USM地理学生, Faculty Selected as Finalists of the 2023 ArcGIS StoryMaps 竞争

结婚, 11/29/2023 - 03:45pm 作者:伊冯·卡瓦斯

Story maps created by a geography student and faculty member at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) have been selected as finalists 为 the national 2023 ArcGIS StoryMaps竞争.

Receiving submissions from more than 50 countries, the competition was cohosted by Esri, the leading location intelligence and spatial analytics software 为 mapping, 3D GIS, imagery, and geospatial app development, and the International Union 为 the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

There were two tracks that participants could submit to: Track 1 consisted of local or indigenous conservation projects and Track 2 consisted of a place-based research project or scholarly article on conservation. The projects by USM student 约书亚绿色 和教职员工博士. Kayla 斯坦 were selected as finalist 为 the latter.

During a web mapping course, held by Dr. 斯坦, an assistant professor of geography 超声电机的 School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, students were challenged to create stories about conserving our planet using the software ArcGIS StoryMaps and were required to submit their work to the competition.

约书亚绿色, a senior from Sumrall, Miss. majoring in geography, submitted a StoryMap titled, “Following the Herd: A look into the History, Endangerment, and Reemergence 美洲野牛.”

“I am thankful to ESRI 为 hosting the competition and allowing students such as myself to have the opportunity to gain insight into map creation, while becoming proficient 在ArcGIS中，”格林说. “My StoryMap being selected as finalist alongside other students' well-crafted submissions is still a surprise to me, and something I am truly grateful 为.”

“With this year's competition being focused on conservation, I first thought of American 野牛. I had a misunderstanding of the status and conservation of American 野牛, so I wanted to make a StoryMap detailing the history and updated status of 野牛,” 共享绿色. “Through my project submission and USM's web mapping course, I have learned how to use spatial data to communicate in为mation and present a story to 目标受众. I have also learned numerous GIS techniques and workflows from 我们的教授博士. 斯坦.”

Dr. 斯坦提交了一份 StoryMap, co-created with colleagues, Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa from the University of Alberta 亨德里克·F. Hamann from IBM titled, “Roots of Resilience: Battling Degradation in the Tropical Dry Forests.”

Expressing the inspiration behind her StoryMap creation, Dr. 斯坦说:“热带的 dry 为ests, often overshadowed by rain为ests, hold immense beauty and importance. This competition provided a perfect 为mat to merge science and art, showcasing the magnificence of these endangered ecosystems and emphasizing their worth in a global 谈话."

Dr. 斯坦 adds: “Being a finalist is proof of concept 为 the teachings in my class and a fantastic opportunity to expand the reach of my research. 它超越了学术范畴 papers, as this plat为m will allow me to reach a broader audience and raise awareness 关于脆弱的生态系统.”

Reflecting on the skills imparted in the course, Dr. 斯坦 emphasizes communication: “Teaching web mapping isn't the sole focus of the course. It's about equipping students with effective communication skills across diverse mediums, StoryMaps being one of them, all while building a portfolio.”

Dr. 斯坦 is particularly excited about the student finalist, 约书亚说: stating, "Having one of my students in the finals adds another layer of excitement, making this achievement more accessible and inspiring 为 future students.”

“Additionally, it is also a testament that the communication principles I taught resonated 和同学们在一起。. 斯坦. “Even 为 those who weren’t selected as finalists, the ef为t put into a competition of this level is commendable.”

Highlighting the significance of creating a portfolio, Dr. 斯坦说:“对我来说，a portfolio speaks louder than words. Instead of saying 'I can do web mapping,' students who take this course can show their future employers a collection of applications 他们建立了. It's about tangible proof of their skills and their ability to communicate 复杂的信息."

Esri and IUCN will announce the 2023 ArcGIS StoryMaps竞争 Winners on December 7, 2023. Explore the selected stories.