Wednesday, November 15, 2023
1:00 โ€“ 6:00 p.m.
Alden Library
Friends of the Libraries Room 319
Or Virtual Meeting

Interested in attending?:
Scan the QR code below or follow the link!
Registration is not required to attend

Join us for GIS Day 2023 as we explore and celebrate our world using GIS! Where matters, and GIS lets us analyze, visualize, contextualize, make decisions, and tell meaningful stories using data. Presenters will be showcasing the use of GIS from the sciences to the humanities, and everything in between.

Come and go as your schedule allows or join virtually!
To join the GIS Day Virtual Meeting:
Scan the QR code or click the link

See GIS in action!

The example below is being created using a three-question survey where you tell us where your favorite place in Athens is, and why you like it there!
To get started take the survey, then use the dashboard below to explore the results!
This is a simple example of GIS, join us for GIS Day to learn more about where it can go from here!

Take the Survey!

Agenda

1:00 p.m.Introduction to GIS Day
 Jessica SchaudtGeographic Information System Analyst, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service
Welcome!
1:15 p.m.Remote Sensing for Monitoring Environmental Change
 Duane Nellis, President Emeritus and Trustee Professor, Ohio University Geography Department

Remote sensing and associated geospatial techniques are providing ever more crucial perspectives on global environmental change. This presentation will provide an overview and examples of applications of remote sensing in monitoring environmental change. Earth environmental system changes and vulnerability associated with climate, forest and grassland fires, water scarcity and management, and land cover change will be highlighted from different parts of the world.
1:30 p.m.The Nuts & Bolts of GIS: Establishing Data and Map Standards
 John Woodard, Procurement Specialist APEX Accelerator (Akron)ย 

John Woodard (Woody) will discuss why establishing standards for your data and maps are critical to a successful GIS operation.ย  Join Woody on this interactive journey as he guides the audience through the โ€œSwamp of despairโ€ (so many issues!) over the โ€œDesert of no support and thanklessnessโ€ (no one likes to organize!) and around the โ€œShifting Seas of Timeโ€(ever-changing deadlines), to reach the โ€œSafehaven of Securityโ€ (Finished standards that guide everyone!)
2:00 p.m. Experience Builder – It’s an Experience!
 Nora Sullivan, Environmental Specialist 2 with the Energy and Environment Team at Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service

Finding creative, engaging, and powerful ways to communicate spatial data online can be challenging. ArcGIS Experience Builder offers web app solutions for all skill levels. This tool allows non-coders to build interactive web pages with a variety of templates and drag and drop components. I will share my own experiences in Experience Builder, focusing on recommendations for efficiency and avoiding pitfalls and traps.
2:15 p.m.GeoAI: Summary and Applications using ArcGIS Pro
 Romim Sommader, Ohio University Geography Department

Join us on GIS Day for an illuminating presentation delving into the world of GeoAI and its transformative impact on spatial analysis. This session will provide a summary of GeoAI, focusing on its integration with the powerful ArcGIS Pro platform. We will explore real-world applications, showcasing how the integration of geospatial data and artificial intelligence is revolutionizing decision-making processes. From predictive modeling to optimizing resource allocation, discover how ArcGIS Pro empowers users to harness the full potential of GeoAI for a smarter, more efficient approach to spatial analytics. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights into the future of geographic information systems and artificial intelligence integration.
2:30 p.m.OpenStreetMap: Exploring the tools and linked open data behind Wikimedia, Strava, Niantic and more
 Jonathan Brier, Data Services Librarian with Ohio University Libraries

An interactive orientation to OpenStreetMap (OSM), the volunteer GIS collaborative global project adopted by both big names and local hobbyists. This crash course intends to help one go from zero knowledge to oriented. By the end you should feel comfortable mapping and using the data. This will cover some basic limits of OSM and hopefully overcome some of the limits. Explore key practices, open source tools, applications, and projects of / leveraged by OSM. Discover how to map, improve, and extract OSM’s data. Experience a physical map of the local area powered by OSM data. Discover some of the projects built and leveraging OSM’s technology enhancing research and governmental data. Know key terms: Wikidata, HOTOSM, PublicDomainMap, OpenHistoricalMap, Trails Stewardship Initiative, Maproulette, Task Manager, OSMCha, OverPass, Field Papers, ID editor, JOSM and more.
3:00 p.m.Break
3:15 p.m.How a Luddite can Incorporate and Benefit from GIS Technology in Ecological Research
 Willem Roosenburg, Vice Chair, Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Studies, Ohio University Department of Biological Sciences

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) using Esri applications has revolutionized not only the presentation of geographical data but also the manner in which it is collected. As a GIS luddite, I fully rely on my students and colleagues to assist with the use of GIS technologies nonetheless it has become a tool that has greatly streamlined my ecological research. My lab has used GIS technologies in a variety of capacities and projects to present ecological data and how organisms use a landscape and the habitats within it. I will present data of turtle and rattlesnake landscape illustrating how GIS layers. Additionally, I will present how we use embedded data collection apps Survey 123 and Collector to both collect, and present data in an instantaneous manner and that is saved to the cloud. Switching to GIS based data collection apps has reduced the time required to collect data while simultaneously increasing the amount of data collected. A quick tour of one of our custom-made apps will reveal the utility of this technology.
3:30 p.m.Supporting Enterprise Level GIS
 Tracy Bugg, Enterprise Spatial Data Systems Lead, Ohio Dept. of Transportation, Division of Information Technology

Ohio Department of Transportation is heavily reliant on Geographic Information Systems, but itโ€™s not just a team of GIS professionals sitting at their desks making maps using ArcGIS Pro. With 12 different Districts supporting our roadway inventory over all 88 counties, enterprise web-based GIS plays an integral role in our day-to-day workflow. Join me as I discuss the back-end server side of Esri products, such as ArcGIS Server, Esri Web Adaptor and ArcGIS Monitor. Iโ€™ll briefly discuss server architecture and security, publish GIS services as REST Endpoints, and how Python is key to automating server tasks. Then Iโ€™ll give an overview of some of ODOTโ€™s web-based GIS projects including a few using real-time GeoEvent Server.
4:00 p.m.Using Creative Methods and PGIS to Visualize Changing Socio-Ecological Ontologies in a Co-Managed National Park
 Mitchell Tijerina, Ohio University Geography Department

This presentation will explore the ways in which multimedia, creative, and qualitative methods can be used in combination with GIS technologies to create more compelling geo-visualizations and narrations. The current goal is to more effectively present information and narratives to a non-academic audience while setting the stage to go a step further by putting these tools into the hands of the non-academics/experts to be able to represent their space and place on their own terms and from their point of view. Using my case study as context and ArcGIS story maps as a basis and platform we will have an overview of existing software and methods for geovisualizations/geo-narrations and then we will take a look into where these technologies are lacking and how their functionalities might be expanded.
4:15 p.m.Automated Tools for the Code-Phobic
 Jason Pyles, Space Manager with Ohio University Planning

For many, the action of automating tasks is synonymous with writing code, and that feels beyond their reach. This presentation intends to challenge that notion. If you work in GIS, particularly with Esri software, you can automate your repetitive tasks. If youโ€™re able to edit code, you can expand that further. This presentation will follow one non-developer from his early experiments in automation using Model Builder through his attempt to make a completely autonomous script that made daily updates to a dashboard. All with only the most rudimentary understanding of coding. After this presentation, youโ€™ll believe you can automate some of your GIS work and save yourself some time and stress.
4:45 p.m.Study Space Locator App v2.0
 Ryan Spellman, Library Support Senior Specialist User Services with Ohio University Libraries

The Study space Locator App grew out of work conducted by the University Campus Study Space Task Force, which began in August 2021 and has since completed their charge. At GIS Day 2022, an early version of the Study Space Locator App was introduced. Now, after collecting feedback and learning some tricks, we bring you the Study Space Locator App v2.0! In addition to a demo, this presentation will share the journey with ArcGISโ€™s Experience Builder that led to the final product, as well as a little history behind its development, deployment, and reception.
5:00 p.m.Networking Hour – Food and Drinks Provided

Questions? Jessica Schaudt, schaudt@ohio.edu


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