UCGIS Symposium 2025

Main conference registration is available on the UCGIS website. Use this website to sign-up for workshops using the "Reserve Tickets" button after logging in below.

1:30pm MDT

Teaching Introduction to Geographic Information Science: Best Practices and Reflections

Tuesday June 24, 2025 1:30pm - 3:00pm MDT

Salon E (Conference Center)

This session will compare practices and discuss methods for teaching introduction to GIS and other geospatial courses, bringing together a diverse group of faculty. The participants will share their experience teaching the course, their format for the course, and what does and does not work in the classroom (projects vs. exams, teaching both lecture and lab vs. teaching lecture with TAs teaching labs, types of projects, working with/around AI, etc., ESRI software vs. others, hybrid vs. face-2-face vs. online, etc.).

This session will also focus on the future direction of GIS and teaching it, and how we are instructors of GIS courses prepare our students to work within today’s geospatial world while also discussing how our methods have changed over time. Anyone interested is invited to also share their experiences in teaching the course, along with ideas on how to give students the best experience concerning learning GIS.

Moderators

Caroline McClure

Lecturer, Georgia State University

Speakers

Forrest Bowlick

Senior Lecturer, University of Massachusetts - Amherst

Jennifer Swift, PhD, GISP

Associate Professor (Teaching), USC, Spatial Sciences Institute

Jennifer Swift has developed and taught novel courses in the USC Undergraduate and Graduate Programs in GeoDesign and Geographic Information Science and Technology and teaches several programming-focused courses. She oversees Master’s theses and graduate research projects and was... Read More →

Devika Jain

GIS Data Science Project Manager, Harvard CGA

Tuesday June 24, 2025 1:30pm - 3:00pm MDT
Salon E (Conference Center) 2221 Grand Ave, Laramie, WY 82070, USA

Presentations, Panel discussion

3:30pm MDT

Building Robust Infrastructures for Future GIS Applications: Insights and Innovations

Tuesday June 24, 2025 3:30pm - 5:00pm MDT

Salon E (Conference Center)

As we focus on “Navigating the Geospatial Frontier: Future Directions for Academia and Its Partners” for UCGIS 2025, it is essential to discuss building robust infrastructures to support future GIS applications. The rapidly advancing fields of geospatial big data science and GeoAI require scalable, cost-efficient, and high-performance infrastructure.
This panel will explore the design and implementation of infrastructures that integrate critical components such as data acquisition, storage, processing, analysis, visualization, and security. Featuring use cases from academia and industry partners, the discussion aims to empower researchers to execute Geospatial AI and Data Science projects across diverse applications by strengthening Geographic Information Systems (GIS) infrastructure and services for next-generation GIS applications.
The panel will also address strategies for managing diverse datasets—including social media, climate data, and WebAI—while encouraging the use of open-source geospatial datasets for broader academic impact. Emphasis will be placed on high-performance infrastructures that support both vector and raster big data, leveraging scalable storage systems, distributed computing frameworks, and cloud-based solutions.
This session intends to highlight community initiatives, fostering a collaborative exchange of ideas and experiences. Through case studies and demos, we aim to provide actionable insights and strategies for designing, implementing, and managing cutting-edge infrastructures tailored to the evolving demands of future geospatial analytics.
Panelists:

Dr. John P. Wilson (USC)
Dr. Shaowen Wang (UIUC)
Geri Miller (ESRI)
Len Kne (UMN)

Moderator: Devika Jain, Harvard CGA

Moderators

Devika Jain

GIS Data Science Project Manager, Harvard CGA

Speakers

Len Kne

U-Spatial Director, University of Minnesota

Geri Miller

Sr. Manager, Esri

Tuesday June 24, 2025 3:30pm - 5:00pm MDT
Salon E (Conference Center) 2221 Grand Ave, Laramie, WY 82070, USA

Presentations, Panel discussion

1:30pm MDT

From Student to GIS Pro: GIS Career Readiness Workshop

Wednesday June 25, 2025 1:30pm - 3:00pm MDT

Salon E (Conference Center)

Join us for a workshop for strategies on seeking mentorship, building your professional network, investing in your professional development and navigating the exciting world of GIS careers. You will hear from the Geospatial Professional Network (GPN) and how to access and leverage their Mentor Network. Esri Young Professionals Network (YPN) will cover the power of networking and strategies to establish a strong support system and grow your presence in the GIS community. GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) will discuss leveraging the PreGISP exam for your own professional development and to jumpstart your GIS career. GISphere will cover resources and opportunities for GIS scholars. To wrap up, you'll participate in an interactive networking activity, giving you the chance to refine your skills and forge meaningful connections.

Presenters:
Hannah Walters
GIS Analyst, Denver Water
Affiliation: Geospatial Professionals Network (GPN)

Austin Stone
Account Manager – Education, Esri
Affiliation: Esri Young Professionals Network (YPN)

Jochen Albrecht
Professor for Computational and Theoretical Geography and Graduate Adviser, Hunter College CUNY
Affiliation: GIS Certification Institute (GISCI)

Armita Kar
Assistant Professor, Geography and Geoinformation Science, George Mason University
Affiliation: GISphere

Speakers

Jochen Albrecht

Professor for Computational and Theoretical Geography and Graduate Adviser, Hunter College CUNY

Professor for Computational and Theoretical Geography at Hunter College, CUNY and research associate at the Mineta Transportation Center @ San Jose State University. President of the GISCI and Board member of CGIA and BayGeo. Interested in open source GIS (for emergency management... Read More →

Hannah Walters

GIS Analyst, Denver Water

Hannah Walters is a GIS Analyst for Denver Water in Colorado, where her focus is in GIS applications for watershed analysis. She is on the Vanguard Cabinet and serves as the Outreach Coordinator for the Rocky Mountain chapter of URISA. Hannah graduated from the University of Colorado... Read More →

Armita Kar

Assistant Professor, Geography and Geoinformation Science, George Mason University

Austin Stone

Account Manager, Esri Education

Wednesday June 25, 2025 1:30pm - 3:00pm MDT
Salon E (Conference Center) 2221 Grand Ave, Laramie, WY 82070, USA

Presentations, Panel discussion

3:30pm MDT

Past Presidents' Panel

Wednesday June 25, 2025 3:30pm - 5:00pm MDT

Salon E (Conference Center)

Former UCGIS Presidents will discuss how lessons learned over the past 30 years of the organization can inform the UCGIS of the future.

Jeremy Mennis (moderator)
Jane Read
John Wilson
Nina Lam
Shaowen Wang
Sean Ahearn

Speakers

Nina Lam

Professor, Louisiana State University

Jeremy Mennis

Sean Ahearn

Professor, Hunter College

Jane Read

Wednesday June 25, 2025 3:30pm - 5:00pm MDT
Salon E (Conference Center) 2221 Grand Ave, Laramie, WY 82070, USA

Presentations, Panel discussion

10:30am MDT

Campus Geospatial Community Session

Thursday June 26, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm MDT

Salon E (Conference Center)

A conversation about how geospatial programs can build support within and between campuses.

Len Kne
Harvey Miller

Speakers

Len Kne

U-Spatial Director, University of Minnesota

Harvey Miller

Professor, The Ohio State University

Thursday June 26, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Salon E (Conference Center) 2221 Grand Ave, Laramie, WY 82070, USA

Presentations, Panel discussion

1:30pm MDT

Spatial science and data sharing across disciplines: Insights from the Wyoming Adapting to Climate-Water Transitions project

Thursday June 26, 2025 1:30pm - 3:00pm MDT

Salon E (Conference Center)

Many scholars have pointed to spatial data as an important boundary object in inter- and trans- disciplinary environmental work. And these sorts of complex, integrated projects are becoming more common in the face of funder pressure, shifting scholarly norms, and the deep complexity of modern socio-ecological crises. Therefore, it has never been more important to understand the potential translational role of spatial data in joining together large teams of environmental scientists, engineers, and social scientists. The current Wyoming Track 1 EPSCoR program, called Wyoming Adapting to Climate-Water Transitions (WyACT), puts this to the test. Environmental data are inherently spatial, and the project has been designed to promote interdisciplinary synergies via overlapping study locations and data that can crosswalk via spatial thinking. Even beyond the work already done, several of the sustainable deliverables of the program revolve around this concept of spatial science as boundary object, including: 1. An intersectoral modeling laboratory which centers spatial data (called CLIMES); 2. A long-term sensor network focused on collecting climate-water data throughout the state (WySEASON); and 3. A spatial data communication platform, which has become the host for most data collected through the project (WyADAPT). In this session, members of the WyACT team will discuss the ways that spatial data and spatial thinking have shaped their experience of WyACT, and how GIScience has influenced the outcomes of the project. We will use these presentations to catalyze discussion of the future of spatial science as a cornerstone of a more integrated academy in the 21st century.

Speakers