The UCGIS is a non-profit organization of universities and other research institutions dedicated to expanding and strengthening geographic information science education. The consortium provides an organizational infrastructure to foster collaborative interdisciplinary research in geographic information science, and promotes the ethical use of and access to geographic information for the benefit of society. UCGIS member institutions are selected by their depth and experience of research in GIS and commitment to GIS education. The founding members are:
UCGIS elected William Craig of the Center for Urban & Regional Affairs (CURA) University of Minnesota President. John Bossler, Center for Mapping, The Ohio State University, is Past President. Jerome Dobson, Oak Ridge National Laboratory is President-elect. Elected to the Board of Directors were Jeff Osleeb, Hunter College CUNY, Harlan Onsrud, University of Maine, George Hepner, University of Utah, Donna Peuquet, The Pennsylvania State University, David Mark SUNY-Buffalo, and Karen Kemp University of California- Santa Barbara. Harlan Onsrud was appointed to chair the UCGIS standing committee on Policy and Legislation. Richard Wright (San Diego State University) chairs the Education Committee, Jeff Osleeb (Hunter College, CUNY) Membership, and David Mark the Research Committee. Also appointed were Ron Abler (Association of American Geographers) Treasurer, and Greg Elmes (West Virginia University) Secretary.
A new World-Wide Web site is being built at SUNY Buffalo. The URL address is "www.ucgis.org" and will be registered with Internet. Details of membership, application procedures, on-going activities and upcoming events will be posted to the site to encourage the widest possible participation. The web site links examples and demonstrations of current UCGIS-related activities at member institutions. [Note - this web site is still inactive as of 2/1/96. KK]
UCGIS scheduled its first Summer Assembly for June 16 - 18, 1996 at The Ohio State University. The conference will focus on leading edge research in geographic information science and will produce an agenda and strategies for pursuing collaborative research in a multi-disciplinary environment. Members are authorized to send two delegates. Each member institution will nominate up to 5 topics for the national agenda, to be determined by the various disciplines at each institution, before the conference.
A four-color brochure to explain the purpose and mission of UCGIS will be available in early 1996. The brochure emphasizes the social and environmental relevance of geographic information science and its contribution to the high-tech economy. The multiple disciplines highlight different perspectives engaged in research and education in the field.
The consortium is open to all US academic and research organizations that meet the established membership criteria. To foster a wide breadth of participation UCGIS encourages membership by multi-institutional organizations whose research and educational activities spread over a wide number of locations. UCGIS President Will Craig, invites multi-campus universities and colleges to contact him for further details of membership.
For additional information about UCGIS contact: William J. Craig at CURA (Center for Urban & Regional Affairs), 330 HHH Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN 55455, tel (612) 625-3321, fax (612) 626-0273. wcraig@atlas.socsci.umn.edu