GIS
Modeling Class, GEOG 3110, Winter Term 2012
The
following listing includes Student Statements about themselves and
their goals for the course, as well as Instructor Responses to many of the
statements that might shed some light on the course approach, content and
logistics.
Alicia Green, greenalicia19@gmail.com (Alicia.Green@du.edu)
Transitioning from a previous career in journalism, I come to the
field of geography with an interest in and field training/volunteer experience
in ecology, environmental education, geology, and conservation issues. Though I
grew up in north Alabama and a few years ago spent a few years in Auburn, AL, I
have called Colorado home since 1999 when I moved to Estes Park to work at
Trail Ridge Store in Rocky Mountain National Park. Growing up in a
multi-cultural and multi-ethnic extended family dynamic combined with my own
Hispanic heritage, instilled in me a desire to discover a path both meaningful
and solution oriented in socio-economic stressed regions.
Currently, I am pursuing research opportunities in Peru where I
recently spent 3 weeks exploring the culture and coordinating a GPS data
collection project. It is my goal then to use skills gained thus far in the MS
IN GIS program along with the aspects of GIS modeling analysis covered in this course
to assist me in addressing issues in natural resource management and historic
conservation in Peru and indeed in my new path going forward.
On a lighter perhaps more superficial note, in my spare time
(which is admittedly not easily found), I enjoy hiking, volunteering as a
naturalist with Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, bouldering and sport
climbing, cooking/baking cupcakes and photography.
Mingming Zhang, Mingming.Zhang@du.edu
I'm Mingming Zhang, first year MS-GIS
student. I'm from China and did my undergraduate there majoring in GIS. I've
been in US for 3 months, so everything is quite new and attracting to me. I've
learned basic GIS concepts when I was in college and last quarter's class-- spatial
data. I'm interested in computer programming, remote sensing and using GIS to
solve real-world problems. And I also have some experience using ArcGIS to do
spatial analysis. I want to learn more about this and improve the spatial
reasoning skills. Looking forward to take this course.
^_^
See you on Thursday! Mingming Zhang
Paulina Kruse, Paulina.Kruse@du.edu
This is
Paulina Kruse. I am a junior at DU. I was having second thoughts
about taking your class this quarter. I did talk to my adviser and he
said I would be fine taking this class
without taking the Introduction to GIS class. I
still feel like I don't have much experience but why not start now? I
haven't quite determined my specific interests in the GIS world yet, but it was
the use of technology and visual layout of information that has
caught my attention. I like to learn new things, and work
hard. I expect to learn a lot in your class and I might discover
my interests in GIS.
See you
tomorrow, Paulina
Courtney
Hall,
hall.courtneyd@gmail.com (Courtney.Hall@du.edu)
I am
first year master's student studying ecology and am changing directions professionally
quite significantly. Before coming to DU, I worked in research and development
for Cargill as a food scientist. While it was enjoyable work (I developed new
cookies and cakes!) it wasn't very personally rewarding. I came back to school
in hopes of finding solutions to social problems through science.
My
interests lie mainly in agriculture (I grew up in the Midwest). Right now, I am
collaborating with the USDA through CREP to study post-agricultural restoration
in the San Luis Valley. I am taking this GIS modeling course because I see a
future for me in natural resource management and planning and believe that GIS
analysis is essential in this field.
I don't
have any prior GIS knowledge, but I am excited for the challenges and
opportunities that this course will present! Kind regards, Courtney Hall
Sharon
Billings,
sbillings8@gmail.com (Sharon.Billings@du.edu)
This is
my final year at DU and I am receiving a double major in Environmental Science
and Ecology and Biodiversity. I am taking GIS modeling because I am
receiving a minor in GIS and felt the class would provide important information
and background knowledge in this area. My interests include
outdoor activities in the mountains, playing piano, and gardening (specifically succulents). I also took a course in ecological
services modeling last quarter, and heard great reviews about this class from
those who had previously taken it. My objective is to use
this class to learn what GIS modeling is, and how it can be applied in the
field today. See you Thursday, Sharon
Billings
Robert
Anderson,
robmax3@gmail.com (Robert.M.Anderson@du.edu)
I am a
first year doctoral student in Dr. Anna Sher's lab. I
am working on a dissertation monitoring vegetation response to tamarisk removal
as a function of hydrological properties on the Lower Dolores and San Miguel
Rivers. I have been working in the field of riparian ecology for the past
several years. Studies that I have managed include monitoring soil
chemical and hydrologic properties in riparian areas.
My
previous formal education includes an MS from the University of Tennessee,
where I studied attachment of environmental toxins to clay surfaces,
and subsequent mobility of such chemical through soil matrices.
This
will be by second GIS related course ever! I took GEOG 3100 with Dr. Anderson
this previous quarter, which was my first exposure to GIS. One of my immediate
tasks at hand is to use GIS to observe and control for geomorphic variables
along the Lower Dolores and San Miguel Rivers.
Thank
you for your early communication, I really look forward to this class.
Rob Anderson
Graham
Emde,
g_emde@yahoo.ca (Graham.Emde@du.edu)
My name
is Graham Emde, and I am taking your GIS Modeling course next quarter. I am a
Canadian MA student studying International Development at Korbel.
I have spent the majority of my life in Asia, between Thailand and South Korea,
and the rest of the time in Canada, but I recently married a lovely American
woman and am quickly becoming very comfortable here in Denver.
My
interest in GIS was sparked upon beginning my program at Korbel
when I began to hear more about this practical tool for organizing data that would
not only help to make development projects more efficient, but would also allow
me to work with maps! I’ve been looking for an area of development work that
would suit my personality and interests, and I’m taking your course to explore
whether GIS might be that for me or not.
I’ve
spoken to Professor Hick and he informed me that your GIS Modeling class would
likely be challenging for me since I have no background in GIS, but he said
that it would still be doable for me. I have done a little work on AutoCAD and
I took one human geography course in undergrad. My undergraduate studies were
in international studies, so I don’t have a formal background in computer
science or cartography, but I am certainly computer savvy and have strong
interests in geography, cartography, and design.
I look
forward to meeting you in person and learning GIS! Sincerely, Graham Emde
Michael Briggs, michael.j.briggs2@gmail.com, (Michael.Briggs@du.edu)
My name
is Michael Briggs and I am a first year MA International Security candidate at
the Josef Korbel School for International Studies
here at DU. I heard of your course through the Global Health Affairs Certificate
newsletter and enrolled in your GIS modeling class after a recent trip to DC
through Korbel. I am seeking a career in intelligence
analysis for the Department of Defense and am hoping to work in the area of
geospatial analysis with the NGA. I have found that experience with GIS is
essential to this field, even for analytical work which is mostly writing and
briefing. Since I have discovered what an asset GIS
knowledge is in my chosen field, I am determined to learn as much as possible
and to get the most out of your class.
I
attended DU for my BA in International Studies, graduating in '09, so I don't
have a background in GIS or even geography for that matter. Due to the value of
this knowledge, I am absolutely willing to do any and all work that it will
take for me to get the most out of this class. Are there any essential texts
that you would recommend before the start of the class so that I can speed up
the learning curve?
I
greatly anticipate beginning this course and look forward to opening up a new
set of opportunities. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely, Michael Briggs, MA International Security '13
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Instructor Responses to Student Statements
Alicia— by coincidence we named our daughter
Alicia after her grandmother …great name with the option of Ali (or even Al)
for informal times. The name has old
German/French roots meaning “noble, exalted,” as well as the more recognized
Spanish term for Alice. Further
coincidence has my daughter graduating in journalism from CU. After a brief stint in true journalism for
the television and film industries and public relations for the American Cancer
Society, she is now in charge of communications for Merck’s oncology drugs out
of the Philadelphia area and juggling the joy of two children under two.
Your
natural resource management and historic conservation interests easily align
with GIS. Judging from your background,
a potential focus for you might be the “spatial
reasoning and dialog” capabilities inherent in communicating alternative
scenarios that have impact on natural resources and the environment.
The online
book Beyond Mapping III, Topic 21 – Human Dimensions of GIS and Epilog – Technical and Cultural Shifts in the
Your “spare time”
interests are true Colorado expressions …hopefully GIS Modeling won’t
annihilate the opportunities. Joe
Mingming— great to have you on board! Your major and prior experience in GIS should
be very helpful in the course and make you a valuable resource for the weekly
team reports. We will be focusing
exclusively on the grid-based (“raster”) map analysis and modeling
operations. My doctoral study was in
“machine processing of remotely sensed data” which set my thinking that advanced
analysis of mapped data is best expressed in grid format—continuous surface
representations of geographic space; not most commonly used discrete
vector-based spatial objects that represent irregular and independent map
features (points, lines or polygons).
While this
assertion might seem a bit bold, there are several conditions and
characteristics of grid-based data that support the contention. At its root is the idea that grid-based map
analysis is not so much a database mapping tool (query and display) as it is a
true extension of traditional mathematics and statistics that provides a
foothold for incorporating spatial patterns and relationships into traditional
data analysis …more map-ematics than mapping for
solving complex spatial problems..
If this
contention peaks your interest, I suggest you check out…
An
Analytical Framework for GIS Modeling — white paper presenting a conceptual
framework for map analysis and GIS Modeling
GIS
Modeling and Analysis, book chapter in Manual of Geographic
Information Systems, edited by Marguerite Madden, Section
5, Chapter 29, pages 527-585, published by American Society for Photogrammetry,
Bethesda, Maryland, USA, ISBN 1-57083-086-X, 2009. J.K. Berry.
I will
be very interested in your assessment of grid-based map analysis and modeling
at the conclusion of the class. Joe
Paulina—
the material presented does not require a GIS background …more
an interest in quantitative analysis (basic math/stat) and an ability to
visualize spatial problems. The course is taught at an upper-division/grad
level pace with weekly team reports that is a fairly consistent demand on your
time. It focuses on grid-based map analysis and modeling, not traditional GIS
mapping—more “thinking with maps” than producing map products.
I have taught a similar set of concepts in the JETS (Junior
Engineers and Tomorrow’s Scientists) intercity program and numerous 2-5 day
workshops for professionals from a wide variety disciplines and backgrounds,
such as managers, administrators and staff in most of the USFS National Forest
offices. Most of the attendees find the concepts, approaches, procedures and
considerations both interesting and useful; very few find it “over their
heads.”
What is different from these instructional environments and the
GIS Modeling course is that we have 10 weeks following fundamentally the same
lecture material but added time for students to delve into “hands-on”
experience with various options, extensions and more detail into how the
operations work …or when they don’t work (limitations and inappropriate use).
The team reports are what elevate the course to UD/Grad level. Joe
Courtney— there are several students in the class expressing interest in ecology
and natural resources applications. On
the Ag front, in the early 90s I was a co-founder of a company (Red Hen Systems) that focused on
“site-specific farming” …now more generally termed Precision Agriculture. We linked remote sensing (RS), GPS and GIS
with robotics (variable rate controllers) and sold software supporting
variable-rate fertilization and seeding.
RHS has
morphed into a video mapping company primarily supporting the defense and
intelligence communities and in the late 90s the PA division was sold. I am still active in PA but have turned my
attention to the broader expression of the approach termed “Precision
Conservation”…
So
Where Is Precision Ag, 9th International Conference on Precision
Agriculture, Denver, Colorado, July 21-23 2008. Keynote Address. (Link to PowerPoint;
7.6MB; Podcast;
Podcast/Slide
Time Marks for simultaneous viewing) and Plenary Question Session (link to Question
Responses).
Applying Spatial Analysis for Precision Conservation Across the
Landscape (select “Full Text” for free download),
J. of Soil and Water
Conservation, Nov/Dec 2005, Vol. 60, No. 6, pg 22-29. J.K. Berry, J. A.
Delgado, R. Khosla and F.J. Pierce
Precision
Conservation for Environmental Sustainability (select “Full Text” for free download), J. of Soil and
Water Conservation, Nov/Dec 2003, Vol. 58, No. 6, pg 332-339. J.K. Berry, J. A.
Delgado, R. Khosla and F.J. Pierce
GIS, and map analysis and modeling in particular, have numerous
advanced applications in the biological sciences with NR and AG having the
longest presence. I am quite
confident you will find the “new tools” for understanding spatial patterns and
relationships interesting. See you
Thursday evening, Joe
Sharon— you sound very busy …double majors and a
minor—whew. Being a graduate course, the
weekly homework assignments in GIS Modeling are fairly demanding. Hopefully you don’t have an overload this
term.
What I believe
you will get out of the course is a new perspective on GIS— one that focuses on
spatial reasoning and problem solving through “thinking with maps” within a
quantitative context. The main
difference from other GIS courses you might have taken is that we focus on grid-based
map analysis and modeling.
This
approach uses continuous map surfaces as opposed to the more commonly used
vector-based approach involving discrete spatial objects and database
manipulations and queries. On the
up-side we extend fairly basic math/stat concepts to mapped data. On the down-side, any prior GIS experience
and tools you might have under your belt will be of limited use in the class as
the focus is on grid-based analytics. We
do not use ArcGIS but most of software experience (MapCalc and Surfer) is
directly applicable to the Spatial Analyst module.
As a frame
of reference for the course, a couple of recent GW columns might be useful…
|
3 |
March |
2012 |
Paint
by Numbers outside the Traditional Statistics Box — discusses the
nature of grid-based spatial statistics operations (in preparation, early
1/2012) |
|
2 |
February |
2012 |
Map-ematically Messing with Mapped Data — discusses
the nature of grid-based mapped data and spatial analysis operations |
|
1 |
January |
2012 |
SpatialSTEM Has Deep Mathematical Roots — provides a
conceptual framework for a map-ematical treatment
of mapped data |
…along with the first class readings posted on the class
website (http://www.innovativegis.com/basis/Courses/GMcourse12/). See you Thursday, Joe
Rob— my background has a bit of forestry in it …I am a third generation
forester with my BS in Forestry from UC Berkeley (during the 1960s, so there
were some extracurricular distractions). Your interest in riparian
ecology sounds like a lot of fun.
I believe
you will find the analytical side of GIS directly aligns with your interests
and research …particularly in its approach to spatial statistics. A
principle advantage is that grid-based map analysis and modeling involves continuous
map surfaces instead of discrete spatial objects (points, lines and areas)
used in traditional mapping.
Each map
layer is configured to a consistent cell size and row/column configuration that
“automatically” accounts and tracks relative portions and positioning of both
categorical and gradient types of mapped data. In addition, it structures
geographic space in a manner that is easily transferable to standard databases
and statistical packages for additional analysis. Also, the grid-based
structure provides a good foothold for scalable analytics from research plots
to entire watersheds and regions.
One of my
current “soapboxes” involves promoting spatialSTEM and spatial reasoning as critical to
moving science, technology, engineering and math/stat beyond the historical
assumption that the “average is everywhere”…
|
1 |
January |
2012 |
SpatialSTEM Has Deep Mathematical Roots
— provides a conceptual framework for a map-ematical
treatment of mapped data |
|
2 |
February |
2012 |
Map-ematically Messing with Mapped Data — discusses
the nature of grid-based mapped data and spatial analysis operations |
This perspective
incorporates the spatial variability inherent in field collected data in the
analysis instead of reducing the data to a “typical” value for
characterizing relationships. Another way of viewing it is that the
coincidence of “maps of the variance” in data sets rarely results in the same
information as the “joint means.”
This means
(pun intended) that the added information about spatial relationships is as
much (or more?) important than the spatially aggregated typical conditions
assumed everywhere the same—for researchers, policy/decision-makers and
resource managers. Joe
Graham— in a way our
backgrounds cross as I spent a year in South Korea (however with the Army 40
years ago) and a portion my consulting has been in western Canada focusing
natural resources and agricultural applications.
Your
international studies background and experience abroad, oddly enough, fits well
with GIS Modeling. Last year’s class had two Korbel
students who easily found application in just about every concept and tool we
studied from public health to microfinance in developing countries. The
spatial connections to international problems projects are readily apparent and
for the most part, untapped. Your perception of GIS as a “practical tool
for organizing data” for a multitude of application arenas is right on mark.
Do not
worry about having prior GIS experience as the concepts, principles and procedures
in grid-based map analysis/modeling closely align with basic data analysis
approaches …with an interesting and highly useful twist toward understanding
patterns and relationships within context of spatial problems. In
fact, I am an advocate for “turning (didactic) GIS education on its head” and extending GIS
beyond training GIS specialists.
For students
interested in making GIS part of their primary studies (but not necessarily the
focus) learning what one can do with mapped data (“spatial reasoning”
and “thinking with maps”) seems most appropriate before launching into the
mechanical details of the “care and feeding” of GIS databases (geodes,
projections, data collection, storage, access, geo-query, etc.). From
this utility-based perspective you represent the ideal student for the
course. Joe
Michael— some of my earliest remote sensing
work (70s) had military focus with my doctorate research co-sponsored by
DOD. It involved “geo-botanical prospecting” where we used enhanced
spectral recognition procedures based on a spherical plant canopy reflectance
model we developed for NASA. The objective was to differentiate normal
vegetation spectral response from “less vigorous” vegetation whose root zone
was impaired by high lead levels (or by tunneling in the Vietnam jungles for
the military application). We were somewhat successful in mapping spectral
differences induced by high lead levels; not sure about the tunneling but the
funding continued for several years. One follow-on project involved
thermal imaging for detecting animals in dense forest conditions.
Currently, I am on the advisory board of Red Hen Systems (http://www.redhensystems.com/, see “Industries” item) who are
very active with defense and intelligence applications involving geo-referenced
video/photo imagery in field environments.
You might
be interested in a recent doctoral thesis by fellow DU-Geography student Brett
J. Machovina entitled “Susceptibility Modeling and Mission Flight Route Optimization in a Low
Threat, Combat Environment.” In his research he uses grid-based
map analysis involving line-of-sight connectivity and optimal path routing to
identify probability of detection and routing that minimizes accumulated
detection along a route corridor.
I suspect
your interests aren’t in research and development of “new spatial tools,” but
as an analyst it is likely you will encounter information generated from
advanced spatial analysis. The concepts, procedures and considerations
covered in the GIS Modeling course should prove valuable in your understanding
and assessment of information derived through grid-based map analysis and
modeling.
The class
website (http://www.innovativegis.com/basis/Courses/GMcourse12/) identifies a lot of
online “Other Reading,” as well as the “Required” and “Further Reading” from
the textbook we will use. If you are on campus, you can pick up an “early
bird” copy of the text from Will in the Geography Department office.
Generally speaking, I think you will find the subject areas of Effective
Distance, Visual Exposure and Suitability Modeling of
keen interest; coupled with Spatial Data Mining techniques if you have a
math/stat leaning (Lat/Lon grid space as the ultimate “universal key” for
joining otherwise disparate databases). Joe
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