Geographic Information Science at Arizona State University

Overview

In 1995, the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost demonstrated a strong commitment toward GIS research and instruction by funding a major interdisciplinary GIS initiative. This initiative resulted in acquisition of hardware, software, and personnel to create a centralized GIS computing facility. Over a decade since this initiative, ASU’s commitment to supporting GIS technology and research has grown across academic units through continued acquisition of hardware, software, and personnel in many academic units.

GIS is essential to ASU in its Research One status as a tool for both applied and basic research. The Long Term Ecological Research Project (CAP - LTER) was awarded to ASU in 1998 by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This project exemplifies the manner in which GIS is used to analyze ecological processes across the urban infrastructure. The LTER project uses GIS for research varying from insect population to urban fringe morphology. ASU is also lead institution in the Mediterranean Landscape Dynamics Project, an international, interdisciplinary project that is using GIS to create a dynamic landuse/landscape modeling laboratory.  The GeoDa Center for Geospatial Analysis and Computation is devoted to the development, implementation and application of state-of-the-art methods of geospatial analysis to policy issues in the social and environmental sciences. Projects have included studies of risk anaylsis in earthquake decision making and geovisualization of cancer data. 

ASU has a significant investment in GIS education. Undergraduate students can earn a Certificate in GIS or a B.S. in Geography with an emphasis in GIS. Graduate students can earn a Certificate in Geographic Information Science , M.A. in Geography, Ph.D. in Geography, and a Master of Advanced Study in GIS. The School of Computing and Informatics has a Certificate in Informatics and students can select GIS as a specialty in this interdisciplinary program. These programs provide a range of technological training and education in GIS that will ultimately support GIS research efforts at ASU and contribute to the community at large by providing a skilled labor pool for public and private enterprise.