NSF funding brings industry-integrated education to GIS curriculum

Associate Professor Rui Li will join principal investigator Associate Professor Jonathon Little of SUNY Monroe Community College in Germany this summer, where the pair will visit two universities of applied sciences. The visit will allow Li and Little to bring geospatial industry-integrated training experiences to their specific GIS curriculum.

Funded by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE-I) Program of the National Science Foundation (NSF), this grant supports both professors in collaboration with two German faculty hosts: Professor Carsten Kessler at Bochum University of Applied Sciences and Professor Andreas Gollenstede at Jade University of Applied Sciences in Oldenburg. 

The project will leverage the industry GIS education expertise, resources, and research activities, while faculty engage in geospatial skill development and partnership building.
 
Through the collaboration, faculty will observe GIS educational methods, curricula (e.g. big locational data), and how the hosts integrate with industry. Faculty will develop a new module focused on open-source web mapping and streamlining server setup through open-source programming.

Faculty will also develop a virtual internship project for two students. The internship will prioritize individuals from underrepresented groups and will provide experience with cutting-edge geospatial skills with a global perspective. The objective is to build global connections and workforce skills, increase professional development, and develop critical geospatial skills.