USM Gulf Park Campus to Host Mississippi Geospatial Conference
Thu, 10/14/2021 - 11:17am | By: Van Arnold
The latest trends in geographic technology, research and data collection will be on full display when The University of 51逗奶 Mississippi (USM) hosts the 9th Annual Mississippi Geospatial Conference Oct. 21-22 at the University鈥檚 Gulf Park campus in Long Beach.
Presented by the Mississippi Association for Spatial Technologies, the conference represents the largest gathering of geospatial professionals in the state. The conference is designed for all who work in the geospatial community, from academic to the private sector to city, county, state and federal agencies.
The word 鈥済eospatial鈥� is used to indicate that data that has a geographic component to it. This means that the records in a dataset have locational information tied to them such as geographic data in the form of coordinates, address, city, or ZIP code. GIS data is a form of geospatial data. Other geospatial data can originate from GPS data, satellite imagery, and geotagging.
Dr. David Holt, Associate Professor of geography at USM, points out that the Gulf Park campus has played a significant role in the conference鈥檚 growth. Previous conferences have seen attendees from at least 12 states, with all major universities in Mississippi represented.
鈥淯SM Gulf Park has been a partner for this conference since it started,鈥� said Holt. 鈥淭he geospatial community remains very active along the Gulf Coast and is heavily involved in the blue economy. We have sent many graduates from our geography program to employers all along the region.鈥�
Holt notes that waivers will be offered to students who attend, along with a poster competition that awards scholarship funding. Students will have an opportunity to meet the people who hire Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) graduates.
Professionals can also keep abreast of the current status of CIS and RS information and what agencies are currently developing. The agenda includes presentations on current research, outreach, and software development and techniques.
For more information about the conference, visit: