GIS Day Nov. 17

Geographic Information System (GIS) authority, Michael Goodchild, professor of Geography at the University of California at Santa Barbara , will address the question "Is GIS Becoming Mainstream?" at the sixth annual GIS Day, Wednesday, Nov. 17, at Fresno State .

Goodchild's presentation will begin at 9 a.m. and will be followed by presentations at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the Music Building Concert Hall. There is no registration required and no charge for the event.

GIS Day is held in conjunction with National Geographic Society's Geography Awareness Week ( Nov. 14 to20). GIS Day is a global event that celebrates geographic information system technology, the innovative technology that uses geography to bring countless benefits to the world.

The conference serves to make people aware of GIS technology and the important contributions it is making in the fields of science, technology, information and the humanities.

GIS Day is a grassroots event and a reflection of the enthusiasm and commitment of individual GIS users everywhere. GIS Day at Fresno State showcases activities of local GIS users.

A GIS is a computer-based mapping tool that takes information from a database about a location - such as streets, buildings, water features and terrain - and turns it into visual layers. The ability to see geographic features on a map gives users a better understanding of a particular location, enabling planners, analysts and others to make informed decisions about their communities.

The San Joaquin Valley has hundreds of organizations using GIS technology on a daily basis, said Robert Slobodian, director of Fresno State 's Interdisciplinary Spatial Information Systems Center (ISIS). From agriculture in the Valley to forestry in the Sierras and from the oil fields near Bakersfield to the Delta wetlands near Stockton , virtually all governments, local, state and federal agencies monitor the landscape, analyze impacts and plan the future with GIS.

Slobodian said that many people are not aware that GIS touches our lives daily. It is used throughout the world to solve problems related to the environment, health care, land use, business efficiency, education, and public safety. The power supply directed to homes, the patrol cars and fire trucks that keep neighborhoods safe, and the delivery trucks on the road all function more efficiently because of GIS.

This technology can also help businesses place ATMs and restaurants at more convenient locations, allow people to pull maps off the Internet and help farmers grow more crops with less chemicals, he said.

Most recently, Slobodian said, we have seen how GIS technology can be used to aid homeland security initiatives, map the debris field following the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy and monitor the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

"The applications of GIS technology are endless, limited only by the imagination of its users," said Slobodian.

GIS Day details will be posted on the ISIS Center Web site, www.isis.csufresno.edu as they are confirmed. For more information call 8-4951.