News Releases
News from Lane Community College, Eugene, Oregon
Public information officer: Joan Aschim, (541) 463-5591, aschimj@lanecc.edu
Contact: Eric Sproles, GIS instructional designer, (541) 463-5046, sprolese@lanecc.edu
GIS Day to be celebrated at Lane Nov. 15
EUGENE, OR - Lane Community College will hold an open house on GIS Day, Wednesday, November 15, from 8 a.m.-3 p.m., in the Center Building cafeteria, first floor, main campus in Eugene, 4000 E. 30th Avenue. GIS Day is part of the National Geographic Society's Geography Awareness Week, November 12-18.
The event will introduce new geographic information system (GIS) capabilities at Lane. The college won a three-year grant in June from the Advanced Technological Education fund of the National Science Foundation to develop coursework in GIS curricula. The project, "Mapping, Analyzing and Problem Solving Using Geographic Information Science: Implementing a GIS Curriculum for Technical Literacy," will bring GIS learning opportunities to science, social science and computer information technology students.
GIS is a computer-based mapping tool that takes information from a database about a location, such as streets, buildings, water features, and terrain, and turns it into visual layers. The ability to see geographic features on a map increases understanding of a particular location, enabling planners, analysts, and others to make informed decisions about their communities.
GIS is used to solve problems related to the environment, health care, land use, business efficiency, education, and public safety: the power supply directed to homes, the patrol cars and fire trucks that keep neighborhoods safe, and the delivery trucks on the road all function more efficiently because of GIS. Most recently, GIS technology has been used to aid Homeland Security initiatives, monitor the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and help Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
Jane Benjamin, the grant's principal investigator and a geography instructor, hopes that the GIS activities will engage students in real-world scenarios that demonstrate social and scientific relevance. Collaboration and teamwork will foster the interpersonal and organizational skills that are prized in today's workplace. Benjamin says, "Basic literacy in this rapidly advancing technology will open doors and prepare students with important job skills and future career choices. Our project will introduce large numbers of community college students to the potential GIS offers in solving significant social and scientific problems."
For more information, contact Eric Sproles, earth and environmental science faculty and GIS instructional designer, at (541) 463-5046, or sprolese@lanecc.edu.
###
