Issue 3 March 1, 2015 UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-FLINT GIS CENTER NEWSLETTER The GISC’s mission is to leverage interdisciplinary collaborations in the use of geospatial technology (GIS, Remote Sensing, GPS) for research, education, and community service. Contents: GIS Symposium Review New Website Material GIS Center Publication New GISC Grant - Renew the Avenue GIS User Spotlight - University Faculty Current/Recent Activities in the GIS Center Educational Opportunities GIS Symposium Review The GIS Center provided a half-day event on December 5 th , 2014, featuring a variety of presentations. Presentations included introductions to the GIS Center (GISC) and the GIS Certificate program, faculty research, GIS applications in Biology, GISC research, and a talk about the GIS software, Pictometry. Throughout the event, approximately 30 people attended the presentations and the keynote speaker Nicole Whitehead. Nicole is from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and oversees the nation’s 2 nd ranked Site Selection Tool. Her discussion showed us the many uses of using the site selection tool and how the MEDC uses GIS. For PDF copies of the presentations, please visit the Past Events page at our website. First Publication for the GIS Center! The GIS Center has published its first scholarly journal article from research that was completed as a part of the Research and Creative Activity funding from the University of Michigan–Flint's Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. The grant research investigated potential fire-flow capacity issues in two communities in Genesee County, as well as potential issues with the storage of hazardous materials. The scholarly article was published in the Fire Safety Journal and the abstract for the article is: There are numerous methods currently used to calculate required water flow rates for sprinklered and non- sprinklered buildings. The aim of this study is provide a flexible automated procedure for identifying locations lacking adequate fire flow. To accomplish this objective, this research uses a GIS procedure to determine the spatial relationships between fire hydrants and historical fire incidences, and integrates the recommended hydrant spacing and building type specifications from the International Fire Code. This method was tested in two communities in East Central Michigan, USA. The results indicate an ability to define clusters of fires, determine the availability of hydrants, and assess the suitability of the available fire flow, including areas of potential extra capacity. Using these same data, additional GIS analyses can optimize hydrant location, ascertain the frequencies of different categories of fires, and identify the patterns of building types prone to fires. You can find the article at our website. New Website Material! Please go and check out our website at www.umflint.edu/gis! We have changed things around and provided new material to view. On the website you can find links to images from grant projects, student projects, and mapping projects, along with descriptions of past and present projects within the GIS Center. GIS Center staff profiles were added with background and images, along with descriptions of past events. Please provide any feedback to [email protected] so that we can provide the best experience on the website. Community Partners
Transcript
Issue 3 March 1, 2015
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-FLINT
GIS CENTER NEWSLETTER
The GISC’s mission is to
leverage interdisciplinary
collaborations in the use of
geospatial technology (GIS,
Remote Sensing, GPS) for
research, education, and
community service.
Contents:
GIS Symposium Review
New Website Material
GIS Center Publication
New GISC Grant - Renew the Avenue
GIS User Spotlight - University Faculty
Current/Recent Activities in the GIS Center
Educational Opportunities
GIS Symposium Review
The GIS Center provided a half-day
event on December 5th, 2014,
featuring a variety of presentations.
Presentations included
introductions to the GIS Center
(GISC) and the GIS Certificate
program, faculty research, GIS
applications in Biology, GISC
research, and a talk about the GIS
software, Pictometry.
Throughout the event,
approximately 30 people attended
the presentations and the keynote
speaker Nicole Whitehead. Nicole
is from the Michigan Economic
Development Corporation
(MEDC) and oversees the nation’s
2nd
ranked Site Selection Tool. Her
discussion showed us the many
uses of using the site selection tool
and how the MEDC uses GIS.
For PDF copies of the
presentations, please visit the Past
Events page at our website.
First Publication for the GIS Center!
The GIS Center has published its first scholarly journal
article from research that was completed as a part of the
Research and Creative Activity funding from
the University of Michigan–Flint's Office of Research and
Sponsored Programs. The grant research investigated
potential fire-flow capacity issues in two communities in
Genesee County, as well as potential issues with the
storage of hazardous materials. The scholarly article was
published in the Fire Safety Journal and the abstract for
the article is:
There are numerous methods currently used to calculate
required water flow rates for sprinklered and non-
sprinklered buildings. The aim of this study is provide a
flexible automated procedure for identifying locations
lacking adequate fire flow. To accomplish this objective,
this research uses a GIS procedure to determine the
spatial relationships between fire hydrants and historical
fire incidences, and integrates the recommended hydrant
spacing and building type specifications from the
International Fire Code. This method was tested in two
communities in East Central Michigan, USA. The results
indicate an ability to define clusters of fires, determine the
availability of hydrants, and assess the suitability of the
available fire flow, including areas of potential extra
capacity. Using these same data, additional GIS analyses
can optimize hydrant location, ascertain the frequencies
of different categories of fires, and identify the patterns of
Customized spatial datasets Cartographic map production
Spatial Analytics Web mapping
Data Creation and Management Geo-visualization
Agent Based Modeling
GIS Data Local, regional, and nationwide
spatial data upon request
GIS User Spotlight: University Faculty - Biology
Heather Dawson Assistant Professor Brief Bio: My name is Heather Dawson and I am an assistant professor of biology. My research interests include fish population dynamics and management of aquatic invasive species. I have very little experience with GIS.
How do you use GIS within your research? I have used handheld devices to mark waypoints and delineate fish habitat. I am currently determining distances between weather stations and streams of interest to help understand the relationship between stream temperature and air temperature in order to determine factors affecting larval fish growth. Do you use GIS while you are teaching? I am not currently using GIS while I am teaching. I teach very basic understanding of GIS-associated terms such as juxtaposition and interspersion to help students understand the importance of habitat factors that affect animal ecology. What is your favorite aspect of using GIS? Using it to understand the effect of microhabitat variables on animal ecology.
Jill Witt Assistant Professor Brief Bio: I am an assistant professor in Biology specializing in forest and wildlife ecology. I started using GIS during my master’s degree program at Grand Valley State University, where I developed an ecological niche model for a critically endangered Southeast Asian montane
bird species, called the Beautiful Nuthatch. For my PhD at Michigan Tech, I used GIS to develop my field sampling protocol and to determine potential landscape influences on winter habitat use by white-tailed deer and subsequently, the effects of overbrowsing by deer on forest regeneration. How do you use GIS within your research? I currently have two research projects at UM Flint where I will be using GIS. In a collaborative project with the US Forest Service, I and my graduate student, Karen Ickes LeMasters, will be assessing how varying degrees of forest canopy cover affect forest floor temperature and the timing of phenology for lupine, a host plant of the endangered Karner blue butterfly. My other graduate student, Anjela Sullenger, and I will be using GIS to analyze the current distribution for two populations of American marten, a cute but ferocious member of the weasel family that was reintroduced into the Lower Peninsula in the 1980s. One of the most fascinating parts of this project for me will be to look at the two populations spatially, using GIS, to determine if there are corridors of mature forest that currently link the two population, and if not, how can we influence forest management in ways that will establish corridors and promote use of them by marten. What is your favorite aspect of using GIS? What I really enjoy about using GIS is that I can take what I learn in my on-the-ground forest and wildlife field research and use GIS to problem solve and to make management recommendations. These recommendations can then be applied to complex, heterogeneous landscapes throughout the northern Lower Peninsula. Do you use GIS while you are teaching? Not yet, though I do plan on using GIS in a Forest Ecology course I am developing for Summer 2016.
Current/Recent Activities in the GIS Center Presentations On October 24, 2014, Troy Rosencrants and Marty Kaufman presented a talk “GIS
Regional Prosperity: Experiences from the GIS Center at the UM-Flint” at the Genesee County Planning Forum held in Flint, MI.
Marty Kaufman and Troy Rosencrants presented their research “GIS Method for Characterizing Fire-Fighting Capacity” at the 61st Annual North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International in Washington D.C. on November 15, 2014.
Greg Rybarczyk travelled to the University of Kansas to give two research talks in November of 2014. He presented one for GIS Day, titled “Using GIS and Spatial Modeling to Examine Active Travel Potential in a University Town” and the other was for the School of Business titled “Visualizing travel attitudes: The role of GIS and Big Data”.
Greg Rybarczyk and Richard Wetzel will be presenting their work on their USDA grant titled “Food Access in Michigan” at the annual American Association of Geographers National Conference in Chicago, IL in April 2015.
Mapping Projects The GIS Center helped University Outreach by producing a few maps for their work with
the City of Flint Master Plan Environmental Features, Parks & Open Space Implementation Team.
The GIS Center provided maps of donors to the University Development department for future visits.
News in GIS
The requirements for GIS Professional Certification will be changing in July 2015. For more information please visit www.gisci.org.
ESRI has released ArcGIS 10.3 and ArcGIS Pro, a new program that allows for 2D and 3D representation within the same application. For more information, please visit www.esri.com
Eastern Michigan University’s Yichun Xie, Director of Eastern Michigan’s Institute for Geospatial Research and Education, was awarded a $1.5 million NSF grant to help 120 teachers integrate GIS and technology into the classroom. Approximately 5,000 students (grades 8-12) will participate.
Workshops! The GIS Center is planning on providing workshops in the Summer of 2015 that would potentially allow professionals to earn CEU’s or educators to earn SCECH’s. Please keep your eye on the website for news!
Global Mapping Solutions—GPS/GIS Field Data Collection Technician
Global Mapping Solutions provides GIS and GPS Inventory services for electric utility and telecommunication companies. For more information visit http://www.gjc.org/gjc-cgi/showjob.pl?id=1423023666
Internships
Do you enjoy using GIS? Interested in natural areas management? Want to spend the summer in
Ann Arbor? Then check-out the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum Natural Areas GIS Internship program for this summer.
Sleeping Bear Dunes is looking for a GIS Intern for this summer. Students will receive a $20/day
stipend and free housing in the park. Email a resume including phone numbers of two references, transcripts, and a cover letter to Amanda Bushaber ([email protected]). The posting is at http://www.nps.gov/slbe/supportyourpark/upload/2015_intern_brochure_020215.pdf
Awards/Competitions
2015 IMAGIN Student Poster and Paper Competition
Graduate Students may submit a paper with a max of 4000 words and undergraduates may submit posters for competition. Submissions are due by March 13, 2015. More information is available at www.imagin.org/awards.php.
Upcoming Conferences
AAG Annual Meeting
The AAG Annual Meeting will be in Chicago, IL on April 21-25, 2015. More information at www.aag.org/cs/annualmeeting
IMAGIN 2015 Annual Educational Conference
The annual IMAGIN conference will be held at Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City, MI on June 7-9, 2015. More information is at www.imagin.org/conference.php.
ESRI User Conference: United We Map
The annual User conference by ESRI will be held at the San Diego Convention Center July 20-24, 2015. More information is at http://www.esri.com/events/user-conference.
U of M Faculty, Staff and Students Have Free Access to Virtual GIS Courses
All University of Michigan faculty, staff, and students have access to free ESRI Virtual Campus GIS courses. No matter your expertise there is a course for you. For more information please visit http://guides.lib.umich.edu/content.php?pid=161311&sid=1363686 and follow the instructions listed under ESRI Virtual Campus Courses.
