Northern Arizona University’s Center for Science Teaching and Learning and Geospatial Research and Information Laboratory Receive Special Achievement Award for Exceptional Application of Geospatial Technology
Description
NAU’s Center for Science Teaching and Learning (CSTL) and Geospatial Research and Information Laboratory (GRAIL) were honored with a Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award at the 2015 Esri International User Conference in San Diego, Calif. This award acknowledges vision, leadership, hard work, and innovative use of Esri's geographic information system (GIS) technology.
Through their Power of Data (POD) professional development projects, the CSTL and GRAIL support K12 teachers and college faculty to integrate Esri ArcGIS technology and project based instruction in their courses. A collaborative use of geospatial technology allows students to investigate real-world problems, engage in the analysis of spatial data, develop and practice 21st century workforce skills, and increase their awareness of and interest in careers that utilize geospatial data, many of which are science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-focused. Since 2009, Power of Data projects have been funded by the National Science Foundation’s Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) and Advanced Technological Education (ATE) programs. Science Foundation Arizona also supported these projects via their Math and Science Achievement grants.
In addition to NAU, Esri honored more than 170 organizations from around the world and across a variety of industries including agriculture, cartography, climate change, defense and intelligence, economic development, education, government, health and human services, telecommunications, and utilities.
"The SAG Awards identify the organizations and people who are using the power of geography to make our world a better place," says Esri president Jack Dangermond. "At Esri, we are always deeply inspired by the passion and innovation of our users. They deserve recognition for their invaluable contributions to their communities and the continued evolution of geographic science.”
For more information about the 2015 Special Achievement in GIS Award winners, including project information and photos, please visit esri.com/sag.
About Esri
Since 1969, Esri has been giving customers around the world the power to think and plan geographically. The market leader in GIS, Esri software is used in more than 350,000 organizations worldwide including each of the 200 largest cities in the United States, most national governments, more than two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies, and more than 7,000 colleges and universities. Esri applications, running on more than one million desktops and thousands of Web and enterprise servers, provide the backbone for the world's mapping and spatial analysis. Esri is the only vendor that provides complete technical solutions for desktop, mobile, server, and Internet platforms. Visit us at www.esri.com.
