How Is Geospatial Information Used for National Security?
For thousands of years, societies have recognized the importance of geographic data as a means of tracking the unknown through maps. However, in the modern age, this important information is used for more than navigating your way to the nearest coffee house. Today, private companies and governmental agencies combine this …
How Is GIS Used in Cybersecurity?
High-profile incidents like the Equifax data breach and WannaCry ransomware attack have ensured that cybersecurity is a top priority for organizations of all kinds. Retailers that process payments, hospitals entrusted with confidential patient information and local governments conducting elections are all highly conscious of the threats posed by phishing scams, …
4 Applications of 3D GIS
Geographic Information Science (GIS) offers powerful tools for performing detailed analysis of spatial data and solving complex problems. Traditional GIS data is based on mapping in two dimensions, an x and y-value, which can be limiting in some applications. Utilizing 3D GIS software lets users engage with data from a …
Why GIS Is Important in Urban Planning
Cities are systems of tremendous, ever-evolving complexity. Responsibly guiding an area’s development requires spatial information that’s robust, nuanced and constantly updated, as well as the problem-solving skills to apply that information. This challenge has made geographic information science and technology (GIST) invaluable to urban planners. Spatial data points the way …
Emerging GIS Technologies
Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) includes a versatile range of tools and techniques for capturing, analyzing and leveraging spatial information. With each passing year, advances in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) reveal new applications in urban planning, retail, space exploration, and more. Experts make the most of these opportunities by …
Mapping America’s Future: 4 Ways GIS Data Impacts Elections
On an election night, many voters stay glued to their TV or phone as they wait for the results. They watch districts on the electoral map change color and the balance of political power shift as votes are tallied. That visual representation shows us how powerfully citizens’ choices can affect …
How GIS and Big Data are Creating Big Change for the World
The big data trend has dramatically impacted every industry, so it is little surprise that big data in GIS has significant implications for how we acquire and leverage spatial information. As we consider the way organizations are using geographic information science and technology, one of the clearest themes is that …
The Fundamentals of Cartography
At its core, cartography is about the visual representation of a space or place. While this may seem like a simple concept at first glance, it can become infinitely complex when you consider the number of choices that have to be made when creating a map. In addition, modern mapmakers …
How GIS Has Evolved in the Digital Age
Digital cartography and GIS have had an impactful history in developing our understanding of the world; as GPS World editor Janice Partyka noted, some of the first digital maps were created by the U.S. Census Bureau, which used GIS and digital mapping to better understand population trends within specific Census …
How Mapping Is Used by NASA & Applications of GIS in Space
When we think of the tools involved in exploring outer space, images of astronauts collecting mineral samples on the moon may come to mind. However, scientists also depend on more remote methods to deepen our knowledge of the solar system and the universe beyond, like those offered by geographic information …
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Catalina Island Excursion
Students in the M.S. in GIST, M.S. in HSGI and Graduate Certificate in GIST programs will participate in a week-long fieldwork excursion...