Progress 09/15/04 to 09/14/07
Outputs
Three new courses have been developed in meeting the goals of the geospatial information technology program curricula enhancement project. These courses are Advanced GIS, Introduction to Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry, and Computer Cartography and Graphics. Paperwork is in process to offer a joint minor in GIS between the Departments of Agriculture and Natural Sciences in fall 2008. The first of the courses mentioned above developed under the auspices of this grant will be offered in fall, 2007. The new physical GIS infrastructure was completed during the summer of 2006. This new GeoTech Lab is equipped with 10 duel monitor workstations, one digitizer/data organization workstation, one peer server, one duel monitor workstation for the GIS Program Manager, one large-format HP Designjet 5500ps plotter, 5 handheld Thales Mobile Mapper Pro GPS units, 6 handheld CMT GPS units, one Altek digitizer, and one large-format laminator. We have also updated our ESRI Authorized
training from Introduction to ArcView 3.x to Introduction to ArcGIS I. This allows us to keep pace with the updates and changing GIS trends. The new facility is also presently being used to teach a new course in Precision Agriculture and training workshops in Arc GIS-1 and Arc GIS-II.
PRODUCTS: The products of this project include; a new GIS infrastructure (GeoTech lab) has been completed and occupied, three new GIS courses have been developed with the first course to be offered in fall 2007, a minor in GIS (18 credits) will be added to the University curriculum in spring 2008, and various infrastructure equipment has been acquired. These include 10 duel monitor workstations, one digitizer/data organization workstation, one peer server, one duel monitor workstation for the GIS Program Manager, one large-format HP Designjet 5500ps plotter, 5 handheld Thales Mobile Mapper Pro GPS units, 6 handheld CMT GPS units, one Altek digitizer, and one large-format laminator. A new physical infrastructure for the GIS program, and updated ESRI Authorized training from Introduction to ArcView 3.x to Introduction to ArcGIS I.
OUTCOMES: This project provides the university with a mechanism for periodic training in the geosciences for students, both graduate and undergraduate, within the university, as well as, for high school students via existing GIS-based summer internship programs. The latter activity has enhanced and provided a knowledge base for students at different levels of academic training, within and external to the University. Thus, these students were exposed to one of the fasting growing technologies in the world that is used is many disciplines. As a result, these students will be better prepared to meet the challenge of the information-oriented workforce of the 21st century. The successful establishment of a professional geospatial community outreach training facility is also considered to be a strong outcome of this project. This is due to the fact that the UMES will be in a position to provide outreach services to the community in many ways to different types of people with varying
backgrounds,talents and asptrations.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Results generated from this projectwere disseminated via yearly progress reports, announcements at websites,the GIS/GPS National Integration Team website, hosted by USDA, and poster presentations during an annual GIS Day at USDA in Washington D.C. GIS Day is a grassroots event that formalizes the practice of GIS users and vendors of opening their doors to schools, businesses, and the general public to showcase real-world applications of geoscience technologies. Results were also be delivered as competetive posters at the 1890 Research Directors Symposium, the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) conference in 2006, and the USDA National Water Quality Conference, Savanna, GA. 2007.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: The future ventures of this project will be to provide training for community based organizations and agency personnel, graduate students, undergraduate students, and high school students via, workshops and summer internships, respectively. The infrastructure will also be used to attract additional minorities to STEM disciplines, especially in the areas of agriculture and natural sciences. GIS based classes will also be taught in this facility by different faculty. We also anticipate that this facility will continue to grow via the acquisition of additional funds to support new personnel with geoscience expertise. A minor in GIS will also be completed and offered by fall, 2008.
Impacts
The new minor in geosciences will enhance the university's academic STEM discipline curricula, and provide a popular minor for students in many disciplines. Advanced training provided for faculty (3) in the geosciences will enhance their capabilities in pedagogy and research. The new physical infrastructure will provide a mechanism for training students (20 high school students, and 8 to 10 undergraduate students per year, respectively via summer internships). Further, graduate students will have space to process large research datasets relative to their research projects. This facility will also provide training for 10 to 15 persons per year from the community professionals from various agencies in the area surrounding the university. This will help the University achieve its outreach mission, as well as, create partnerships and positive publicity within the community.
Publications
- Geospatial Information Technologies at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. "We have our hands on Technology". GIS Newsletter, Issue I, Vol I. 2006.
- Arthur L. Allen, Brian Needelman, Peter Kleinman, and Fawzy Hashem. Poster Session. Exposing high school and undergraduate scholars to geospatial information technologies and water quality management. Abstracts. USDA, Section 406, National Water Quality Conference, Seattle, Washington - 2006.
- Arthur L. Allen, Brian Needelman, Peter Kleinman, Fawzy Hashem and Tracie Earl. Poster Session. Exposing high school and undergraduate scholars to geospatial information technologies and water quality management. USDA, Section 406, National Water Quality Conference, Savanna, GA. Abstracts. 2007.
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