Beyond Google: Geospatial Information Support team @ Remote Sensing and GIS Research and Outreach Services Helps Illustrate Results

Contact: Jessica A. Knoblauch, News Writer for Environmental Science and Policy Program: (517) 432-3823 or knoblau7@msu.edu

June 4, 2007

Millions of people access user-generated services such as Google Maps to find everything from restaurants to auto dealers nearby. This service is created through geographic information system technology (GIS), a system for capturing, storing, analyzing and managing data and associated attributes which are spatially referenced to the earth (i.e. have a known location).

Though GIS technology is convenient for those who want to find what's around them without actually having to drive around, it can do so much more. GIS technology can be used for scientific investigations, resource management, asset management, environmental impact assessments, urban planning and even criminology.  

Gone are the days when researchers depended solely on tabular data in Excel sheets to help illustrate their findings. What really makes research understandable are visuals like maps and pictures. "In every area, people are becoming more accustomed to seeing map data. As a result, it is crucial to have the ability to map your research," said Jessica Moy, Director of Remote Sensing and Geospatial Information Science Research and Outreach Services (RS&GIS), a non-academic program located in the Geography Department at MSU.  

The mission of RS&GIS is to provide state-of-the-art remote sensing (for example, an aircraft taking photographs), global positioning systems (collecting locations through satellite positions), GIS, and cartographic services to the MSU campus, the state of Michigan, and other agencies. Since its inception in 1972, the RS&GIS program has strived to serve as a single point of contact for comprehensive geospatial service and outreach. "We get a wide range of people, from the novice user looking for a way to get started to the technically savvy researcher in search of an elusive data set or a recommendation for a complicated analysis," said Moy.

One example of GIS technology can be found on the Lansing Police Department's Web site. There police have used geo-coding (the process of creating a map of address points from tabular information) to pinpoint recent crimes in the Lansing area. Crime mapping serves two purposes: it allows community members to see if there has been any crime in a particular area, and it helps police predict where a criminal may strike next. "If you're looking at data in a tabular format, it can be very hard to discern a pattern," said Moy. "But once you map that data, those patterns just jump right out at you."

This year the RS&GIS program expanded significantly, due in large part to a two-year Environmental Research Initiative (ERI) grant that was awarded through the Environmental Science and Policy Program (ESPP) at MSU. This grant has helped the program come closer to its end goal, to be a service entity for geospatial technology on campus. Whereas before the program charged a fee for service, team members are now able to provide a few free hours of service to anyone in need of remote sensing technology. "There's no reason why a researcher on campus should be duplicating capacity and spending tens of thousands of dollars on geospatial software. Come to us and use our full suite of expertise," said Moy.

The program is also building the Geospatial Information Support team (GISt) Web site which will serve as a data hub for the public and the MSU community. The site will provide detailed maps and archives of Michigan, as well as give viewers the opportunity to post their own data. The Web site is expected to be fully operational in mid-May and can be accessed at http://www.gist.msu.edu.