IN THIS ISSUE
NEWS
3 President’s Column
5 Dan Parr Remembered
6 Penn State’s Online
Master of GIS Earns
The Association for GIS Professionals “Most Outstanding
Online Program”
Award
8 Bill Garrison Tells Us
a Bit about His Friend
GIS/Geospatial Industry
And Colleague, Ed
Horwood
10 Welcome new urisa
Worldwide Growth Slows members
to 1% in 2009
Industry CEO Sentiment Strongly with the robust 11% compound annual in Europe where investment in GIS/
Upbeat for 2010 and Beyond. growth rate of the past six years would Geospatial technology has been hurt
return in 2010. more severely by the current downturn
North America has not been as as many European governments have
GIS/Geospatial industry worldwide
adversely affected by the downturn cut back their geospatial technology
growth is forecast to slow to 1%, down
as the rest of the world due to the purchases in anticipation of lower tax
from 11% in 2008 and a whopping
on-going needs of homeland security collections.
17.4% in 2007 according to a just re-
and continuing investment in GIS, by Perhaps the most dramatic
leased study by Daratech, Inc., a Cam-
the public sector. Growth in North slowdown in 2009 was in the private
bridge, Massachusetts market research
America is forecast by Daratech to top sector, which is forecast to shrink to
firm. However, industry CEOs inter-
2.1%, more than twice the growth in $1.4 billion, down 0.7% from 2008.
viewed by Daratech were unanimous
Asia Pacific and five times the growth
in their belief that growth consistent
continued on page 4
Important URISA PRESIDENT
Kathrine Cargo, GISP-Orleans Parish
Communication District
About
Dates to Remember kcargo@911nola.org
PRESIDENT-ELECT
November 16–18, 2009 Cy Smith, GISP-State of Oregon
GIS in Transit Conference cy.smith@state.or.us
St Petersburg, FL
IMMEDIATE PAST-PRESIDENT The Urban and Regional Information
Hilary Perkins, GISP AICP-East-West Gateway Systems Association (URISA) is the
Council of Governments, St. Louis, MO
December 7–11, 2009 hilary.perkins@ewgateway.org premier professional association for
URISA Leadership Academy those involved in improving our urban
Seattle, WA SECRETARY
and regional environments through the
Cynthia Braddock-Boulder County (CO)
Assessor’s Office effective use of information technology.
cbraddock@co.boulder.co.us Professionals in planning, economic
March 8-11, 2010 development, information systems,
14th Annual GIS/CAMA Technologies TREASURER
Conference Greg Babinski, GISP-King County (WA) GIS emergency services, natural resources,
Little Rock, AR Center public works, transportation, and other
greg.babinski@kingcounty.gov departments within state and local
Carl Anderson, GISP-Fulton County (GA) government have depended on URISA
September 28– carl.anderson@vadose.org for professional development and
October 1, 2010 educational needs since 1963. Through
48th Annual URISA Conference & Clare Brown, GISP-Montgomery Watson
its international, national and local
Exposition Harza, New Orleans, LA
clare.brown@us.mwhglobal.com chapter operations, URISA serves nearly
Orlando, FL
8,000 professionals.
David DiBiase, GISP-Penn State University
dibiase@psu.edu
Be useful. If any two words have guided n GIS Hall of Fame. URISA established
my career and my volunteerism, it is the GIS Hall of Fame to recognize
those two words. Look for opportunities. and honor the most esteemed
Hilary E. H. Perkins,
Seek out new initiatives. Mentor. Help. GISP, AICP, East-West leaders of the geospatial community.
For many reasons that is why I’ve Gateway Council of Members’ body of work reflects
Governments
been an active URISA volunteer for so a record of contribution to the
many years. URISA is grounded in the advancement of the industry,
notion of service. It’s easy to look at demonstrates creative thinking
URISA’s history and point to so many and actions, vision and innovation,
initiatives and educational offerings inspiring leadership, perseverance,
that URISA provides to the geospatial and community mindedness.
industry. So much of what we have URISA Hall of Fame Laureates are
developed or been a part of have individuals or organizations whose
management and who want to make
become virtually ubiquitous in our pioneering work has moved the
an impact leveraging the power of
industry. Because we see service to our geospatial industry in a better,
GIS.
industry as paramount. Consider: n
stronger direction. These individuals
COGO. URISA’s leadership lead to
n GISCI. The GIS Certification represent the ultimate in service to
the formation of the Coalition of
Institute (GISCI) provides the our profession.
Geospatial Organizations (COGO),
geospatial community with a
joining eleven geospatial associations
complete professional certification These are but some of the enduring
to act cooperatively in response to
program. From early professional legacies developed by URISA. They will
short-term policy issues. COGO
years to retirement, GISCI offers live on well into the future. But what – as
is working aggressively to develop
participants a positive method of I’m often reminded – have you done for
policy guidance on a variety of
developing value for professionals me lately? As URISA members, I hope
critical national geospatial issues.
and employers in the GIS profession. you will remember that URISA is always
With ever-shifting budgets and
This program was initiated by URISA working to provide the educational and
priorities, it speaks well of our
and the GISP certification is available networking opportunities you need to
industry that we can work to find
to anyone in the industry, regardless advance your career. We are always
common ground on important
of association affiliation. looking for ways to strengthen the bonds
issues.
n URISA Leadership Academy (ULA).
n
between URISA International and our
URISA Journal. The URISA Journal
The ULA is an incredibly successful Chapters. We are always working on
is the flagship publication of the
program designed to teach us expanding our educational offerings
Association and is published both
to be effective leaders and GIS both in terms of content and delivery
in print and online. Members of
evangelists. Taught by leaders for methods. We know the value of the
URISA receive the URISA Journal as
leaders, the ULA helps us learn depth and breadth of our network, and
a member benefit. A distinguishing
about our own management style, constantly work to enhance it. This year
factor setting apart the URISA
team building, capacity building, the Board of Directors:
Journal from other academic journals
succession planning, budgeting, n Completed a new strategic plan
in the IT field is that authors are
overcoming political issues, and based on the Balanced Scorecard
not required to give up exclusive
strategic planning. The entire five approach
rights to their intellectual work
day program, the only leadership n Created a Policy Committee tasked
to the publisher. URISA Journal
training program of its type, is with developing policy positions
editors believe that science and
tailored to industry leaders and on important topics facing the
new knowledge are best advanced
practitioners without regard to geospatial industry
through an intellectual environment
professional association membership, n Reformulated the Nominations
of openness and freedom to build
who are faced with unique Committee into the Leadership
upon the work of those who came
challenges of GIS leadership and Development and Succession
before.
Planning Committee to identify and
continued on page 9
The Department of Geography and John groundwork for a variety of advanced quality and performance of our online
A. Dutton e-Education Institute at Penn spatial analysis projects.” students.”
State have received the Sloan-C Consor- According to Department Head Originally established in 1996 as
tium’s 2009 “Most Outstanding Online Karl Zimmerer, “the [MGIS] Program the “Asynchronous Learning Network”
Teaching & Learning Program” award has expanded dramatically the in 1996 with support from the Alfred
for “For creating a rigorous, high-quality number, geographic distribution, and P. Sloan Foundation, the Sloan-C
online graduate program that meets the age diversity of our graduate student Consortium represents nearly 1,000
growing need for individuals with an ad- population. Faculty members who online certificate and degree programs
vanced level of GIS education.” participate in the MGIS program as offered by 158 higher education
The combined Master of GIS degree instructors, advisers, and admissions institutions.
and Postbaccalaureate Certificate committee members remark on the high
Programs in GIS and Geospatial
Intelligence have attracted over 3,000
students from all 50 states and seven
continents.
The Department has conferred over
1,300 certificates of achievement since
the program’s founding in 1999, when
it consisted of only five classes. By 2009
the program expanded to 26 classes
comprising a professional masters
degree and two postbaccalaureate In Memoriam - Bob Marx (Father of TIGER)
certificate programs.
Courseware used in fourteen of the Robert W. Marx, former Chief of the Census Geog-
26 courses is freely available through raphy Division, succumbed to an illness on Monday,
the Open Educational Resources September 7, 2009 with his family at his side.
initiative of Penn State’s College of
Bob served as Chief of the Geography
Earth and Mineral Sciences at http://
Division of the Census Bureau from 1983 to 2003
open.ems.psu.edu
Fifty-five students have earned Penn (interrupted by a 3-year period as Associate Director
State’s MGIS degree since the graduate in the 1990s to prepare for Census 2000). He was
program was established in 2004. the architect of the Census Bureau’s TIGER System
Nearly 130 students are currently active which began in the early 1980s as a collaborative
in the MGIS program, while over 300
effort with the U.S. Geological Survey. Bob was a visionary who sought ways
more seek a Certificate of Achievement.
to advance the importance of census geography through new technological
In his letter of support for the
award nomination, MGIS graduate developments that were made practical through useful applications. By making
Christopher Goranson wrote “The spatial data for the nation available, the TIGER effort opened the way for GIS
Penn State MGIS program provided development and created an entire industry which continues to grow. Bob was a
me with a vehicle by which I could friend to all and will be sadly missed by his colleagues.
attend courses on a part-time basis
During his more than 36-year career at the Census Bureau, he received several
while continuing to work full-time as
awards for exceptional performance, including the Department of Commerce’s
the Director of the GIS Center at the
NYC Department of Health and Mental Gold and Silver Medals, and the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award.
Hygiene. The combination of cutting- Bob Marx is survived by his wife of 44 years, Jan. They have two grown sons
edge GIS techniques that I was learning and eight grandchildren. On Saturday, October 10, there was a memorial service
with the opportunity to directly apply celebrating Bob at the Springfield Christian Church in Springfield, VA.
them in a public health environment
was an invaluable asset, and laid the
GISCI GISP® Points for Attending Part I of the ULA = 0.63 EDU Points.
Points for attending the full ULA = 1.25 EDU Points.
What was the most valuable part of your attendance at the ULA?
“Networking with other professionals who deal with the same issues I have. This is the
first time I’ve been able to interact with, almost exclusively, GIS managers, coordinators
and GIOs.”
The ULA will only presented one time in 2009…don’t miss it!
A notice about contributing to URISA’s nature about Ed, since you knew him But that was too late. Earlier, when
history reminded me of the many times better than most of us, asked by the Comptroller for names for
that I had participated in discussions his funded research projects, Horwood
about the origins of URISA, and the peo- And, several of your thoughts about used URISA-like names. When the
ple who had the vision, energy, stamina, URISA then and now, as well as any Regents of the University asked the
conviction, and motivation to make it points or places in between, would Administration how it was responding
happen. And, reflecting upon those good be most welcome. to the great urban crisis of the 60s, the
times reminded me of the people factor, Comptroller was queried. A computer
which was the constant that made URISA Barry search yielded Horwood’s array of project
the “place to be” throughout my career. titles, and they were reported as the
As good fortune would have it, I I am delighted to report that Prof. Garri- University’s ahead-of-the-curve and
arrived within the ambit of the URISA son agreed to prepare the following two sweeping organizational response to the
scene just several years after its formal items for what might be called The Brief crisis.
inception when I started graduate school History of URISA Project. And Horwood loved to tell the story
in 1965 at Northwestern University. As of how he was de facto rather that de
result, I met many of the original cast Edgar Horwood’s URISA jura. Even so, a bold move at the right
of characters behind the formation of I saw something like URISA as a gleam place, right time came to the aid of
URISA, including Professor William L. in Horwood’s eye by the late 1950s. We innovation.
(Bill) Garrison. were at the University of Washington at The American Institute of Planners
And, as a result of further good the time, lived about a block apart in the met in Seattle in the late 50s, and
fortune, I have had occasion in recent View Ridge neighborhood and worked Horwood arranged for me and several of
years to exchange communications and on similar research. Available and recep- my students to give papers at a plenary
co-author publications and presentations tive, I served as a listener and sounding session. Not knowing the audience, we
with Dr. Garrison, who is Emeritus board for Ed’s ideas. In the 60s and in pontificated on how urban morphology
Professor, Civil and Environmental other venues I donated shoe leather to could be captured by cluster and
Engineering, University of California at his efforts to gain political and financial principal component analysis and other
Berkeley. support, hosted a meeting at Northwest- such things. There was a great silence
In the hope that he would recall one ern University, and was active in URISA in when it was time for discussion, until
or more of the accounts that he shared its first few years -- all for a good cause Horwood stood in the back of the room,
with me, I sent an email to Dr. Garrison, striven for by warm, innovative, altruistic looked at his watch and said, “Can
which included the following text: Edgar Horwood. someone give me the correct time. My
As for the man behind URISA, watch says it is 8:30, but these people
Bill, Ed’s take-action and fit-action-to- have talked for hours.” That action broke
circumstance skills warrant special the ice and fit the circumstances. Good
URISA is preparing a history of the mention. for Horwood. He knew what do in the
origins of the organization, and we Horwood’s take-action at home circumstances, and that kind of knowing
have some of the early papers writ- was his grandiose 1960s proposal for served him well.
ten by Ed Horwood, so that part of an interlocked set of urban, planning, Edgar Horwood, a real person who
the documentation process appears regional, and what-have-you data centers knew what to do and whose actions
to be reasonably well-covered. at the University. The proposal wandered serve us well.
from the Civil Engineering Department
However, the history will likely be to Deans and Department Chairs, and Bill Garrison, September 1, 2009.
very short on personal materials, and was studied by committees and assailed URISA, Present at the Creation
information about the circumstances by busybodies. After a couple of years it Edgar Horwood made URISA a sure thing
in which URISA took shape may be returned through bureaucratic channels from the 1950s when he first imagined
scarce. with a “no” signal backed by 1,000 and it. He had energy, a sense for innovation,
1 reasons, yet accompanied by claims on and other attributes that made him the
It would be great if you could write a money and control. right person at the right place and time.
couple of paragraphs of an anecdotal
Julius B Adewopo, University of Arkansas Abhishek Kumar Kala, University of Texas Dallas,
Monticello, Monticello, AR Richardson, TX Federal Agency Member
Scott Bennet, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, H Peter King, University of Nevada, Truckee, CA U.S. Census Bureau
Canada
Fred Limp, Center for Advanced Spatial
Neil Berry, City of Seattle, Seattle, WA Technologies, Fayetteville, AR
Corporate Members
Caitlin Botschner, Warren County, Lebanon, OH Thelma Marron, El Paso County, El Paso, TX
Dana Brown, Trimble GeoSpatial Geo 3D, Anurag Mehta, Washington Metropolitan Area Platinum Corporate Member
Brossard, QC, Canada Transit Authority (WMATA), Washington, DC ESRI
Danielle Marie Bruno-Favreau, GISP, Boise, ID Koren Melfi, Altarum Institute, Alexandria, VA
Gold Corporate Members
Michael G Burrell, GISP, Capital Regional District, Heather Milton, GISP, URS, Saint Louis, MO
CDM
Victoria, BC, Canada
Isaac Montague, Arizona State University, Gilbert, Data Transfer Solutions, LLC
Chris Cantrell, Midland County, Midland, MI AZ
Michael Baker Corporation
Paul Cone, City of Portland Transportation, Timothy Morrissey, Dept of Geography, UNC
Portland, OR Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC BC Assessment
Sarah Conners, GISP, Enterprise, AL Brian Nemec, City of Westerville, Westerville, OH Manatron
Merrick & Company
Daniel Crow, Lexington, OH Michelle Pearson, Calista Corp, Anchorage, AK
OGInfo.com, LLC
Ray De Leon, HJW GeoSpatial, Inc, Oakland, CA, Thomas Pesek, Niagara College, Angus, ON,
Pictometry
Canada
Vaishali Deshmukh, CH2M Hill, Riverview, FL Pinnacle Mapping Technologies, Inc.
Brian Peterson, University of California Santa
Dina Desjardins, Precision Laser & Instrument Inc, Barbara, Fillmore, CA Pixxures, Inc.
Detroit, MI The Sidwell Company
Michael Reidy, Valley Center-Pauma, Valley
Thomas A. Gaus, GISP, The Gateway Engineers, Center, CA
Pittsburgh, PA
Jay Rodenbeck, Jefferson County Planning Div, Business Members
Gerald B. Gawaldo, GISP, Palm Tran, West Palm Hillsboro, MO
Beach, FL
Silver Business Members
Eric Snyder, City of Newton, Newton, NC
Denise Marie R General, University of Arkansas Inner Corridor Technologies/ Teach Me GIS
at Monticello, Monticello, AR David Stage, Tallahassee, FL
eGPS Solutions Inc
Sally Goodman, AC Transit, Oakland, CA Mark Steiner, CDM - Camp Dresser & McKee Inc.,
Chicago, IL Colorado CustomWare, Inc. (CCI)
Russell G Hollister, Geospective Technologies,
Riverside, CA Patricia Watson, NASA, Washington, DC Geotek Mapping
GeoWise Limited
John Hudler, Kennesaw State University, Kevin R. Wenger, GISP, , Dillsburg, PA
Kennesaw, GA GIS Innovations LTD.
Ruby Wun, City of Fremont, Fremont, CA
Kessler GIS
Andrew Hunter, University of Calgary, Calgary,
AB, Canada Leslie Zolman, Penn State, Monument, CO MGP, Inc.
Munsys, Inc.
Mary L. Johnson, Avencia Incorporated,
Philadelphia, PA North River Geographic Systems, Inc.
Open Technology Group
Orion Technology Inc.
Spatial Data Research
Spatial Focus Inc.
Tetra Tech
Tyler Technologies Eagle Computer
Division
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