Welcome to the Environmental Science's GIS Laboratory

The use of geographic information systems (GIS) to solve problems, support decisions, and better understand Earth's processes is rapidly becoming commonplace in commercial industries, governmental organizations, and educational institutions. As a result, there is an ever-increasing demand for professionals equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to use GIS in a wide-range of disciplines. A GIS is a specialized type of information system that enables people to study the location and relationships among events, activities, and things on the Earth's surface. Examining things from a spatial perspective enables us to not only see where things happen, but also answer the questions of how and why.

For example, GIS is commonly used by:

• Environmentalists to monitor changes to sensitive habitats or the effects of pollution

• Biologists to track animal movements and map invasive species of vegetation

• Geologists to search for minerals and to assess potential damage from earthquakes

• Foresters to inventory forest resources and determine clearcut size and location

• Farmers to manage crop yields, monitor crop rotation techniques, and project soil loss

• Businesses to pick the best locations for new stores and to map customer-spending trends

• Emergency services for 911 systems and planning for large-scale emergencies and evacuations

• Electrical, gas, and oil utility companies to keep track of distribution networks

• Real estate appraisers to locate ownership and tax information for parcels of land

• Police departments to track crime trends and target enforcement

The Environmental Science department's state-of-the-art GIS lab provides students, faculty, and staff with the latest in geographic information systems, global positioning system, and remote sensing technology. Established in 2000, the lab contains sophisticated spatial analysis tools that are used in a variety of environmental, biological, geological, and socioeconomic applications. The initial equipment purchase was made possible through grants received from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Link to Learn program and the United States Department of Agriculture. Thanks to the Henry Luce Foundation, all computers were upgraded and dual display monitors and laptops were added in 2006.