-
ForestSAT 2018 International Conference co-hosted by University of Maryland Department of Geographical Sciences
We are pleased to announce the eighth edition of the ForestSAT 2018 conference hosted by the University of Maryland and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center at the newly completed Hotel at the University of Maryland, just minutes from Washington DC. ForestSAT has become the pre-eminent conference on the application of spatial analysis and remote sensing technologies for forest monitoring, modeling and description.
-
When UMD Connects with El Salvador
Four graduate students from the department of Geographical Sciences traveled to San Salvador, El Salvador from March 17th to the 24th, 2018 to establish communication channels with Salvadoran universities interested in developing their academic and research capacity. Two different universities eagerly opened their doors - the Universidad Jose Matias Delgado (UJMD) and the Universidad de El Salvador (UES), known as the National University. Overall, faculty and researchers at both universities recognize the urgency of advancing applied research in GIS and remote sensing to anticipate and mitigate severe climate-related and anthropogenic impacts.
-
GEOG 198A Online Summer Course-Introduction to GIS in the Era of Big Data
GEOG 198A Online 1-Credit Course in Summer 2018
This Summer 2018, the Center for GIS is offering:
GEOG 198A: Introduction to GIS in the Era of Big Data (1 credit: course schedule is here; register at OES)
-
GEDI Moves Towards Launch on ISS
"A first-of-its-kind laser instrument designed to map the world's forests in 3-D is moving toward an earlier launch to the International Space Station than previously expected.
The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation – or GEDI, pronounced like "Jedi," of Star Wars fame – instrument is undergoing final integration and testing this spring and summer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The instrument is expected to launch aboard SpaceX's 16th commercial resupply services mission, targeted for late 2018. GEDI is being led by the University of Maryland, College Park; the instrument is being built at NASA Goddard."
Lynch, P. (2018, May).
-
Inbal Becker-Reshef wins the Provost's Excellence Award for Professional Track Faculty
Inbal Becker-Reshef wins the Provost's Excellence Award for Professional Track Faculty for her outstanding contributions and accomplishments in research.
-
GEOG Faculty publish a book entitled “Land Atmospheric Research Applications in South/Southeast Asia”
Krishna Vadrevu (Adjunct Associate Professor), Chris Justice (Professor) in collaboration with Toshimasa Ohara (Senior Researcher, National Institute for the Environmental Studies (NIES) Japan recently edited a book on Land-Atmospheric Research Applications in South and Southeast Asia in the Springer Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry series.
In South/Southeast Asian countries, high population growth together with the rapid economic development are causing immense pressure to convert land from natural and agricultural areas to residential and urban uses with significant impact on emissions and ecosystem services.
-
Outstanding Women in the Workplace
Balancing family and a career is a challenge for many female faculty members. Child-bearing comes at a time when scientific careers are in an upward trajectory. As a leading research institution most of our Geographical Sciences projects have a strong international component with active overseas partnerships. Coordinating and running international meetings is integral to the leadership that our Department is renowned for. So the practical question is how do our female faculty with young children that are breastfeeding manage in that role?
-
Harnessing Big Data to Preserve the Planet
Systematically monitoring human impacts to the Earth’s land surface requires mastery of a comprehensive set of skills including geography, engineering, mathematics, environmental science and, nowadays, big data.
“If you want to do this work really well, you have to be able to put all of these skills together and then you’re really cooking,” said Matt Hansen, a Professor in the UMD Department of Geographical Sciences and co-director of the university’s Global Land Analysis and Discovery (GLAD) laboratory.
-
Environmental Impacts and Nutritional Quality of Rapidly Changing Diets
GEOG researchers examine how changing dietary habits in China affect the planet
When millions of people drastically change the types of food they eat over a short period of time, how does it impact the planet? A team of researchers from the University of Maryland Department of Geographical Sciencessought to answer this and other questions about the relationship between health and the environment by studying a recent shift in nutritional habits in China.
