What do you DO all day?

March 9, 2010

Sharyn

A few of my fellow bloggers (Raquel, Lisa, and Jimmy) here on TUoutreach have touched on what they “do all day” and now it’s my turn. My title is multimedia supervisor. Most people wouldn’t even dare to guess what that means so I’ll provide you with some background and then dive into the type of work I’m doing now.

When I first started working at the Center for GIS, my title was graphic design specialist. My primary job responsibilities included

  • supporting the design requests associated with the development of web mapping applications and
  • promoting an annual event that required the creation of a theme based logo, and several printed pieces to encourage proposal submission, exhibitor commitment, registration, and a program for the event, as well as other design related tasks.

Over the years, my role has expanded quite a bit! This is due to the creation of our division (DECO) and the increase in graphic design support requested. I still support CGIS projects needs, but I also support requests that include:

  • maintenance of the DECO web site
  • creation of print materials to promote new initiatives
  • e-marketing campaigns for events or programs
  • blog and social media application oversight (with Bobbie)
  • event planning support
  • deco client design requests

So, you’re still wondering what all this means? Let me provide you with a couple of examples of two projects I really enjoyed working on.

  • Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) web site – CUMU’s international headquarters are housed at TU. In 2006, I was approached about designing their site and provide continued maintenance. The really fun part about this web site is that each year they host an annual conference and I have the opportunity to work with the conference host on designing the site for the year’s event. CUMU is planning to add an enhancement to the site in the next six months that will provide a library of best practice resources to their members. We’re excited about the opportunity to implement this for them.
  • Mapping Solutions Microsite – As part of Towson’s “Thinking Outside” campaign, mapping solutions CGIS has created were highlighted. Many of you may have seen the commercial while watching Raven’s games in 2008. When you caught the commercial and wanted more information about what you just saw, you would have visited the microsite to find out more. The site was a team effort where I worked with several people across campus to get the site up. It was an exciting project because of variety of content that was incorporated and the impact it would have on the university.

Every day is different when I enter my office which is the main reason I do love my job. I may be working on a web site for an upcoming event, designing a survey tool for a project, or creating a logo for a new initiative, but whatever it is, I’m always on my toes and ready for the next challenge.

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Posted by Sharyn Kuczka

Why am I a geographer?

March 4, 2010
Jeremy

Jeremy

In January, I found Clay Hickson’s “My First Business” blog post very interesting.  The blog clearly illustrates how childhood interests and experiences can help determine one’s professional career later in life.  After reading Clay’s article, I could not help but wonder what childhood interests and experiences led me to becoming a professional geographer.

Like most professional geographers, I have always had an interest in maps.  As a child, I actually looked forward to dentist appointments because

(1) it meant an afternoon free of school and

(2) it also meant free access to maps found in the mountain of National Geographic magazines piled on the waiting room end table.

Jeremy, age 7, and his father

In middle school and high school, I spent many study-hall periods and some class periods drawing mental maps of places I visited or knew well.  Today, give me an atlas and I quickly lose track of time as I analyze and deconstruct maps of different countries or regions.

While this seemingly innate interest in maps was important in priming my interest in geography, it was time spent outdoors that cemented my interest.  Annual backpacking trips in northern Pennsylvania with my father, brother, and friends provided me with learning opportunities which were directly or indirectly tied to geography.  These trips are where I first learned how to navigate using a contour map and compass (GPS, what’s that?).  I learned:

  • about the relationship between soil type and vegetation,
  • about the relationship between land cover and stream quality / velocity,
  • and about the risks one takes when setting up camp in a floodplain (we had to hastily evacuate in 1992 when the remnants of Hurricane Andrew passed through). 

I am a professional geographer today largely as a result of these childhood experiences.

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Posted by Jeremy Monn

Let me introduce you to Ken, an energetic guy to work with!

February 15, 2010

Sharyn

Ken Juengling is a project manager at the Center for GIS (CGIS) and was also recently elected Vice President of ESRI Mid-Atlantic User Group (ESRI-MUG) at the organization’s annual conference. I have first-hand experience with Ken’s high energy approach, because I’ve worked with him on many projects in the past couple of years. It doesn’t surprise me that he’d take on an extra role like Vice President of a regional organization even though his to-do list is pretty long. He took some time out for a brief interview, so read on to find out more about his hefty work load and his passion for GIS!

What is the primary role you will focus your attention to as Vice President?

I will conduct outreach to existing and new members, support ESRI-MUG’s President with a variety of tasks, and facilitate regularly scheduled conference calls in the President’s absence.  We are always looking for innovative presentations for the annual conference, so to all of the ESRI software clients out there – feel free to contribute your work and participate!

Tell me more about ESRI-MUG and their goal as regional user group on the east coast.

ESRI-MUG is a multi-disciplinary organization sponsored by ESRI (a leading developer of commercial GIS software and GIS products) that serves a membership base of users who apply GIS technology and applications in both private and public areas. Membership covers a 121,000 square-mile geographic extent, including Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and West Virginia. Through meetings, conferences, and the ESRI-MUG Web site, the organization educates members about GIS trends, ESRI product development, local and regional applications, and events of interest.

You’ve been working for CGIS for 2 years now as a project manager. Can you expand on a couple of projects you currently manage?

I currently manage several large projects for CGIS.  I’ll highlight a couple:

Through the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program, CGIS is working with the University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security to survey and identify non-NIMS emergency resources tracking systems in the six states that comprise FEMA Region 3. CGIS will create a regional view of the survey results, map selected resources, and recommend ways the various systems’ interoperability can be improved across the region.

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) provides accessible transit networks for the State, and in doing so, handles various products that can affect the environment. To respond to complex transit and environmental challenges, MTA partnered with CGIS to conduct a GIS needs assessment and develop a GIS-based centralized resource center that supports MTA’s daily operations and promotes continuous improvement. CGIS created a Web-based Geo Information System and GIS map viewer for MTA that enables ready access to reference materials and recordkeeping, and allows personnel to explore the MTA terminal map to find useful geographic information for compliance enhancement, utility reference, project activities, and other essential operational processes.

Prior to beginning this full-time stint at CGIS, you had a long-standing relationship with CGIS dating back to 2002 where you partnered with them to offer ESRI Authorized training. Does CGIS still offer training to GIS professionals?

Absolutely!  CGIS has always recognized the importance of providing technical training to those who use GIS technology.  I personally believe strongly in empowering clients and helping them to grow expertise at the pace they are comfortable with.  Our ongoing offerings can be viewed here. In addition to open enrollment offerings, CGIS can conduct on-site training for clients anywhere in the United States.

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Posted by Sharyn Kuczka

What does being snowed in mean for CGIS and MEMA?

February 10, 2010
Jeremy

Jeremy

At the time of this writing (Tuesday afternoon), many Marylanders are still digging out of last weekend’s blizzard, which dumped at least two feet of snow in most locations.  Maryland is in its fourth day of a State of Emergency with a new snowstorm approaching the region with the possibility of dumping an additional foot or more of snow.  In my Baltimore City neighborhood, the impending snowstorm has residents scrambling back to the grocery store, clearing their flat roofs, and in some cases working with their neighbors to shovel out their block that has yet to be cleared from the last snowstorm.  Once the next storm begins, I along with many other Marylanders will likely hunker down indoors to wait out the storm.

Canton residents removing snow

However, it’s important to remember that there are many people who must work during extreme weather events.  Among others, these include:

  • Snow removal personnel
  • Utility workers
  • Emergency responders
  • Emergency management professionals

Towson University’s Center for GIS (CGIS) has supported the Maryland Emergency Management Agency’s (MEMA) State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) during times of disaster.  In the fall of 2003, CGIS employees provided 24/7 support to the MEMA’s SEOC during Tropical Storm Isabel by fielding ad-hoc map requests and conducting spatial analysis tasks, including providing reasonable estimates of the areas that would be flooded by the storm using storm surge height predictions made by the National Weather Service.  One of the outcomes of this experience was a white paper developed by Dr. Jay Morgan who was then Director of CGIS which outlined lessons learned regarding the use of GIS by the MEMA’s SEOC before and during a disaster.

CGIS continues to support the MEMA’s SEOC during disasters.  Throughout this last blizzard two CGIS employees, Joe Gibson and Matt Miller, provided on-site support to the MEMA’s SEOC by mostly fielding ad-hoc map requests.  With the continuation of Maryland’s State of Emergency and the threat of another major snowstorm, Joe and Matt may be asked to support the MEMA’s SEOC for the second time in a span of one week.

Visit NOAA’s interactive map if you’re interested in local snowfall totals from last week’s storm in Maryland and Northern Virginia.


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Posted by Jeremy Monn

CGIS and FEMA’s Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program

February 4, 2010
Jeremy

Jeremy

The recent earthquake in Haiti not only acts as reminder of the vulnerability of communities to disasters caused by natural (earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, etc.) or man-made (nuclear power plant accidents, toxic material releases, etc.) events but it also reminds us that some disasters are so catastrophic that the demand for emergency response exceeds the local jurisdiction’s supply of emergency response equipment and personnel.

So, what are emergency managers to do when they are overwhelmed by a catastrophic disaster within their jurisdiction? An obvious option is to ask for assistance from surrounding jurisdictions by requesting emergency resources (e.g. search and rescue teams, ambulances, EMTs, etc.).  However, in order for these requests to be processed quickly and efficiently, emergency managers within each jurisdiction need to be:

(1)    using a common language when discussing the availability of emergency resources and

(2)    leveraging resource management systems that can “talk” to other jurisdictions’ resource management systems (i.e. are interoperable).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) acknowledges this and developed the NIMS 120, which is a list of authoritative definitions for 120 emergency resources that are likely to be shared by jurisdictions during a disaster.  However, there are state-specific emergency resources that jurisdictions share during a disaster that are not explicitly defined by FEMA.  This gap in common definitions has the potential to disrupt or delay the interstate sharing of resources not listed in the NIMS 120.

Through the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP), Towson University’s Center for GIS (CGIS) is working with the University of Maryland’s Center for Health and Homeland Security (CHHS) to fill this gap for the six jurisdictions (Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia) making up the national capital region.  CGIS is developing survey instruments that:

(1)    will identify the non-NIMS 120 emergency resources that each jurisdiction has available for emergency response and

(2)    assess the existing resource management systems of each jurisdiction. 

CGIS will compile the survey results and provide CHHS a list of options and recommendations for definitions for the non-NIMS 120 emergency resources identified by the surveyed jurisdictions.  CGIS will also provide CHHS options and recommendations for enhancing / improving the interoperability of resource management systems across the region.

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Posted by Jeremy Monn

CGIS launches an exciting new way to view shallow water habitat data

January 5, 2010
Steven

Steve

The Khaled Bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation is a private organization dedicated to conserving and protecting coral reefs. In 2006, CGIS began working with the Foundation to develop a Web mapping application intended to disseminate data resulting from the Foundation’s research of the United States Virgin Islands. We utilized a template built from ESRI’s ArcIMS to develop the viewer. In 2009 the Foundation asked CGIS to provide a similar service to host research data for the Seychelles Islands, an Island nation off the coast of eastern Africa. We were eager to develop a new viewer using ArcGIS Server—ESRI’s latest Web mapping technology—and one of the new programming APIs (application programming interface) for Adobe Flex. The viewer recently went into production and is now publicly available. The Foundation is so pleased with the final product that we have been asked to update the United States Virgin Islands viewer with the new technology. The update will be publicly available soon.

Our video presents a brief introduction to the Living Oceans Foundation and a demo of the viewer’s capabilities.

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Posted by Steven Fabijanski

Event Wrap-up: Towson University, The Crossroads School, and GIS Day

December 3, 2009
Jeremy

Jeremy

Last month my blog focused on Towson University’s CGIS plans for November’s Geography Awareness Week. On November 18th, several CGIS employees and Dr. Todd Kenreich, Associate Professor and Graduate Director in the Department of Secondary Education at Towson University, hosted a GIS Day event on Towson University’s campus for a seventh grade class from The Crossroads School in Baltimore City.  On November 19th, several CGIS employees participated in an information session focused on informing Towson University faculty and staff members how GIS can be applied in their own work or research.

Recently I caught up with Kierran Sutherland, a GIS Specialist at CGIS and the primary coordinator of CGIS’ GIS Day activities, to discuss how the events went.

View more pictures from GIS Day!

What was the general “lesson plan” for CGIS’ GIS Day event with The Crossroads School class?

Our goal was to teach the students what GIS means and how it can be applied to work they are doing.  We did this by demonstrating to them how to create an online map, and then they got the chance to actually get some hands on experience doing it themselves.

Did you get any feedback from the students regarding the event?

There was a definite level of excitement in the students, more so than I would generally expect from seventh graders.  They seemed to really enjoy being able to come to a college campus and participate in our GIS Day mapping activity.  The most rewarding thing for the students was the final product, an online map that they will be able to update in the future as well as show off to their peers back at school.

How did this CGIS GIS Day event compare with past CGIS GIS Day events?

I think this was our most successful event.  Partly because we were able to tie our work in with what the students were doing in class.  A lot of the credit has to go to Jake Fishbein, the teacher we were working with from The Crossroads School.  Having studied here at Towson University, and earning a minor in geography, not only did he understand GIS, but also helped CGIS plan an engaging activity that would make sense to the students.

As the coordinator of the event, what did you enjoy most about your experience?

I always enjoy myself at GIS Day, but I think what stood out this year was getting a partial understanding of how the students viewed their community.  Some of the students had a few extra minutes and were pointing out what they recognized around the city, especially around their school.  It was interesting to see what they found important compared to the places I would first think to look for.

How did the information session go on November 19th?

The information session went quite well.  We had about 10 members of the Towson community stop by to learn a little about GIS and what CGIS is working on.  I was most impressed by the wide range of interests we had, from our new neighbors RESI just wanting to see what we do to a professor from the Astronomy department who was interested in how GIS can be used in outer space.

To view all pictures from the event, click here.

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Posted by Jeremy Monn

Geography Awareness Week…Explore the World Through Mapping

November 11, 2009
Steven

Steve

Sunday, November 15, marks the beginning of Geography Awareness Week, a week dedicated to promoting the importance of geography in the United States. The event was begun in 1987 by presidential proclamation and is held annually during the third week of November. The National Geographic Society has sponsored the event since its inception. They coordinate with other sponsors to provide geography outreach events with a heavy focus on education. If you live in the region, you may be able to attend related events at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

As my colleagues mentioned in a previous post, Towson University’s Center for GIS will be participating in two events during the week. The first event takes place on GIS Day, Wednesday November 18, 2009. GIS Day was first pioneered by ESRI, a geospatial software company which may not be familiar to most readers, but which is a familiar name to GIS professionals. GIS Day takes place every year on the Wednesday of Geography AwarenessSteve Image 1 Week.  The Centeror GIS will be hosting the second event on Thursday, November 19th.for University faculty and staff. I’ll be assisting in the event and presenting some common tools and tricks to consume or provide geographic information on the Web. I thought I’d include a few ideas which may help readers do some of their own mapping-related initiatives.

The Key to Mapping. Perhaps the most common mapping interface on the web is Google Maps. This simple map is relatively easy to provide on your own website if you have some basic HTML and Javascript skills. First you will need to register for a license key provided by Google for access to their mapping interface. Information on the process of obtaining a license key can be found here. Once you have a key, you can begin providing a Web map to your own Web site users. A good example of the Google Maps interface is Towson University’s interactive campus map which I mentioned in my last blog post.

Dots on a Map. Anybody who is interested in sharing spatial information with others will need some way to represent those locations on a map. The most basic map feature is the point, often represented as a dot, or place marker on a map. GIS data is often much more than dots on a map, but this is one way most of us have experienced some form of it. Often, by clicking on the dot, or icon, a user is provided with an information window with details about the location. It could a review of a restaurant, a vacation site, just about anything.

Share Your Data. Two of the most common forms of sharing point data are GEORSS and KML. These two formats represent ways of storing geographic location information along with the other details about a feature. If you subscribe to any podcasts or blogs, you likely have some experience with an RSS feed (see our RSS feed icon in the upper right of this Web page). GEORSS merely attaches a geographic location to each item in an RSS feed. This allows the RSS feed items to be displayed on a map such as a Google map so a viewer has some geographic context for the RSS item. A common approach is adding the coordinates for the locations of news stories provided in the RSS feed. Both RSS and GEORSS files are forms of XML, essentially a way of formatting text by placing it between tags, for example <georss:point>39.3939 -76.6078</georss:point> happens to be the tagged coordinates for a point located on Towson University’s campus. The two numbers represent the latitude and longitude values for the point..

Steve 2

KML is similar to GEORSS in that it, too, uses XML to structure its information. KML was originally invented by a company acquired by Google some years ago. The format was used to display geographic features in what many readers now know as the Google Earth viewer. Unlike basic GEORSS, which originally supported only points, KML allowed points, lines, and polygons to be represented. More and more sites are adopting the use of GEORSS or KML to provide useful location information to users. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provides a number of KML files for public use.

Viewing KML and GEORSS in a Browser. If you don’t have Google Earth handy, a quick trick which sometimes works is using the http:\\maps.google.com Website to view the KML or GEORSS. By pasting the URL to a KML or GEORSS file available on the internet into the search box and clicking on the “Search Maps” button, you can view the data points on top of the standard Google base map. Many, but not all, KML files can be viewed using this method on the Google Maps Web page. You can try this with the URL to a KML file you know of, or click here to view an example I’ve created. You can create your own links and send them to others to share a KML or GEORSS feed by changing the the url and location in my example and emailing the complete URL to them. If you find this example interesting but want more information, try this tutorial.

If you haven’t yet explored making your own map on a web page or leveraging the maps.google.com website to share data, I encourage you to give it a try. If you are interested in sharing some location-based data with others, the above tricks should help get you started.

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Posted by Steven Fabijanski

Towson University, The Crossroads School, and GIS Day

November 2, 2009
Jeremy

Jeremy

Last Thursday, the first hour of WYPR’s Midday with Dan Rodricks program explored the question–How Do Innovations in Technology Affect Education?.  If you listened to the program, you heard Dr. Todd Kenreich, Associate Professor and Graduate Director in the Department of Secondary Education at Towson University, speak about the use of technology in Maryland classrooms.  Dr. Kenreich stressed the importance of geographic education in developing students that have a grasp on contemporary issues facing our increasingly interconnected world.  During the interview, Dr. Kenreich argued that GIS can be an effective educational tool that can be used to develop a deeper understanding in geography.

GISday_CTowson University’s CGIS is working with Dr. Kenreich to incorporate GIS into a seventh grade class exercise at The Crossroads School, a public charter school in Baltimore City, for GIS Day in November.  Kierran Sutherland, a GIS Specialist at CGIS, has been responsible for coordinating CGIS’ involvement in this exercise.  I sat down with Kierran to ask him a few questions regarding GIS Day and CGIS’ involvement with the Crossroads school.

CGIS’ involvement with The Crossroads School stems from CGIS’ interest in doing something for GIS Day this year.  What is GIS Day?

GIS Day is a worldwide day of education about GIS.  Thousands of people and organizations around the world participate in a variety of ways such as: open houses, workshops and school projects.  GIS Day occurs this year on Wednesday, November 18th during National Geography Awareness week.

How did CGIS get involved with The Crossroads School for GIS Day?

Dr. Kenreich has worked with us during past CGIS GIS Day outreach efforts, including GIS Day events at Ellicott Mills Middle School in 2007 and Dulaney Valley High School in 2008.  So when we were looking for GIS Day event ideas this year, we approached him for input.  Dr. Kenreich suggested The Crossroads School in Baltimore City, and since one of his former students now teaches at the school it was an easy partnership for us to form.  Everyone involved is excited about partnering with The Crossroads School.

What does CGIS plan to do for GIS Day at The Crossroads School?

One of the great things about working with The Crossroads School is that the teacher we are working with, Jake Fishbein, already had an idea of how to incorporate GIS into what the students are learning.  The students we will be working with are working on an interdisciplinary project that focuses on what they see as important about Baltimore.  They are putting together a tourist guide which will include locations around Baltimore that are important to Baltimore residents, rather than just places that are set up as tourist destinations.  Our part of the project will be working with the students to collect data about a number of monuments around Baltimore, and then creating a map using Google Earth which the students will then be able to add to in the future.

Is CGIS planning any other activities for GIS Day this year?

Along with our project with The Crossroads School, CGIS is also running an information session to reach out to Towson University faculty and staff so they can learn what GIS is and how it can be applied to their own work or research.  This will give them a chance to learn a little bit about what CGIS does and also learn how GIS can be used as a tool to answer various questions.  This event is being held here at CGIS on Thursday November 19th.

Check out Towson University’s Outreach blog in a few weeks to read Sharyn Kuczka’s blog recounting CGIS’ GIS Day events.

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Posted by Jeremy Monn

Welcome to Baltimore–Supporting the families associated with BRAC

October 8, 2009
Jeremy

Jeremy

A few months ago I knew I was going to move, I just didn’t know where.  I knew I wanted to have an easier commute to work but I also wanted to reduce my reliance on my car for regular trips to destinations like the bookstore, coffee shop, park, restaurants, and grocers.  After a month of searching I found a place in Baltimore City’s Canton neighborhood that fit my requirements.  Now I frequent Patterson Perk for coffee and reading, Patterson Park for jogging, a long list of restaurants for dining, and Safeway for groceries all by walking to them.  Even the commute to work has improved since I no longer have to fight against Beltway traffic.  The only major drawback is trying to find a parking spot late at night.  Apparently the later you arrive home, the longer you hunt for a parking spot but I can live with that.

Photo credit - New York Times

Photo credit - New York Times

All of these experiences made me think of the thousands of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) employees associated with Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) that are in the process of relocating to Maryland.

  • Where are they going to locate in Maryland?
  • Will some of them be moving to Canton for the same reasons I did?
  • Does it make sense for them to move to Baltimore City?

There is no doubt that Baltimore City officials and organizations are trying to attract future APG employees, as indicated in a September 16th article in the Baltimore Sun “City gives Army workers a neighborhoods tour.”

We all know that choosing your neighborhood is about more than restaurants and shops, it’s also about proximity to schools, universities, and services you and your family need! Towson University has made an effort to assist BRAC residents in their moving process by providing valuable information regarding educational and training programs and veteran services.  Additionally, RESI Applied Economics completed the Educational Needs Assessment for the Department of Business and Economic Development associated with BRAC.

To see entire map, click here.

To see entire map, click here.

Towson University has also provided BRAC residents with information regarding commuting times to APG from surrounding locations.  A little over a year ago, Towson University’s Center for GIS created two drive time analysis maps for the APG-CSSC Regional BRAC Office using ESRI’s Network Analyst extension.  The maps illustrate drive times from Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Harford County to surrounding areas a different time scales: one map illustrates drive times at a 5-minute interval while the other illustrates drive times at a 15-minute interval.  These maps, along with other information, are available for future APG employees relocating to Maryland during the realignment process.

1 Comment | Education, Homeland Security, Mapping, News, Students | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Jeremy Monn

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