ESRGC Newsletter Spring 2021

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Spring Greetings

Hope springs eternal! This iconic cliché resonated with me, and so many others, as we turned the last calendar page of 2020 onto 2021. Now, as we flip from April to May, it is still echoing in my mind. This is indeed a particularly hopeful time. As of this writing, the United States is closing in on 3 million vaccinations a day and over 100 million Americans already have received one dose of the vaccine. Businesses are starting to reopen, people are returning to restaurants – there are even people in the stands at baseball games! The hope that is springing forth this spring season is buoyant and effervescent – the anticipation is palpable.

It occurs to me that our work at the Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative is essentially, and unapologetically, hopeful as well. Our unofficial motto around here is “saving the Eastern Shore, one GIS layer at a time.” And while that may be a bit tongue-in-cheek, the sentiment is honest. We believe that with the right data, technology, insight and creativity, we can find a solution to (nearly?) every problem. That’s extremely hopeful! At the ESRGC, we’ve tackled everything from sea-level rise to historic preservation to forest preservation to sewer/water infrastructure to pollution best management practices to reviving our rural villages to supporting aquaculture. In doing so, we’ve turned hope into action for everyone from individual landowners to groups of people in neighborhood to towns/cities to counties to the states of Maryland and Delaware and beyond!

I’ll close with another quote from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR’s time was not completely unlike our own, with challenges that seemed insurmountable, when he said: “We have always held to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon.”

The manipulation of geographic information systems with the expectation of finding the solutions that technology can provide is very much the manifestation of hope.

Happy spring!

Michael Scott, Ph.D., GISP

Director, Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative
Dean, Henson School of Science and Technology

Partnership with Delaware Center for the Inland Bays

The ESRGC is excited to announce a new partnership with the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays (CIB). The goal of this organization is to preserve, protect and restore Delaware’s Inland Bays and their watershed. The CIB achieves this through: Education, Outreach, Science and Research, Restoration, and Public Policy.They are one of 28 programs that are part of the National Estuary Program across the United States. This five-year master service agreement will allow CIB to engage with ESRGC on a host of projects and give them access to our entire suite of tools and platforms.

Rural Maryland Day

On February 11, 2021, the ESRGC participated in Rural Maryland Day. Traditionally held in Annapolis, this event provides an opportunity for rural advocates to meet face to face with key legislators to discuss the challenges facing rural communities. Although this year’s event was held virtually, ESRGC representatives were able to connect with many legislators, business leaders, and other state and local organizational representatives. It was an opportunity for the group to learn more about the pressing issues facing Marylanders and highlight some of the innovative solutions the ESRGC is developing in response.

GIS Outreach at Salisbury University

The ESRGC recently supported Salisbury University’s Presidential Citizen Scholar Program and the ShoreCorps chapter of AmeriCorps with a series of maps designed to provide demographic context to a study area. Focusing on the population of residents living near the City of Salisbury’s Newton Street Community Center and the Truitt Street Community Center, the ESRGC used U.S. Census data to develop maps for student presentations to city leaders. The demographic data included the predominant highest level of education completed, median age, percent of population speaking Spanish at home and median income of the population within the community. The goal of the map series is to provide a visual of the study area and to allow students and city leaders a better understanding of the community’s needs.

Delmarva Workforce Infographics

The newest resource added to the Delmarva Index, Delmarva Workforce Infographics, provide key economic and demographic information at multiple geographic scales: county, municipality and commute areas. Covering 13 counties and 121 municipalities, these interactive solutions pair actionable data with a pleasing and functional design to provide decision makers with quick answers about our local region.

Adjunct Faculty Offerings

This semester Logan Hall can be found on campus teaching GEOG 419: Advanced GIS. Hall updated the course material to include topographic LiDAR data management and processing, ArcGIS Server and enterprise deployment considerations, and ArcGIS Online mapping and application development. Hall’s experience in the GIS industry working with data and project partners adds value to this advanced course.

Intern Spotlight: Ashley Wipfield

The ESRGC works directly with Salisbury University to help provide valuable internship opportunities for students in the GIS field. Internships range from field data collection to database analyses for local government agencies, and everything in between! On a quarterly basis, the ESRGC highlights a current or former intern to call attention to their experience and see how it has helped them learn real-world skills that prepare them for a direct transition to the workforce.

Meet Ashley Wipfield

ESRGC Notable Achievements

Congratulations Brett and Logan!

The ESRGC is excited to announce two changes in our organization! Brett Dobelstein’s new role as data scientist and Logan Hall’s new role as senior GIS analyst reflect their commitment to supporting our project partners, GIS outreach in our region, problem solving skills and dedication to our team. We are proud to have Brett and Logan as a part of our team!

Where to find ESRGC

https://esrgc.org/

Give to ESRGC

A copy of the current financial statement of the Salisbury University Foundation, Inc. is available by writing 1308 Camden Avenue, Salisbury MD 21801 or on its website, www.salisbury.edu/foundation. Documents and information submitted under the Maryland Solicitations Act are also available, for the cost of postage and copies, from the Maryland Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis MD 21401, 410-974-5534.

SU is an Equal Opportunity/AA/Title IX university and provides reasonable accommodation given sufficient notice to the University office or staff sponsoring the event or program. For more information regarding SU’s policies and procedures, please visit www.salisbury.edu/equity.

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