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Today: Dr. Patricia Solis, Co-Founder of Youth Mappers, to Speak at Noon!


Celebrate Mapping Our Place in the World: International Education Week and Geography Awareness Week (Nov 16, 2016) with Keynote Speaker, Dr. Patricia Solis

Wednesday, November 16 (Monroe B @ noon)

Dr. Patricia Solis, co-founder of Youth Mappers <https://www.youthmappers.org/>  & senior research associate, Texas Tech University. 

Dr. Solis will talk about Open Street Mapping and the way college students can address real world challenges through geospatial technology and mapping. (See attached flier.)

Open Street mapping is the equivalent to Wikipedia but for mapping.  Students are involved in projects that have a positive impact on the world, such as mapping for malaria prevention in Kenya; creating and improving infrastructure data in Indonesia where there is an active stratovolcano; and helping communities in Uganda map their world in order to develop greater resilience to shocks affecting them (https://www.youthmappers.org/projects-1.)   Youth Mappers has chapters across the state (Cornell, Geneseo, Fredonia), the country (George Washington University to Texas Tech) and the world (University of Cape Coast, Ghana to Universidad de Panama and Trubhuvan University in Nepal).  MCC is attempting to become the first community college in the nation to become a member.

Get the GIST! The Geospatial Information Science & Technology Certificate (expected spring 2017)
The Geospatial Information Science and Technology (GIST) Certificate is tailor made for western New York’s regional GIST industry needs, and allows for possible transfer opportunities to four year universities.  The GIST Certificate was recently approved by SUNY, and is awaiting approval from NYSED.

What do Geospatial Information Scientists and Technologists do?
Geospatial technologies, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, Global

Positioning Systems (GPS), and online mapping, are increasingly important for understanding our complex world. Geospatial Information Scientists and may produce databases, perform applications programming or coordinate projects.  Many also specialize in areas such as agriculture, mining, environment, business, health care, retail trade, urban planning, or military intelligence.

Job Outlook and Wages
In 2010 the US Department of Labor released a statement highlighting geospatial technology as one of the most important emerging and evolving fields in the technology industry. Normal pay for Geospatial Information Scientists and Technologists is $54,457 per year. New workers generally start around $28,242 per year, while highly experienced workers can earn as much as $93,155 per year.

Curious for more information?  Contact:
Jon Little from the Geography/Geospatial Program (jlittle@monroecc.edu)
Heather Pierce from the Geography/Geospatial Program (hpierce@monroecc.edu)

Jon Little and Gale Lynch
The Geography Program and Global Education and International Services
11/16/2016


Attachments:
icon Patricia Solis Poster.pdf