Sonoma State University will hold an open house for the public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21 showcasing the contributions that Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology is making in local communities. The open house will be held on the 3rd floor of Stevenson Hall, Room 3057.
Projects at the university's GIS Center currently focus on a diversity of topics including:
* developing geographical models to predict the spread of the Sudden Oak Death disease,
* using high-resolution aircraft imagery for natural resource assessment,
* modeling spatial patterns in the abundance of invasive weeds,
* mapping habitat suitability for the endangered Point Arena mountain beaver, and
* mapping transportation networks.
Tours of the Geography Department's GIS labs and the recently remodeled Geographic Information Center will be provided throughout the day.
As part of global GIS Day, the Sonoma State festivities will also include short presentations and poster displays highlighting the work of GIS technology users around campus.
GIS is a computer technology for collecting, managing and analyzing spatial data. It has been used in a wide range of applications such as tracking the migration and habitat of endangered animal species, planning wildfire emergency responses, predicting groundwater contamination, identifying patterns of disease clusters, helping businesses to forecast the most profitable location for new retail centers, and aiding farmers to minimize the use of pesticides and irrigation on their farms.
Sponsors of GIS Day include the National Geographic Society, the Association of American Geographers (AAG), the California State University GIS Specialty Group, and Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI).
For information, call Dr. Ross Meentemeyer, Assistant Professor of Geography and Director of the Geographic Information Center, (707) 664-2558, meenteme@sonoma.edu.
For more information about GIS Day and Geography Awareness Week, please see www.gisday.com/.
If you are a member of the media and wish to tour the lab, please call Jean Wasp, Media Relations, (707) 664-2057.
