The American Geographical Society (AGS) acknowledged and commended Esri's meritorious service to New York City and the nation following the September 11 tragedy. Esri and the Center for the Analysis and Research of Spatial Information (CARSI) at Hunter College, the City University of New York, were honored November 10 at an awards dinner following the AGS fall council meeting.

The AGS Honors Committee recognized Esri for donating resources and key personnel to the recovery effort specifically in helping to reconstruct the City's geographic information infrastructure, which was destroyed when 7 World Trade Center collapsed. The AGS certificate of commendation states that, "During the crisis, Esri personnel helped reconstruct hardware and software systems, collect and process new data, conduct geographic analyses, and respond to urgent requests for data, images, and maps.... Never has a private enterprise shown greater concern for public welfare."

CARSI was honored for lending its technology and expertise to help City officials map the shifting terrain of Ground Zero, which enabled firefighters and rescue workers to avoid danger zones.

For more information, contact the AGS (e-mail: amgeosoc@earthlink.net, Web: www.amergeog.org).