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[Tim] I see geographic information systems as the integration of database management
technology, computer visualization mapping technology and spatial analysis technology.
We pull together multiple data sets, multiple sources of data in very many formats and create
information out of that data. [Suzanne] Our program helps students solve
sustainability challenges primarily because we teach them how to integrate a great deal
of information. [Tim] The nature of the curriculum is composed
of a core concentration curriculum and then an application focus curriculum. The core
focuses on more skill development, more technology development, basic kinds of problem solving
and skill building in GIS along the lines of sustainability management and then in the
concentration courses in the last four courses of the program we look at applications of
those technologies and skills to do more collaborative problem solving.
[Suzanne] We focus on environmental concerns and social concerns and economic concerns
and instead of any one of those avenues being treated separately when we are able to integrate
them and consider them together then we really are doing sustainability science. We need
to design things in such a way that they are suitable now but they'll also not do any damage
or make it difficult for future generations.
[Tim] The nature of the learning experience there is interacting with a community partner
who proposes offering a particular project that is a meaningful project in the world
out there on the ground and then we enlist these community partners to work with us in
the Capstone workshop to help students find their way in terms of what we'll call the
real world out there. We have students in the program that have bachelor's degree in
geographic information systems programs, maybe one year worth of internship as it would be
to people who have 15 years of experience working with geographic information systems.
We have quite a broad set of students with various backgrounds. It's students who are
interested in collaborative problem solving from some of the major issues that are confronting
society these days. [Suzanne] The knowledge that they get here
allows them to move into other lines of work in the same field, often in the same companies.
But for others, they really weren't aware that they would be able to really be in the
driver's seat when it comes to taking on tasks or research or making a difference in the
various fields. [Tim] When we look at geographic information
systems now in terms of relevancy, it's embedded in most local governments, certainly regional,
state, national governance across the world at this point in time. A lot of private industry
organizations making use of it because of the nature of the technology as an integrated
technology.
[Suzanne] Each day we are being bombarded with all sorts of geo-data and we get a great
deal of information. But information isn't knowledge, so it's the geographic information
systems that allow us to take all of the data that's being sent to us and integrate it in
a way where we can make some sense of it and we can actually produce knowledge. I hope
the students take away from this program an understanding of themselves as change makers.
The technology's changing so rapidly that it's actually really difficult to predict
how it might change, still I think one of the ways that I'm comfortable in predicting
how it'll change, is that it is going to make it much easier to do really complicated things.