TRB Spatial Data and Information Science Education Subcommittee (SDISES)
Working Group Membership
The following individuals have indicated some interest in participating in SDISES. This doesn’t necessarily mean they are interested in being a member of the Subcommittee. Further, this list is not all-inclusive. If you are interested in participating in SDISES or becoming a member (or even becoming the chair), please contact Wayne Sarasua at sarasua@clemson.edu. If you would like to be taken off this list, sorry — no can do.
Wayne Sarasua, Interim Chair
Shauna Hallmark, Interim Secretary
Ed Granzow
Kitty Hancock
Harvey Miller
Wende Nix
Bruce Ralston
Ed Rogers
Brian Smith
Reg Souleyrette
Al Vonderohe (hopefully!)
Draft Statement of Purpose
One of the missions of the Spatial Data and Information Science Committee (A5015) is to conduct outreach through TRB and to communicate the effective use of GIS to the transportation community. The purpose of The Spatial Data and Information Science Education Subcommittee (SDISES) is to assist A5015 in this mission by fostering educational activities in the technology areas targeted by the Spatial Data and Information Science Committee. With this purpose in mind, SDISES will pursue the following objectives:
• Identify and inventory best practices related to Spatial Data and Information Science for Transportation (SDIS-T)
• Define and continually refine training and education needs.
• Serve as a liaison between TRB A5015 and other relavent entities interested in spatial data and information science education such as the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science in an effort to help coordinate education activities.
• Serve as a liason with vendors to provide input into their educational programs
• Integrate research and the generation of new knowledge into the education experience.
SDISES will target education in undergraduate and graduate college curriculums as well as professional development and education extension.
Potential activities for the following year:
• Design and implement a survey of colleges to help define issues related to SDIS-T training and education needs.
• Develop a proposal for an NCHRP Synthesis of education materials for SDIS-T in academia as well as education extension. This can potentially be done in conjunction with the development of a website of SDIS-T education materials — maybe an “On-line Lab Manual”
• Liaison between TRB A5015 and other entities such as NCGIA, NHI, Towson, and UCGIS.
• Liason with vendors to identify their educational programs.
• Potentially develop a document of coverage in undergraduate education–topics that we feel should be included in various curriculums that might help standardize somewhat what is taught and suggest specific topics that can help market and provide a first step in educating future SDIS-T professionals. Exposure to GIS early is important to help influence students to specialize — What they don’t know — they won’t pursue.
