GIS Career and Education Awareness Website

San Diego State University Geography Program

GIS are Everywhere!
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are technological tools to collect, store, query, analyze, and visualize spatially-associated data and information.

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technology, vehicle navigation technology, online maps like Mapquest and Google Maps, and virtual globe software applications like Google Earth and NASA World Wind are specific applications of GIS technology. Many people are familiar with these cutting-edge applications. However, they might not realize that they are using GIS and related geospatial technologies everyday.

GIS can be used to solve both Science Questions and Practical Problems!

Science Questions (Scientific Theories & Methods):
• How do Earthquakes happen?
(Related link: BBC Earthquakes )
• How do Wildfires occur?
(Related link: NASA Natural Hazards:Fires)
• What are the main reasons for global warming?
(Related link: NRDC Global Warming)

Practical Problems:
• How can we response to wildfires disasters more efficiently?(Related link: 2003 San Diego Wildfires )
• How can we minimize damage caused by Earthquakes in California?( Related link: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program - Northern California)
• Where are the invasive plant species in San Diego? (Related link: ESRI Plants and Animals Need GIS, Too)
• Where can I find out the location of licensed healthcare facilities near by my house? (Related link: CDHS California Nutrition Network - GIS Map Viewer)

Learn more about GIS...

About Us

The GIS Career & Education Awareness website is dedicated to the education of future GIS professionals and increasing general awareness of GIS technology. To achieve the goals of educating GIS professionals and increasing GIS awareness this website has compiled resources explaining what GIS is and how it can be used, designed online tools that showcase GIS related tasks, provided links to GIS programs and educational resources, and created a certification program using GIS learning modules via the web.

This website is supported by the National GeoTech (NSF-ATE DUE #0801893) Center and Scalable Skills Certification Program in GIS (NSF-ATE DUE #0401990).

More information about this project...

Website Contact

Dr. Ming-Hsiang(Ming) Tsou
San Diego State University
Geography Department
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-4493
PHONE: 1 (619) 594 0205
send email to Dr. Tsou, mtsou@mail.sdsu.edu

GIS Textbook for iBook on iPads
The Introduction to GIScience textbook project provides you with a collaborative opportunity to engage students by contributing your GIScience content or expertise to a free interactive digital textbook formatted for iBooks on iPad.

2013 Geospatial Technology Summer Workshop
Hosted by the GeoTech Center, Southwestern College and SDSU. Teachers from high schools and community colleges attended the workshop to further their skills in GIS.

Open Source GIS Article (PDF)
Free and Open Source Software for GIS Education, a white paper by Dr. Ming Tsou and Jennifer Smith, describes various open source software available for GIS educators.

Link to URISA Journal Issue
Enhancing General Education with Geographic Information Science and Spatial Literacy, was published (2010) in the Journal of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) by Dr. Ming-Hsiang Tsou and Ken Yanow. (PDF)

University GIS Degree Programs in the U.S.
A comprehensive look at all the GIS educational degree programs for all universities and colleges throughout the United States.

GeoTech Center is awarded the HI-TEC Innovative Program Award
Dr. Ming-Hsiang Tsou, Kenneth Yanow, and Phillip Davis accept the award at the 2009 High Impact Technology Exchange Conference (HI-TEC).

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