The conference will be held June 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the University of Rhode Island’s Bay Campus in Narragansett.
“A lot has changed in GIS technology since that last conference, and the GIS community in the state has grown rapidly, so active users who want to learn new ideas and network with other users will want to register for the conference,” said Greg Bonynge, geospatial extension specialist at the University of Rhode Island and the conference coordinator. “While we expect that most attendees will be municipal employees, because they use the technology a great deal, we encourage anyone interested in learning about GIS for their own projects to register as well.”
In addition to introductory sessions on GIS and Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies, sessions will address municipal applications, natural resource applications, Internet applications, incorporating GIS in the classroom, and linkages to Google Earth, among others.
“GIS is still very much a technical application that usually requires significant training in order to use it effectively and correctly,” Bonynge said, “but Internet-based technology is quickly removing many of these hurdles.”
The conference is sponsored by URI’s Geospatial Extension Program, which works to promote the use of GIS technology in the state through training and access to data, and RIGIS, a consortium of organizations that manage the collective database of GIS data.
To register for the conference, visit www.edc.uri.edu/rigis/conference. For more information, contact Greg Bonynge at greg@edc.uri.edu or 401-874-2180.