Presentation Proposals Invited for GIS-Pro & CalGIS 2018 in Palm

Presentation Proposals Invited for GIS-Pro & CalGIS 2018 in Palm Springs

Des Plaines, IL (January 22, 2018) URISA is thrilled to partner with the California Geographic Information Association (CGIA) and the four California URISA Chapters - SoCal, NorCal, CentralCal and BAAMA/BayGEO - to present GIS-Pro & CalGIS 2018 in Palm Springs this year! Those five California-based geospatial organizations typically collaborate to present CalGIS each spring, an event that has a long history (nearly 25 years!) of educational and community-building excellence.

This year's one-of-a-kind Geospatial Event will bring together not only both California and National GIS professionals at all stages of their careers, but also an international audience to present, discuss, analyze, and share their experiences, insights, and solutions. Help us get the dialogue going. Demonstrate your expertise, collaborate with peers, and share your stories.

Presentation proposals are now being accepted.

Presentation Topics to Consider

The Education Committee has provided the following list to consider as possible presentation topics. The list is not meant to be restrictive, but is provided to stimulate ideas. Feel free to think outside the box. Propose ideas geared to GIS beginners, mid-career managers or the leaders in the field. Presenters at all stages of their careers (from high school students to seasoned professionals) are invited to submit. All proposals received will be reviewed and considered for the program.

GIS Leadership & Management

From single user to enterprise systems, learn the difference between Leadership and Management and why both are critical to your organization’s GIS success. In this track, learn more about topics such as the GIS strategic planning, ROI, maturity, and more.

Suggested Topics:

Value Proposition: communicating benefits of GIS to decision makers
GIS strategic planning
Running/managing a small business
GIS Capability Maturity Model
Change management
GIS budgeting/ROI
Capacity building
Success stories and challenges
Team building and GIS staff management
Professional development plans
Other topics related to GIS leadership and management

Preparing for GISP Certification

This track will explore the knowledge areas related to the GISP exam and how to prepare for GIS professional certification. It will review topics related to the exam, help attendees assess their readiness, and provide a forum for discussion.

Reasons for certification
Portfolio development
GIS Code of Ethics

Exam knowledge areas are grouped into the following categories:

Conceptual Foundations
Cartography and Visualization
GIS Design Aspects and Data Modeling
GIS Analytical Methods
Data Manipulation
Geospatial Data

GIS for Natural Resources

This track will discuss the influence GIS has on determining the future of our planet's most precious resources. From forestry management to conservation and renewable energy, GIS has never been more important in providing technology to sustain our future. Share your stories on such an important topic. This track is for professionals and researchers working in any area of natural resource planning, management or research. Presentations from professionals working within public agencies, consulting firms and academia are encouraged, including examples of current planning and management applications, or modeling and planning for long-term changes at the local, regional or ecosystem scale.

Natural resource and environmental conservation management
Renewable energy
Climate change
Forestry and Fire
Coastal Protection
Water: Drought, Floods, and Supply
Wildlife
Parks and the Natural Landscape
Land Use Data for Resource Planning
Natural Resource Monitoring and Data Stewardship
Other natural resource topics

GIS for Next-Gen 9-1-1 and Emergency Response

As the use of GIS continues to grow in the fields of emergency response and next generation 9-1-1 telecommunications, having the ability to accurately locate emergency incidents is more important than ever. The application of GIS technology is a proven benefit to those who are responding to both natural and human-caused disasters. With no shortage of emergency situations, whether it is a catastrophic wildfire or isolated call for help via 9-1-1, GIS and accurate address data facilitate timely emergency responses. GIS-Pro and CalGIS 2018 recognize the value of GIS in assisting those who answer the calls for help. Presentations highlighted in the GIS for Next Gen 9-1-1 and Emergency Response track will cover improving location data quality, emergency response applications, emergency mitigation applications, and the coordination and data sharing between local, regional, national and international agencies that improves the emergency response at all levels.

Suggested Topics:

Emergency Response and Coordination using GIS
Hazard Mitigation
NextGen 9-1-1 GIS Data Quality
Disaster Preparation Planning
Wildfire Mitigation
Landslide Mitigation
Other related topics

GIS Supporting Health and Human Services

Explore the numerous ways that GIS can support the development of healthy communities; fight pandemics; support our vulnerable citizens; combat the opioid crisis; and better support both the mental and physical health of the public. Share your challenges and solutions to some of these issues that impact us all. Explore the numerous ways that GIS is used to plan and facilitate effective delivery of services to the public at the individual and community level.

Supporting vulnerable populations (homeless, aging, disabled, veterans, etc.)
Building Healthy Communities
Fighting the opioid epidemic
Health impact assessments
Well-being and mental health
Access to healthcare / health facilities and services
Access to healthy foods (food deserts), food safety
Active living, recreation, and physical activity; obesity strategies and interventions
Crime, violence, personal safety/health
Epidemiology; disease vectors; spread of infectious diseases (Zika, cholera, measles, flu outbreak, etc.)
Exposures (air quality, water quality, lead, etc.)
Emerging technologies
Chronic diseases and the environment, including cancers, diabetes and obesity
Data privacy, confidentiality
Other health and human services topics

Data Driven Communities aka Smart Communities

The sessions in the track will discuss the ways communities use data (both geospatial and non-spatial), the pros and cons of data collection and analysis, and how people interact with data to form policies.

Crowdsourcing
Community Engagement
Smart Cities
Urban Planning
Transportation and Transit
Autonomous vehicles
Sustainability & Resilience
Environment
Active Transportation
Walkability
Sustainability
Resilience
Market Urbanism
Broadband
Retrofitting the Suburbs

Technology

Technology changes the way we do business. Modern technology provides the GIS professional with new capabilities to perform much of what we do in our careers. Some of this technology is must-have, providing a real return on investment, while others address new business challenges, while some are just simply cool and provide the wow factor to our work. The presentations in this program track will highlight the new GIS and supporting geospatial technology and capabilities that meet defined needs, demonstrate values, and just plain impress.