CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES TO SPONSOR GIS DAY FOR UPPER DUBLIN STUDENTS
In this age of text messaging, palm-sized computers, and TIVO, today’s high school students are tech savvy and they might not even realize it. This unparalleled comfort with technology could lead them to careers that map out the course of the future of the country and beyond.
On
Monday, November 17, students from Upper Dublin High School will get a
hands-on glimpse into one cutting-edge tool that is literally mapping the
next generation of communities — Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
software.
During the two-hour GIS Day sessions, Temple University Ambler’s GIS coordinators A.S.M. Abdul Bari and Md Mahbubur Meener will provide Upper Dublin’s Advanced Earth and Sciences class with all of the basics of this versatile technology, which can be used for everything from plotting out real-world flooding models to determining the location of every neighborhood pizza place.
“GIS is never a static map. It’s mapping
that answers questions, mapping that can guide you to a solution. It can
present scenarios that answer not only what is, but what if and what could
happen,” Bari said. “A three-dimensional texture map of a watershed
could determine the most likely location for flooding in the future. It
could answer the question ‘yes, your property is downstream and yes it
is in danger from flooding,’ something that would be difficult to tell
from a two-dimensional map. It’s an excellent visual tool and we look
forward to providing students from Upper Dublin with this hands-on
experience.”
According to Meenar, the students taking
part in Ambler’s GIS Day will have the opportunity to take a small
project from start to finish.
“We want to familiarize them with the
software and how it works. They may be in high school now, but these
students will soon be entering college,” he said. “They are going to
find that there are many fields today that are using GIS and many
potential careers a background in this versatile technology can lead to.
It is a field that is absolutely flourishing.”
According to Upper Dublin High School
teacher Richard Schmidt, the students in his Advanced Earth and Space
Science
honors courses — a combination of juniors and seniors — “know what
GIS is and know what it is used for,” but this will be the first time
they’ve had the opportunity to experience it firsthand.
“One of the things I try to do with this
new program — this is a course that never existed before in the district
— is expose the students to industry-standard technology. When this
opportunity arose with Temple, I jumped at the chance,” he said. “GIS
is the future of data analysis, from science to politics to crime studies.
If my students are exposed to it now, they’ll at least have a working
familiarity with the technology — the roots will be planted here and
they will remember this as they move on to the next level of their
education.”
At Temple University Ambler, GIS is being used by the Center for Sustainable Communities and the Community and Regional Planning program for a variety of community projects, from studies of flooding in the Pennypack Creek Watershed to developing a comprehensive plan for Milford Township, Bucks County.
According to Dr. Jeffrey Featherstone, chair
of the Department of Community and Regional Planning and director of the
Center for Sustainable Communities at Temple University Ambler,
individuals with a working knowledge of GIS “are highly sought after in
the job market today.”
“There is a demand for planners with GIS training in everything from transportation, evaluating development and redevelopment, environmental analysis and habitat studies, emergency preparedness, and basic homeland security,” he said. “GIS allows you to assess future conditions, project impacts, and determine alternative courses of action. It allows users to mimic real-world situations to address policy issues or solve problems.”
The November 17 event is being held in conjunction with national GIS Day, sponsored by the National Geographic Society and the Library of Congress, among others. For more information on the GIS Day at Temple University Ambler, call 215-283-1290.
Temple University Ambler College is dedicated to promoting sustainable communities, effective land use, and environmental awareness. Students can choose from a B.S. and M.S. in Community and Regional Planning; B.S., A.S., or credit certificate programs in Horticulture; or a B.S. in Landscape Architecture. Students may begin over 100 Temple undergraduate programs and complete a variety of degree programs on the Ambler campus in areas such as liberal arts, business, education, communications, and nursing. For more information on Temple University Ambler’s undergraduate programs, call 215-283-1252.
CONTACT:
James Duffy, (215) 283-1290, duffyj@mail.temple.edu,
release available by e-mail
