On November 18, the University of Kansas will host the Eighth Annual GIS Day @ KU, as part of events all over the world to recognize practical applications and technological innovation in geographic information systems (GIS).

This symposium, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Kansas Union, is free and open to the public. GIS Day @ KU will include talks on various topics related to GIS and mapping, an information and job fair and a student presentation competition. Last year’s event attracted more than 200 people from academia, the private sector and government.

GIS technologies have grown in use and importance over the last two decades. The technology allows users to create, store and analyze spatially referenced data and imagery. Users can then share that information with maps and charts, sometimes via the Internet. GIS combines the visual appeal and effectiveness of a map with the power of information, i.e. the database linked to the map. The Internet adds to wider array of uses and increased accessibility.

GIS Day @ KU will include presentations by GIS experts from campus and around the United States, covering a wide variety of topics, not all of which will be technical. The keynote talk will be on the use of GIS in transportation. The student presentation competition will include topics from a variety of disciplines.

GIS Day @ KU is sponsored by KU Libraries, the KU Transportation Research Institute, KU Department of Geography, Kansas Data Access and Support Center, KU Institute for Policy & Social Research, Wilson & Company Engineers and Architects, and several other KU academic departments and regional companies. An exhibit on GIS research at KU will coincide with GIS Day, opening that week in the Watson Library Multimedia Gallery space on the third (main) floor.

KU Libraries is a campus partner in facilitating the GIS and mapping-related research of KU students, staff and faculty through the Scholar Services unit. The GIS and Data Lab provides assistance finding and working with geospatial data, as well as workshops and other instructional resources.

“One of my favorite parts of GIS Day is that people from numerous disciplines in academia, from local to state to federal government, from non-profits and from the private sector come together for a rare opportunity to mix and mingle, and talk maps and data,” said Rhonda Houser, GIS specialist in KU Libraries. “GIS is an interdisciplinary tool and as such, attendees and topics covered at this symposium are diverse, yet may have similar approaches to projects and research. GIS is a tool used across campus for research and teaching in fields ranging from ecology to social welfare to history. We hope to highlight the varied uses of this tool across campus and around the world, and provide a forum for participants to discuss and discover the possibilities of GIS.”

Those interested may attend any part or all of the symposium. For a detailed schedule and to register for GIS Day @ KU, visit www.gis.ku.edu.