KU News Release

KU to host symposium on geographic information systems and mapping

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas will host the seventh annual GIS Day on Nov. 19 as part of an international celebration of technological innovation in geographic information systems, or GIS.

This day-long symposium, which will be held on the fifth floor of the Kansas Union, is free and open to the public. GIS Day at KU will include seminars, an information and job fair and a student presentation competition. Last year, about 300 people attended from academia, the private sector and government.

“We are thrilled to increase awareness of the in-depth GIS support available to our campus through GIS Day,” said Rhonda Houser, GIS specialist for KU Libraries, one of the event sponsors. “We hope to highlight the varied and fascinating uses of this tool across campus and around the world, and provide a forum for all scholars to discuss and discover the possibilities of GIS, as related to their coursework, research and teaching.”

GIS Day at KU will include presentations by GIS experts from around the United States, including two winners of the Sol Katz Award, which recognizes leadership in the community of free and open source geospatial software. Two other speakers are leaders in the fields of water resources and environmental modeling. The student presentation competition will include topics from a variety of disciplines. Not all of the talks will be technical.

In addition to KU Libraries, GIS Day is sponsored by the Department of Geography, Kansas Data Access and Support Center, Institute for Policy and Social Research, Transportation Research Institute and Wilson and Co. (formerly Western Air Maps).

GIS includes a suite of computer technologies that have grown in use and importance over the last two decades. Imagine the strengths of Google Earth, GPS and science packed into one powerful analytical tool. GIS can be said to combine the visual appeal and utility of a map with the power of information. Add the Internet to the mix and there is a vast and increasing array of uses.

KU Libraries supports GIS and data-related research for KU students, staff and faculty through its Scholar Services unit. The unit provides assistance finding and working with geospatial data, as well as workshops and other instructional resources.

Those interested may attend any part or all of the symposium. For a detailed schedule and to register for GIS Day at KU, visit www.gis.ku.edu.

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The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.