Biology

Western Kentucky University’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program has been awarded $2500 from the Pipeline Open Data Standard (PODS) to disperse scholarships to GIS students. WKU’s Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences (EEAS) will award five $500 scholarships to students pursuing the GIS certificate over the next three semesters.

The PODS Association is a non-profit, 501 (c) member-driven organization that provides the widely recognized data model standard adopted by pipeline operators, service providers, vendors, and regulatory agencies for managing spatial data.

“The WKU GIS program is honored for being selected by PODS and their commitment to supporting the educational endeavors of GIS students. We know that this funding may help to alleviate a financial burden while on their career paths utilizing GIS to solve complex problems worldwide,” Amy Nemon, GIS Certificate Program Coordinator said.

GIS, a technology that enables the collection, analysis, and visualization of spatial and geographic data, combines cartography, statistical analysis, and database technology to help society understand patterns, relationships, and trends in data related to locations. GIS can be used in various fields, such as urban planning, environmental management, transportation, and disaster response, allowing for better decision-making based on spatial information.

“GIS can integrate into so many disciplines,” Nemon said. “We've had students and faculty from biology, agriculture, anthropology and archeology, civil engineering, sociology, criminology, public health, hospitality and business utilizing the software for their own specific needs.”

Students in WKU’s GIS program are using these technologies for planning and zoning projects for local governments, geocoding addresses for 911 updates, locating infrared radiation of water leaks and manhole covers, predictive flood modeling in groundwater environments, visualization of real-time weather and climate data, and building an online, searchable severe weather database, just to name a few.

The funding will be awarded to the students to assist them with tuition, books, meals, or other expenses as needed.

"The GIS team in EEAS is one of our department's greatest strengths. I really admire the work that they do, and it gives our undergraduates a hard skill that other undergrads simply do not have,” Dr. Jerry Brotzge, Kentucky State Climatologist and Director of the Kentucky Mesonet, said.

Contact: Amy Nemon, amy.nemon@wku.edu