated outstanding GIS-centric techniques and capabilities, and we are thrilled they have fully taken advantage of Cityworks robust, powerful technology combined with Esri’s leading ArcGIS software.”

Source: cityworks.com

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NESSF Program 2011 Successful Applicants on Earth Science Research

NASA received a total of 331 applications to the NASA Earth and Space Science (NESSF) Fellowship Program announced in November 2010 in Earth Science Research and selected 57 for award, pending acceptance by each applicant and their respective institution; they are:

Andersen, Theresa K (Student); James Shepherd (Advisor); University of Georgia
The "Brown Ocean" Concept: A Spatio-Temporal and Theoretical Analysis of Re-Intensifying Tropical Cyclones Over Land

Bagnardi, Marco (Student); Falk Amelung (Advisor); University of Miami
Dynamics of Magma Storage At Basaltic Volcanoes: Multi-Parameter Geophysical Studies of The Hawaiian and Galapagos Volcanoes

Barman, Rahul (Student); Atul Jain (Advisor); University of Illinois
Investigating Biogeophysical-Biogeochemical Interactions In The Northern High-Latitudes Using A Land Surface Model Integrating Recent Advances In Terrestrial Modeling, and Land Use Change

Brown, Zachary (Student); Kevin Arrigo (Advisor); Stanford University
The Environmental Drivers of Phytoplankton Production In The Bering Sea: A Remote Sensing Approach

Capps, Shannon L (Student); Athanasios Nenes (Advisor); Georgia Institute of Technology
Employing Observations To Improve Estimates of Atmospheric Composition: Integration and Application of ANISORROPIA In The GEOS-CHEM Adjoint

Cecelski, Stefan F (Student); Da-Lin Zhang (Advisor); University of Maryland
An Investigation of Tropical Cyclogenesis From African Easterly Waves

Chaussard, Estelle (Student); Falk Amelung (Advisor); University of Miami
Testing Hypotheses About The Depth of Magma Chambers In Volcanic Arcs Using ALOS PALSAR.

Chen, Haidi (Student); Galen McKinley (Advisor); University of Wisconsin - Madison
Impact of Mesoscale Eddies and Mode Water Circulation On Surface Chlorophyll and Phytoplankton Size Distribution In The North Atlantic

Coburn, Sean (Student); Rainer Volkamer (Advisor); University of Colorado at Boulder
Interpretative Analysis of DOAS Measurements of Reactive Gases Over The Tropical Pacific Ocean: Satellite Validation and Use of Satellite Data For Interpretation

Darnell, Kristopher N (Student); Douglas MacAyeal (Advisor); University of Chicago
The Supra-Glacial Hydrological System of The Greenland Ice Sheet: A Numerical Model Constrained By Airborne and Satellite Data

DeVisser, Mark H (Student); Joseph Messina (Advisor); Michigan State University
NESS Fellowship: Land Cover Change and Disease Ecology: The Unintended Impacts of Prosopis Juliflora In Kenya

Di Pierro, Maurizio (Student); Lyatt Jaegle (Advisor); University of Washington
Satellite Observations of Arctic Aerosols

Dolgos, Gergely (Student); J. Vanderlei Martins (Advisor); University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Airborne, Polarized Imaging Nephelometer For Measuring Aerosol Phase Matrix: In Situ Experiments and Comparison To The New Generation of Remote Sensors

Duncanson, Laura (Student); Ralph Dubayah (Advisor); University of Maryland
Combining Lidar/Radar Fusion, Allometric Scaling Theory, and Ecosystem Modeling For Improved Estimation of Forest Biomass, Structure and Dynamics

Dwyer, John G (Student); Adam Sobel (Advisor); Columbia University
Shifting Seasonal Cycle, Changing Monsoons, and The Role of Sea Ice

Girotto, Manuela (Student); Steven Margulis (Advisor); UCLA
Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Sierra Nevada Snowpack Using A Fractional Snow Covered Area Data Assimilation Approach

Hampton, Haydee (Student); Bruce Hungate (Advisor); Northern Arizona University
Climate Forcing Implications of Southwestern Ponderosa Pine Management

Hanshaw, Maiana N (Student); Bodo Bookhagen (Advisor); University of California, Santa Barbara
Volumetric Glacial Changes In The Central Andes During The Past Four Decades: Climate Change, Debris Coverage, or ENSO Variability?

Hirpa, Feyera Aga (Student); Mekonnen Gebremichael (Advisor); University of Connecticut
Ensemble Data Assimilation of Satellite-Based Soil Moisture and Surface Water Area Estimates For Accurate Flood Forecasting

Hull, Vanessa (Student); Jack Liu (Advisor); Michigan State University
Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Animal Habitat Selection Across A Coupled Human and Natural System

Jones, Alexandra L (Student); Larry Di Girolamo (Advisor); University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
3D Radiative Impact On Dynamical and Physical Properties of Modeled Marine Trade Wind Cumulus

Kelly, Anne E (Student); Michael Goulden (Advisor); University of California
Climate Controls On Forest Biomass, Productivity, and Species Distribution Along The Western Sierra Nevada Gradient

Kenny, William T (Student); Gil Bohrer (Advisor); The Ohio State University
Modeling The Effect of High-Resolution Land-Surface Heterogeneity and Forest Structure On Emission, Chemistry, and Dispersion of Volatile Organic Compounds and Reactant Species

Liu, Yingjun (Student); Scot Martin (Advisor); Harvard University
Experimental Investigation of Isoprene Oxidation For Different Limiting Chemical Regimes: Updating The Oxidation Mechanism To Evaluate and Improve Satellite Retrievals of Formaldehyde and Glyoxal

Meigs, Garrett W (Student); Robert Kennedy (Advisor); Oregon State University
Mapping Disturbance Interactions From Earth and Space: Insect Effects On Fuels and Wildfires Across Forests of The Pacific Northwest

Midekisa, Alemayehu A (Student); Michael Wimberly (Advisor); South Dakota State University
Integrating Multi-Sensor Satellite Data For Malaria Early Warning In The Amhara Region of Ethiopia

Miege, Clement (Student); Richard Forster (Advisor); University of Utah
Estimating Southeast Greenland Annual Snow Accumulation Over The Last Decades Using Ice-Surface Radar, Airborne NASA Icebridge Radar and Firn-Core Data

Mims, Amanda (Student); Chris Ruf (Advisor); University of Michigan
Development of Ocean Surface Wind Vector Retrieval Algorithm For Passive Microwave Radiometers In Tropical Cyclones

Minchew, Brent (Student); Mark Simons (Advisor); Caltech
Temperate Glacier Observations With L-Band Sar

Mini, Caroline (Student); Terri Hogue (Advisor); UCLA
Predicting Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Urban Water Use Under Climate Change and Societal Influence

Moon, Woosok (Student); John Wettlaufer (Advisor); Yale University
Arctic Sea Ice: Trends, Stability and Variability

Myers, Timothy Albert (Student); Joel Norris (Advisor); University of California, San Diego
Marine Stratiform Cloud Variability: Driving Mechanisms and Change Due To 2Xco2

Nasrollahi, Nasrin (Student); Soroosh Sorooshian (Advisor); University of California, Irvine
Improving Satellite-Based Precipitation Retrieval Using MODIS Multi-Spectral Image and Cloudsat Cloud Classification Map

Nievinski, Felipe G (Student); Kristine Larson (Advisor); University of Colorado
GPS Interferometric Reflectometry: Developing A Ground-Based Method To Measure Snow Water Equivalent

Olson, Elise (Student); Dennis McGillicuddy Jr. (Advisor); Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Understanding The Role of The Nitrogen-Fixing Cyanobacterium Trichodesmium In The Oceanic Nitrogen and Carbon Cycles: In Situ Measurement, Satellite Observation, and Biogeochemical Modeling.

Ouellette, Jeffrey (Student); Joel Johnson (Advisor); The Ohio State University
Empirical Studies of Soil Moisture Estimation Using L-Band Radar Systems

Patton, Jason C (Student); Brian Hornbuckle (Advisor); Iowa State University
Comparing Different Sources of Vegetation Water Content Data For Use In SMAP Soil Moisture Retrieval

Purkey, Sarah G (Student); LuAnne Thompson (Advisor); University of Washington
Analyzing Sea Level Rise Through The Synthesis of Satellite Altimetry, Satellite Gravity and Full-Depth Ocean Temperature and Salinity Data

Rasmussen, Kristen Lani (Student); Robert Houze Jr. (Advisor); University of Washington
Analysis of High Impact Weather Patterns Seen By TRMM

Reed, Kimberly A (Student); Stephen Nesbitt (Advisor); University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
An Orographic Optimization Technique For Improved Satellite Quantitative Precipitation Estimation In Complex Terrain

Richey, Sasha S (Student); James Famiglietti (Advisor); University of California, Irvine
A GRACE-Based Index of Global Freshwater Availability and Stress

Sachs, Michael Karl (Student); John Rundle (Advisor); University of California
Virtual California Simulations For Nasa Insar Data

Schmidt, Clint T (Student); Timothy Garrett (Advisor); University of Utah
Application of Ceres Energy Budget Data To Improve Understanding of The Dynamic Role of Clouds In The Earth's Planetary Albedo

Shah, Rashmi (Student); James Garrison (Advisor); Purdue University
Remote Sensing of Ocean Surface Using Digital Communication Signals

Shaw, Jeremy (Student); Dacian Daescu (Advisor); Portland State University
Optimization of The Information Error Statistics In Multi-Sensor Atmospheric Data Assimilation

Shinko, Andrew P (Student); Sadhan Jana (Advisor); University of Akron
Shape Memory Polyimide Aerogel Composites For Lightweight Aerospace Applications

Siegfried, Matthew R (Student); Helen Fricker (Advisor); Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Investigating Ice Sheet Processes From Repeat-Track Satellite and Airborne Laser Altimetry

Tao, Cheng (Student); Haiyan Jiang (Advisor); Florida International University
Climatology of Hot Towers In Tropical Cyclones and Their Role In Tropical Cyclone Intensity Changes Based On 12 Years of TRMM Data

Tredennick, Andrew Thomas (Student); Kathleen Galvin (Advisor); Colorado State University
Fuelwood, Savannas, and Climate Change: Integrating Modeling, Field Experimentation, and Optical and Radar Remote Sensing

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URISA GIS Hall of Fame Nominations 2011

Nominations for URISA GIS Hall of Fame are being accepted until May 1, 2011. URISA established the GIS Hall of Fame in 2005 to recognize and honor the most esteemed leaders of the geospatial community. To be considered for the GIS Hall of Fame, an individual’s or an organization’s record of contribution to the advancement of the industry demonstrates creative thinking and actions, vision and innovation, inspiring leadership, perseverance, and community mindedness. In addition, nominees must serve as a role model for those who follow. URISA Hall of Fame Laureates are individuals or organizations whose pioneering work has moved the geospatial industry in a better, stronger direction.

URISA welcomes nominations from any profession and is not restricted to those having a past or current relationship with URISA. This award is not given every year, and some years there may be multiple recipients.

The selection criteria for this honor are:

* At least 25 years of sustained professional involvement in the GIS field.
* Original and creative contributions to the field.
* Well known and respected by a wide range of peers.
* Consistent demonstration of sound professional and personal ethics.

Previous inductees include:

* 2005 Inductees: Edgar Horwood, Ian McHarg, Roger Tomlinson, Jack Dangermond, Nancy Tosta, and the Harvard Lab
* 2006 Inductee: Dr. Gary Hunter
* 2007 Inductees: Don Cooke and Michael Goodchild
* 2009 Inductees: Will Craig and Carl Reed
* 2010 Inductee: C. Dana Tomlin

Nominations must be submitted to URISA by May 1. For details and to learn more about current members of URISA’s GIS Hall of Fame, visit the website.

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Nominations for AGU Medals and Awards 2011

Nominate Your Colleagues for the Recognition of a Lifetime!

AGU Union medals and awards are among the most respected honors in the Earth and space sciences communities. Take this opportunity to nominate inspiring leaders in their fields.

Nominations for 2011 honorees must be complete and received at AGU headquarters by 15 March 2011.

What’s required?

* A letter of nomination outlining the nominee’s significant contributions.
* A curriculum vitae.
* A bibliography (with a brief paragraph stating the candidate’s total number of publications).
* A minimum of three, but not more than six, supporting letters (at least two by individuals not currently or recently associated with the nominee’s institution of graduate education or employment).

Other Requirements:

* For AGU medal nominations, candidates must have an active AGU membership status at the time of submission.
* For AGU Union award nominations, some restrictions may apply.
* Macelwane Medal nominees must be younger than 36 years of age on 1 January of the year of presentation. Their birth date must be included in the letter.
* Falkenberg Award nominees must be younger than 45 years of age on 1 January of the year of presentation. Their birth date must be included in the letter.

Visit the website for more info.

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DigitalGlobe 8-Band Imagery Research Results

Winners of the Inaugural DigitalGlobe 8-Band Research Challenge have formally presented their research findings, further demonstrating the benefits of high-resolution 8-Band Imagery from DigitalGlobe for remote sensing based analysis.

The studies, presented at the recent Geospatial World Forum in Hyderabad, India, also described how 8-Band Imagery will lead to practical applications in areas such as coral reef conservation, precision agriculture and forestry management. Some of the most notable studies found that with 8-Band Imagery, these researchers could:

* Create accurate bathymetry maps (+/-77 cm) over near-shore coral reefs in Florida, and support more comprehensive coral reef conservation programs;
* Map invasive alien plant species at a 95% accuracy rate, enabling more efficient monitoring and eradication programs in Swaziland;
* Create highly accurate clutter maps with only a +/-0.5% error rate to support more effective wireless network infrastructure planning in South Africa;
* Delineate 10 commercial tree species within a heterogeneous forest with 90% accuracy, information that is vital for forest conservation management and forestry-related biodiversity research;
* Extract key vegetation parameters (leaf angle, chlorophyll, brown pigments) which support precision agriculture, by providing indications of plant health, growth rates and the impacts of disease or drought.

"It is very exciting to see the sophisticated research that has been accomplished through this challenge," said DigitalGlobe CTO Walter Scott. "The results speak clearly to the value of 8-Band Imagery and how it will enable us to deliver greater information and insight to our customers."

The 8-Band Research Challenge encourages researchers to investigate how 8-Band Imagery, available exclusively from DigitalGlobe, can enhance analysis and classification research and enable the development of next generation geospatial applications. A summary of all the research findings is available on the website www.8bandchallenge.com, along with the 15 recognized papers.

List of the 8-Band Challenge Winners:

* James F. Bramante – National University of Singapore, Tropical Marine Science Institute
Derivation of Bathymetry from Multispectral Imagery in the Highly Turbid Waters of Singapore’s South Islands
* Jeremy M. Kerr – Nova Southeastern University, National Coral Reef Institute
WorldView-2 Offers New Capabilities for the Monitoring of Threatened Coral Reefs
* Christoph C. Borel – Air Force Institute of Technology
Vegetative Canopy Parameter Retrieval Using 8-Band Data
* Hamdan Omar – Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
Commercial Timber Tree Species Identification Using Multispectral WorldView-2 Data
* Antonio Wolf – Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
Using WorldView-2 Vis-NIR MSI Imagery to Support Land Mapping and Feature Extraction Using Normalized Difference Index Ratios

[via]

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The Bicentennial Map Wins Map Gallery for Best Cartographic Design

The Bicentennial Map launched by the Niagara 1812 Bicentennial Legacy Council won first prize in the Map Gallery for Best Cartographic Design at the 2010 ESRI International User Conference held recently in San Diego. The map was designed by John Docker, GIS analyst with the Niagara Region, as well as a number of contributors, Niagara Gazette reported.

The ESRI International User Conference is an annual event produced by the Environmental Systems Research Institute. It is the largest geographic information system event in the world. This year’s conference attracted 15,000 attendees and featured works from over 100 countries. In addition to this award, the Bicentennial Map received previous recognition from ESRI Canada as it will be featured in the organization’s 2010 Calendar for the month of October.

Officially unveiled this past February, the Bicentennial Map includes 125 points of interest organized along six trails that guide visitors through Niagara. Each trail is associated with a narrative that tells the history of the War of 1812.

The map is used as an educational tool highlighting the significant role that the Niagara region played in the War of 1812.

The map can be found in schools, local museums, historical attractions and tourism outlets throughout Ontario and Western New York. The featured points of interest on the map can also be found online at www.discover1812.com.

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GSDI Small Grants Program Winners

The Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association together with the manpower and financial support of the US Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) is dedicated to international cooperation and collaboration in support of local, national, and international spatial data infrastructure developments that would allow nations to better address social, economic, and environmental issues of pressing importance. In addition, the GISCorps of The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) is an important partner in this endeavor by providing manpower contributions to worthy proposals. This partnership is committed to bringing about an infrastructure that will allow users globally to access spatial data at a variety of scales from multiple sources that ultimately will appear seamless to all users through adoption of common, international standards, key architecture principles, and approaches for capacity building in developing countries. The GSDI initiatives also link national SDI efforts with the vision and goals of the Group on Earth Observation (GEO) and its Global Earth Observations System of Systems (GEOSS).

The 2009-10 GSDI Small Grants call for proposals was issued in August of 2009 resulting in 52 proposals -- of which, 32 were accepted and referred to regional review committees for their evaluation and recommendations.

It is with pleasure that the GSDI announces the following winners of the 2009-10 GSDI Small Grants. Additionally the GISCorps is providing time and services support to Nigeria and is continuing to evaluate others for potential support.

AFRICA:

ο Africa - Spatial data taxonomy and metadata management for climate change policy development
Primary Contact: Geoinformation Systems Section of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

ο Malawi - Addressing the needs in terms of geographic information and GIS capacities to support HIV/AIDS monitoring, evaluation and response in Malawi
Primary Contact: National Spatial Data Centre (NSDC) under the umbrella of the Malawi Geographic Information Council (MAGIC

ο Rwanda - Development of a Spatial Data Sharing Policy Document
Primary Contact: Centre for GIS and Remote Sensing, The National University of Rwanda

ο West Africa - GIS and Spatial Data Infrastructure - Capacity Building for Professionals for Disaster Management in West Africa
Primary Contact: Regional Centre for Training in Aerospace Surveys (RECTAS)

ο Botswana - Integrating cultural heritage in the National Spatial Data Infrastructure of Botswana
Primary Contact: Archaeology Unit, History Department, University of Botswana

ο South Africa - The Cape Urban Observatory Geo-Portal
Primary Contact: School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics, University of Cape Town:

ο Tanzania - Assessment of SDI Readiness Index: A Case Study of Dar Es Salaam City
Primary Contact: School of Geospatial Sciences and Technology, Department of Geoinformatics, Ardhi University, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

ASIA/PACIFIC:

ο Philippines - Assessing the SDI needs of NGOs in the Philippines: Non-profit groups as stakeholders in spatial data infrastructure
Primary Contact: TAO-Pilipinas, Inc, Quezon City, Philippines

ο Timor Leste - Build the future of Timor-Leste with Maps
Primary Contact: National Directorate of Land and Property and Cadastral Services, Ministry of Justice, Timor-Leste

AMERICAS:

ο Colombia - Developing and Presenting a Course in Spatial Data Infrastructure
Primary Contact: Research and Development for Geographic Information Centre, Geographic Institute Agustín Codazzi, Bogota, Colombia

ο Ecuador (Amazon GISNET)- SDI First Results Dissemination of the Atlas Project of 10 Indigenous Nationalities of the Amazonian Lowlands of Ecuador (AmazonGISnet)
Primary Contact: The University San Francisco de Quito, Campus Cumbaya, Ecuador

EUROPE:

ο Serbia - Fostering the Use of Spatial Data among Small and Medium Enterprises
Primary Contact:- Republic Geodetic Authority (SME), Republic of Serbia; Luka Jovi_i_,

URISA GISCORPS:

The GISCorps of URISA is providing time and services to Nigeria and is continuing to evaluate others for potential support.
ο Nigeria - Creation of an Online Geo Information Portal and Clearinghouse Node
Primary Contact: Geographical Resources for Development Centre, Lagos, Nigeria

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
The Program appreciates the contributions of the regional review committees and their chairs:
ο Africa - EIS Africa, Sives Govender, Executive Secretary
ο Americas - PAIGH, Santiago Borrero, Executive Secretary
ο Asia/Pacific - University of Melbourne and Abbas Rajabifard, President GSDI
ο Europe - EUROGI; Mauro Salvemini , President

Contact Info: astevens@gsdi.org
http://www.gsdi.org

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Bowdoin College Gets NASA Grant for Climate Change Research

Bowdoin College has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to conduct important multidisciplinary climate change research in the Gulf of Maine. Bowdoin was one of only 25 research institutions selected from among 112 applicants nationwide.

The three-year Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES) grant will fund a team of Bowdoin scientists and their colleagues at Michigan Tech, U.S. Geological Survey, Yale, and the University of New Brunswick using NASA satellite imagery to assess the flux and processing of dissolved organic carbon and nutrients from three major river systems (Androscoggin/Kennebec, Penobscot, St. John) draining into the Gulf of Maine.

The project will incorporate historical data sets to develop a baseline of land use and climate change over the past century, and will include models for predicting how hydrology and carbon cycling is likely to be altered with projected changes in land use and climate change over time.

"What's unique about this study is that it is one of the first to use remote sensing of both the terrestrial watersheds and the marine environment to examine global change questions," notes Phil Camill, Rusack Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Earth and Oceanographic Science, a lead investigator in the research.

"We'll be analyzing forested watersheds and wetlands to see how much water, carbon, and nutrients are moving through these ecosystems into the rivers and out into the coastal marine environment. We can study real-time measurements of river discharge and dissolved organic carbon as it flows into the mouth of the estuaries with our buoy-mounted senors. We want to get a handle on how these materials are changing in quantity and quality through river transport and interaction with the coastal ocean currents, which will have broader impacts on socially relevant issues like ground fisheries and harmful algal blooms (red tides)."

Findings from the project will become part of NASA's ongoing investigations of climate change.

The research brings together scientists from diverse backgrounds, with expertise spanning terrestrial remote sensing and GIS, aquatic biogeochemistry, hydrology, carbon isotope analysis, and ocean remote sensing.

Other Bowdoin faculty on the research team include Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies John Lichter; Associate Professor of Earth and Oceanographic Science Collin Roesler; and Professor of Chemistry Elizabeth Stemmler.

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ESRI 2010 Mashup Challenge Winners

The geodeveloper community's strong response to the ESRI 2010 Mashup Challenge created a quandary for the jury. "I was really impressed with the creativity and quality of all the applications that were submitted," says Michael Gould, ESRI's director of education for industry solutions. "It was difficult for us to choose the top four entries. This is a testimony to the immense possibilities afforded by the new ESRI Web APIs and the freely available ArcGIS Online content."

The guidelines for the challenge were simple: build a mashup using ESRI's ArcGIS Online content and Web APIs, publish the related URL, and post a video describing the application on YouTube.

Dave Bouwman, CTO and lead software architect at DTSAgile of Fort Collins, Colorado, took the top prize of $10,000 with Executive Compensation Mashup, which compares top U.S. executive salaries with the total income for selected counties in the United States.

Daniel Bradshaw, owner of DB MediaStudio, Springville, Utah, won second prize and $5,000 with Fluttr: The Human Story in Realtime, a mashup that automatically populates an international map with live feeds from Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube.

Mark Laudon, of LaudonTech in Surrey, Canada, took third prize and $2,500 for Floor Plan Mapping, an interactive building floor plan with employee search capabilities including a brief employee biography.

Ernesto Giron, GIS senior analyst for the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Cali, Colombia, won fourth prize and $2,500 for Drought Timing for Agronomic Screening. This interactive international soil map indicates soil type and quality in a specified area and its agricultural potential with respect to changes in climate.

Links to the winning mashups and related videos can be found at www.esri.com/apimashup.

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AGU Medals and Awards Nominations 2010

Do you have a student deserving of a Macelwane Medal nomination? Have you been mulling over a nomination for the Bowie Medal but just haven't taken the time to submit it? If your work is in the field of seismology, do you have a person in mind worthy of consideration for the Lehmann Medal?

This is your time as the AGU nomination deadline for the 2010 medals and awards has been extended to 30 April, allowing for additional time for submissions. The medals and awards of AGU are among the most respected in the Earth and space sciences communities.

So consider nominating a mentor, a colleague, or a mentee for an AGU medal specific to their achievement or field of study.

Medals to be Awarded in 2010:

* William Bowie Medal
* James B. Macelwane Medal
* John Adam Fleming Medal
* Walter H. Bucher Medal
* Maurice Ewing Medal
* Robert E. Horton Medal
* Waldo E. Smith Medal
* Charles A. Whitten Medal
* Harry H. Hess Medal
* Roger Revelle Medal

Awards to be Presented in 2010:

* Edward A. Flinn III Award
* Excellence in Geophysical Education Award
* International Award
* Athelstan Spilhaus Award
* Charles S. Falkenberg Award

Journalism Awards to be Presented in 2010:

* Walter Sullivan Award for Excellence in Science Journalism — Features
* David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism — News

Nominate here.

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Daniel Civco - 2010 SAIC/Estes Memorial Teaching Award Winner

ASPRS Announces Daniel Civco as 2010 SAIC/Estes Memorial Teaching Award Winner.

Daniel Civco, PhD, a professor in the Department of Natural Resources Management and Engineering at the University of Connecticut, has been named as the recipient of the 2010 SAIC/Estes Memorial Teaching Award.

The SAIC Estes Memorial Teaching Award was inaugurated in 2003 and is named in honor of Professor John E. (“Jack”) Estes, teacher, mentor, scientist, and friend of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS). This award is designed to recognize individual achievement in the promotion of remote sensing and GIS technology, and applications through educational efforts. Award recipients are chosen based on documented excellence in education, teaching, mentoring and training. The recipient receives a presentation plaque and a $2,000 cash award.

Civco currently serves as Director of the Center for Land use Education and Research (CLEAR) and is Co-founder of the Laboratory for Earth Resources Information Systems (LERIS) as well as a Co-PI of the NASA-funded Regional Earth Resource Applications Center (RESAC) established in 1999. Civco received his BS degree in Natural Resources Conservation in 1974, and the MS and PhD degrees in Plant Science, the former concentrating in Landscape Planning and the latter in Remote Sensing.
Working with students in the classroom, and spending countless hours preparing content for his students is Civco’s true passion. His approach toward education is one based on teaching principles and practices as well as the use of geoprocessing tools, both of which are essential for the effective management of the environment. Civco is engaged in advising undergraduate students within the geomatics and other natural resource concentrations. He has served as major advisor to more than 30 MS and PhD-degree graduate students, as well as serving as Associate Advisor to nearly 70 others. His manuscript “Perspectives on Earth Resources Mapping Education in the United States” provided the impetus for the creation of the ASPRS Remote Sensing Core Curriculum, and it served also as the blueprint for the IAEGS curriculum.

He is a well-published scholar, and received the ESRI Award for Best Scientific Paper in GIS in 1997 and in 2001, and second place for the 1999 ERDAS Award for the Best Scientific Paper in Remote Sensing. In 2007 he received the National Award from the Program for Excellence in College and University Teaching in the Food and Agricultural Sciences, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the highest honor an educator in the field of agriculture and natural resources can receive.

In expressing his appreciation to ASPRS for this award Civco said, “Receiving an award bearing Dr. Estes’ name is truly an honor, and to be mentioned in the same company as past recipients -- words can’t describe what that means to me. Though I got to know him only in the latter years of his life, I admired and respected Jack throughout my entire professional career. I am no Jack Estes, but I have tried to aspire to the principals and ideals that defined him. Jack was an exceptional scholar, mentor, leader, and gentleman.”

In addition to his excellence in teaching, Civco has been very active in ASPRS. In his first term as Chair of the ASPRS Education and Professional Development Committee, he was instrumental in assisting then President Roger Hoffer in establishing the ASPRS International Educational Literature Award. He was a Director for the New England Region, served on the National Board of Directors from 2002 thru 2004, was elected Director of the Remote Sensing Applications Division in 2000, and served as Chairman of the ASPRS Education and Professional Development Committee, of which he will again be Chair in April 2010. He received an ASPRS Fellow Award in 2003.

The Award, with funding provided by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), will be presented in April at the ASPRS 2010 Annual Conference in San Diego California.

Founded in 1934, ASPRS is an international professional organization of 6,000 geospatial data professionals. ASPRS is devoted to advancing knowledge and improving understanding of the mapping sciences to promote responsible application of photogrammetry, remote sensing, geographic information systems and supporting technologies.

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