USC Spatial Sciences invites students, young professionals, and industry leaders in the geospatial industry to gain insights on GIS trends and to network at the 2024 Los Angeles Geospatial Summit.
(Los Angeles, CA) – John P. Wilson, Professor and Founding Director of the USC Spatial Sciences Institute (SSI), announced the details of its 14th annual hallmark conference: The 2024 Los Angeles Geospatial Summit taking place at the USC Hotel on Friday, February 23, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. PST.
“We know that students, young professionals, and industry leaders, especially in a time of great change, great challenges, and great opportunity, are eager to connect and feed off the energy of active learning in person,” said Wilson. “This year, our program explores the growing potential for deploying geospatial data to resolve pressing issues related to environmental sustainability, community resiliency, and business productivity — now and for the future.”
The opening session will feature a keynote address on “What’s Coming With GeoAI?” by M. Sean O’Brien, Ph.D., Vice President, Intelligent Systems at HRL Laboratories.
Following his keynote, O’Brien will discuss the trends and changes ahead in the geospatial industry with Wilson and Courtney Fassett, GPS Strategy & Analytics Consultant with Deloitte Consulting.
The first afternoon session will focus on using spatial data acquired with remote sensing to foster resilient and secure communities. The speakers in this session will be Yi Qi, SSI Associate Professor (Teaching); Cathy Power, Technical Expert, NV5 Geospatial; Jason Knowles, Ph.D., CEO and Founder, GeoAcuity; and Debbie Fugate, Ph.D., Senior GEOINT Authority for Geography and Cartography, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).
Thomas Horan, H. Jess and Donna Senecal Endowed Dean’s Chair and Dean, School of Business, University of Redlands, will moderate the closing session on “Empowering the Geospatial Workforce of the Future.” The panelists will be Christine Devine, Director of Education and Professional Development, United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF); Andrew Haney, Senior Geospatial Consultant, 1898 & Co., a part of Burns & McDonnell; Canserina Kurnia, Senior Solution Engineer, Education, Esri; and Chrystine Kern, Ph.D., Chief, NGA Recruitment Strategies, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
Showcase presentations will be made by Stacey Long-Genovese, Ph.D., Global Head of Education, Learning and Training, Snap AR, and Isaiah Mack, Eclipse Mapping and GIS, on the changing landscape for high-accuracy GNSS in California.
A popular part of the program is the annual Los Angeles Geospatial Summit ArcGIS StoryMap competition sponsored by Esri. Undergraduate and graduate students from California State University, Long Beach, the University of Redlands, and the University of Southern California have been selected to present their ArcGIS StoryMaps and compete for awards in in three categories:
1) most innovative use of technology
2) most compelling communication using maps
3) most suitably applied methodology or analysis
“The student research presentations shared at the Los Angeles Geospatial Summit consistently provide new and innovative ideas. The ArcGIS StoryMap platform provides a dynamic and rich paradigm to share the narrative of projects in a cloud-first approach. We look forward to another great group of StoryMaps that explore compelling issues in our world today,” said Andrew Haglund, Esri Higher Education Account Manager.
Winners in each category will receive prizes provided by Esri and will be featured in Esri and SSI post-Summit communications.
Three students representing California State University, Long Beach; the University of Redlands; and the University of Southern California selected by a faculty committee will have the opportunity to present their research in a lightning talk session sponsored by Maxar. Barry C. Tilton, Technical Evangelist, Strategic Growth, Maxar will moderate the session. Following their lightning talks, the students will discuss their research with Cora Chong, GIS Specialist, Innovation, CBRE and Christy Monaco, Vice President, Programs, USGIF.
An annual highlight of the Summit program is the lunchtime “Knowledge Network,” during which Summit participants will network with representatives of leading companies and organizations. This year’s roster of Knowledge Network participants include: Burns & McDonnell, California Geographic Information Association (CGIA), California State University Long Beach, California URISA, Eclipse Mapping and GIS, Esri, Gamma Theta Upsilon Nu Theta Chapter, HRL Labs, Maxar, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, NV5 Geospatial, SC Mappers, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation, University of Redlands, USC Libraries, the USC Spatial Sciences Institute, and Women in GIS.
This year’s Summit program will conclude with a networking reception for all Summit participants.
Those interested in viewing recordings of the main stage sessions and the StoryMap gallery after the Summit date can register now for a special online registration rate of $25. USC alumni and members of CGIA, the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation, and URISA can take advantage of a discounted registration rate.
“We thank our Gold Sponsors – Eclipse Mapping and GIS, Esri, HRL Labs, NV5 Geospatial, Maxar, and the University of Redlands – as well as our Bronze Sponsors – Burns & McDonnell, the California Geographic Information Association (CGIA), the California State University Long Beach Department of Geography, and Deloitte – for their support in making a student registration rate possible and in joining us to present a program featuring cutting-edge industry trends,” Wilson said. “We hope you will join us for a day of stimulating interactions.”
Summit Registration:
Friday, February 23, 2024
8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
GIS and geospatial sciences students from any college or university, as well as industry professionals, can register for the Summit here.
A detailed program breakdown of the Summit can be found here.
About USC Spatial Sciences Institute:
Since its founding in 2010, the USC Spatial Sciences Institute has been using the power of connecting place, space, and time to help address global challenges like population growth, environmental sustainability, and human well-being. Housed in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, the research and academic programs of the Spatial Sciences Institute contribute to the rapidly evolving body of geospatial knowledge. They are innovating ways to empower decision-makers with the analysis, modeling, and visualization of location-based data. As the hub of spatial-related academic programs at USC, the Spatial Sciences Institute is unique in offering interdisciplinary courses and degrees at every higher educational level. For more information about our research and academic programs, please visit https://dornsife.usc.edu/spatial/.