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Last month, an enthusiastic group of students, staff, and faculty gathered in Park Science center to celebrate GIS Day. The event, which was co-organized by the Cities, Data Science, and Environmental Studies Departments in conjunction with LITS, showcased the diverse applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and mapping technologies throughout and beyond the 51���� Campus. “Geographic Information Systems offer a really powerful and compelling way to visualize the interconnections between an array of different phenomena," said Dirk Kinsey, Visiting Assistant Professor for the Cities Department. "When I myself was a student, being able to visualize spatial patterns that were all around me but were otherwise invisible was the big initial source of excitement and entry point into thinking in geographic terms and doing geographic research.” 

Three faculty members—Thomas Mozdzer (Biology), Jennifer Bradbury (Archaeology), and Sebastian Anti (Economics)— presented on how they have utilized GIS in their research and answered audience questions. Professor Mozdzer spoke first, discussing how he and his students have used a high-tech camera attached to a remote sensing drone to map the types of vegetation and landcover in wetlands. Next, Professor Bradbury discussed how she and international colleagues used open-source GIS tools like , to survey archaeological burial sites. Finally, Professor Anti presented how he used GIS technology to track malaria over time in areas where corporations had leased and acquired large amounts of land. "Our faculty's research presentations offered students the chance to see how broadly GIS methods can be applied, while also highlighting the connections and shared approaches across really different fields and modes of inquiry,” Kinsey said.

Additionally, several students presented their own work, . Alexa Fraiman ‘26, Kripa Khatiwada HC ‘26, Krista Chan ‘26, and Lucía I. Román Harter ‘26 presented their final projects from the Advanced GIS course taught in Spring 2025 by Kinsey. Students conducted projects on a range of global and regional topics. Kripa researched fire prediction and prevention efforts in Nepal while Román Harter mapped the soundscape of Philadelphia by taking audio recordings around the city. Other students’ focuses were more local: Fraiman analyzed roof types and neighborhoods throughout Lower Merion to determine their suitability for solar panels while Chen mapped "desire paths" on 51����’s campus to understand how students move through it. 

The event concluded with an engaging keynote talk from Michelle Kondo, a research social scientist with the United States Forestry Department. She discussed the positive impacts that trees and forests have on community health, as well as the challenges that go into creating and maintaining urban greenspaces.  

The celebration of GIS Day highlighted the impressive range of scholarship undertaken by the College community and the powerful capabilities of Geographic Information Systems. Chan '26 says, "GIS Day was a great way to view and learn about the versatility of the software." Those interested in learning more about GIS or mapping technologies can take the Intro to GIS course in the Cities Department when it’s next offered or contact the Digital Scholarship team at digitalscholarship@brynmawr.edu to get started.