GIS & Environmental Justice – GIS at Bucknell

We recently launched the conference website for the upcoming Bucknell-hosted conference GIS & Spatial Thinking in the Undergraduate Curriculum. Basic info is shown below, but please check out the conference website for details and updates as they become available.

About the Conference:

When: November 16-18, 2012
Where: Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA. Click here for a map.
Details: Click on the pages shown on the menu above to access information onregistration, lodging, conference schedule, and submitting presentations and maps.
Deadlines: Deadline for early bird registration is September 15, 2012. Deadline forsubmitting presentations and maps is September 21, 2012.
Format: We have chosen a work-group format for the conference in order to maximize opportunities for discussion and brain-storming amongst participants. The main day of the conference will feature five work-group sessions. Each session will consist of 45 minutes of presentations and 45 minutes of open discussion organized around a theme. We are seeking 3 presenters and 1 chairperson for each of the 5 sessions. See the submissions page for a detailed description of each of the session topics:

1a (Concurrent with 1b) – Mapping Human Activity – Qualitative Analysis GIS
1b (Concurrent with 1a) – Quantitative Analysis & Technical Applications of GIS
2 (Single group) – GIS in Pedagogy
3a (Concurrent with 3b) – GIS in Community Outreach & Service Learning
3b (Concurrent with 3a) – Software & Data Issues in GIS Instruction

Goals: Desired outcomes include: (1) providing mutual support for imaginative and challenging applications of spatial technology in undergraduate education; (2) fostering potential collaborative efforts between and within participant schools, such as joint research initiatives and/or shared resources for data, web maps and teaching materials, and; (3) creating a regional community of faculty and GIS/IT staff to interact on a regular basis, share information, and exchange ideas about the priorities identified during the conference.

This event is sponsored by Library & Information Technology at Bucknell University. Should you have any questions, please contact Janine Glathar at jlg046@bucknell.edu or (570) 577-1990.

I’ve been posting a lot (here, here and here) about GIS job opportunities for Bucknell’s class of 2012 – but there are also lots of GIS internships out there for returning students. Are you interested in using GIS for research this summer? Do you want to get paid for it too? If so, you should consider applying to the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program’s Georgia State University site.

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program is funded by NSF and among the most competitive and prestigious summer research programs available to undergraduate students. REU targets students from various disciplines and hosts programs at sites all across the U.S. (click here to see the full list). In Summer 2012 Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA will host an REU site focused on using GIS to do community-based research and fieldwork. Check out the details below and be sure to tell me if you decide to apply for this. BTW, having something like this on your resume would be incredibly helpful in any future job searches.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site: Addressing Social and Environmental Disparities through Community Geography and Geographic Information Systems. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation. The program runs June 18^th– August 2^nd.

Research Interests: Working with faculty mentors in one of three research tracks, 10 selected undergraduates will engage in community-based research and fieldwork to quantitatively and qualitatively examine neighborhood change, property markets, air and soil quality, urban green spaces, and neighborhood visioning in partnership with neighborhood residents and community groups.

Compensation: Each REU student will receive a competitive funding package, including: a $3000 stipend, up to $250 in travel support to/from Atlanta, up to $750 for conference presentations, free room and board at GSU, and 3 required texts.

Application Process: Applications are due Friday, March 23^rd @ 5 PM EST. Complete application instructions and the application form can be found at http://csaw.gsu.edu/nsf-reu/application-instructions/

To Learn More: Visit http://csaw.gsu.edu/nsf-reu/

Any questions can be directed to the Dr. Timothy Hawthorne (PI) at thawthorne@gsu.edu or Dr. Katherine Hankins (Co-PI) at khankins@gsu.edu