Dr. Mark Chandler, a prominent biologist who serves as international director of research for the Earthwatch Institute, will be this year's keynote speaker at the 10th Annual Esri Education User Conference (EdUC) in San Diego, California.
The conference, scheduled for July 10–13, will provide the opportunity for the education community to share ideas and experiences and discuss the latest developments in geographic information system technology through a series of presentations, panel discussions, and workshops. The conference will overlap the 30th Annual Esri International User Conference, which will be held July 12–16.
Chandler has more than 20 years' experience conducting field research in Central and South America, East Africa, and New England. His talk will be titled Using Citizen Science and GIS Technology to Connect the Local to the Global.
The Earthwatch Institute, a pioneer in citizen science endeavors, is committed to scientific research and environmental education. It is one of the world's largest private sources of funding for research expeditions, and it has used ArcGIS for several years to monitor and document the many expeditions it supports throughout the world.
One of the hot topics at this year's EdUC will be the use of GIS to promote analytical and critical-thinking skills. "These are the higher-order problem-solving skills employers say they want in future employees," says Angela Lee, Esri's libraries and museums manager on the education team in Industry Solutions.
Other key topics that will be discussed at the EdUC include the broader use of GIS for administrative purposes in educational institutions; implementing ArcGIS Server in the teaching environment and its impact on educational resource sharing; and making greater use of the resources available on the new Esri Web site, ArcGIS.com.
"The Education User Conference brings together leaders in GIS education from different sectors and countries to both hear the latest news from the Esri education group regarding future initiatives and strategies and share their own experiences and ideas," says Michael Gould, director of education for Industry Solutions at Esri. "It is the premier event for educators who are passionate about employing GIS to help improve education and, therefore, our future."
For more information about the EdUC, visit www.esri.com/educ. E-mail questions to EdUC@esri.com. The Esri EdUC online community (Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter) is tagged #esrieduc.
