Bugs.clocks.search. No, it is not a typo and we have not gone crazy, this is one of the many 3 words coordinates that can be used to locate Harris Hall. We are talking about “What3words”, a new geocoding system devised to talk about the location of places in an easy to talk manner. What3words developed a 10×10 ft grid for the entire world and assigned a unique 3 word combination to each grid. Therefore, instead of having to provide a large number with decimals for lat and longs, they simply provide the 3 words. I know what you are thinking, this is the perfect story to publish on the “onion” and we are just trying to fool you. Well, we are not! In fact, the system was designed for places that do not have actual addresses or that rely on a local reference system. This has been of great help for many communities in developing countries that lack a well structure address system. Learn more about it at Beyond the GPS, Mapping Every Place, Everywhere and also check out the actual mapping application https://map.what3words.com/kicks.pasta.steer. By the way, future and recent grads – they are hiring!
Academic Opportunities
1) The Center for Geographic Information Science & Technology at the Rochester Institute of Technology is now accepting applications for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site ‘Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Disaster Resilience Spatial Thinking’ summer 2018 cohort. This cutting-edge ten-week interdisciplinary REU Site hosted at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) will be the first to focus on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for disaster resilience spatial thinking.
They are anticipating research projects focused on international disaster issues with partners in Germany, India, Rwanda, Jordan and elsewhere. They received supplemental funding from the NSF to conduct field work in Houston, Texas to study the response and recovery to 2017 Hurricane Harvey. The program is only available to current, full-time undergraduate students at US-based institutions. Students who have already graduated or are planning to graduate before the summer cannot be considered.
Students must have a GPA 3.0 or higher (4.0 scale) at the time of application. They are looking to recruit Geography, Social Science, Game Design, Computer Science, Information Technology, and any other groups of undergraduate student interested in GIS, disasters, spatial thinking, game development, and vulnerable populations.
The program will run for 10 week during summer 2018 on the Rochester Institute of Technology campus in Rochester NY. Full applications (including reference letters) for the 2018 REU Cohort: Friday 1 December 2017. Watch a video overview of information for potential applicants at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=THANk4wr9r8&t=20s and visit their website for more information on the REU Site and to apply: www.rit.edu/gccis/geoinfosciencecenter/research/nsf-reu.
2) We also have a great opportunity for our graduate students (current and former) who are interested in pursuing a PhD. The Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences, and the interdisciplinary graduate program in Geoinformatics at the University of Iowa are accepting applications for PhD degrees starting from Fall 2018. Graduate teaching and research fellowships, and assistantships will be available for these positions. They are particularly interested in recruiting students with research interests in areas such as:
Spatial network analysis, spatial data mining, geovisual analytics and human computer interaction, big data analytics for social media and networking applications, high performance computing, and application areas such as human migration and mobility, geographically-embedded social networks, patient mobility, human communication, transportation, and energy networks; movement and pass networks in sports, analysis of social media data. The application deadline is January 1st, 2018. Candidates should contact Dr. Koylu at caglar-koylu@uiowa.edu indicating their interest in the program along with their research interests and CV.
3) Funding is available for PhD student to study agricultural resilience and sustainability in the face of future climate change in the Department of Environment and Society at Utah State University. Possible projects include data-driven identification of resilient agroecosystems, spatiotemporal modeling of agricultural responses to water scarcity, and case studies in high/low resilience agricultural regions. The position will start in August 2018, though students interested in an earlier start date should contact Dr. Burchfield. Interested applicants should send a cover letter, CV, GPA, GRE scores, and a statement of their interest in the position and relevant education and experiences to Dr. Emily Burchfield at emily.burchfield@usu.edu.
Job Opportunities
Here are the most recent job opportunities for our recent and soon to be graduates:
Data and Mapping Intern, State of Ohio, Franklin County, OH
Utility Forester (GIS skills needed), Arbometrics Solution, Ashland, KY
GIS Programmer Analyst (2 jobs), State of West Virginia, Kanawha County
Environmental Resources Specialists (2 jobs), State of West Virginia, Multiple locations
GIS Analyst, City of Louisville, Louisville, KY
GIS Administrator, Frankfort Plant Board, Frankfort, KY
GIS Technician, Atlas 10, Northern, KY
GIS Specialist, State of Ohio, Franklin County, OH
GIS Analyst (Entry level), Williams, North canton, OH
GIS Technician, Staffing the Universe, Akron, OH
GIS Specialist, Integrated Talent Strategies, New Albany, OH
GIS Specialiast III, Experis, Groverport, OH
Should you have any questions about any of these opportunities, do not hesitate to get in contact.
Sincerely,
The Geography Department