Unfolding a map's potential. Geographic Information Systems applications grow for U of I program

A map is a map. It can show you where things were at the time it was created. It can’t show what happened 20 years ago or predict what’s coming based on population trends, water usage or traffic patterns.

Today’s Geographic Information Systems technology makes the maps of yesteryear seem quaint - and there’s no confounded folding.

“GIS is a powerful tool,” said Bruce Godfrey, who maintains Idaho’s Geospatial Data Clearinghouse called INSIDE Idaho. He works for the library at the University of Idaho in Coeur d’Alene. “Even though it has been around for quite a while on the desktop, I would call it an emerging and rapidly evolving technology on the web. Some industries are just beginning to realize that there are many, many opportunities with it, depending on what you want to do.”

An example of that emergence: Before 2015, if a new school was going to be built in Idaho, an engineer would pore over snow load maps to make sure the planned building’s trusses could withstand a major snowstorm.

The process was tedious and time consuming. Now engineers can look up the information online with a simple click, thanks to state-of-the-art GIS technology at the U of I.

“We have added 30 years worth of data,” said Richard Nielsen, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering with the University of Idaho. “It’s so much faster than it used to be with GIS. You can click on a location and see the snow load to be factored into the design of a building or structure.”

GIS allows the user to create and interact with maps and databases. GIS is a computer system for capturing, storing, querying, analyzing, and displaying geographic data. It can be used in a variety of ways to generate reports and analyses for decision makers. The technology has been around since the 1960s, but it really took off in 1986 when one of the first desktop products was launched.

The University of Idaho offers a one-year professional certificate program. Advances in web-based GIS technology are driving new interest in the field as well as the desire for current professionals to expand their skills, said Godfrey.

“It used to take two years, but the Department of Geography recently streamlined it to be completed in half the time,” Godfrey said. “If people are interested in our cohort, there is an orientation meeting on May 12, with classes beginning this summer.”

Frank Roberts, Director of Information Technology for Innovate! Inc., a Virginia-based company that specializes in GIS, IT, Cloud Advisory Services and Management Consulting, said demand for GIS services is increasing in both the private and public sectors.

 “GIS is an evolving technology and has been constantly changing for the last 25 years,” said Roberts, who is able to telecommute from North Idaho. “It’s simply a tool that has a lot of benefits for many different disciplines such as natural resource management and engineering.”

Roberts, a University of Idaho graduate, notes that his company has hired a number of people from the region, who are then also able to work for Innovate’s clients remotely from their homes.

 “The cost of living is a lot less here than living in Alexandria, Va. and that puts people in North Idaho at an advantage,” said Roberts. “I’ve been a part of the recruiting efforts and our company has doubled in size every year for the last 5 years. Our region has a lot to offer, we have many people that are innovative and creative. I see GIS technology as another way for people to build thing with their hands, and that matches many individuals mindsets here in North Idaho.”

North Idaho has an active GIS professional and education community, said Godfrey. The University of Idaho regularly hosts events to bring GIS practitioners and academia together to discuss ways in which the technology is being used and to consider new ways they might implement it to inform decision making.

Debbie Frisbie, GIS Coordinator for the City of Coeur d’Alene, said the practical applications for GIS are far reaching and have greatly improved the way the city manages data over the years.

“It can tell me how many houses are in a subdivision, the average population within it, and what the utilities are within that subdivision,” said Frisbie. “It’s much easier to read than just a spreadsheet and it’s a neat analysis tool.”

Kelly Hugo is enrolled in the GIS certificate program and hopes to complete it this spring. She works for Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty in Coeur d’Alene, as the listings manager.

“There is always a possibility this can apply to the real estate industry,” she said. “GIS has a wide range of uses, which is why it’s so appealing to me. We mapped watersheds in a hydrology course last fall and right now we’re mapping fire models and learning about fire management. It’s all really interesting.”

The real appeal for Hugo is more fundamental than the variety of uses.

“I’ve always enjoyed making maps,” she said. “GIS is a logical step for me.”

For more information about GIS, call (208) 667-2588 or visit http://www.uidaho.edu/cda/academics/all-programs/geographicinformationsystems

--Written by Marc Stewart, Director of Sponsored Content.

If you’re interested in learning more about sponsored content, contact Kari Packer, Sales Manager at the Coeur d’Alene Press. She can be reached at (208) 664-0215 or at kpacker@cdapress.com