GIS has been my professional focus for the 90s, building on an 80s focus on personal computer (especially spreadsheet) applications for planning, 70s focus on urban and regional planning problems (especially from an economic prospective) and 60s focus on understanding urban and regional areas from a theoretical modeling prospective.
I have used personal computer based database and spreadsheet programs to process census data, and Atlas GIS to analyze and display it. I have given GIS related presentations at two national URISA (Urban and Regional Information Systems Association) and two California URISA conferences, as well as at international conferences in England, Belgium, Hong Kong and Australia. In late July I will be presenting both a paper and poster regarding my GIS related "Envisioning Neighborhoods" project at the ACSP-ESOP conference in Toronto for planning academics from America and Europe, and have offered these presentations for our Cal GIS Educators Symposium. I am on the BAAMA (Bay Area Automated Mapping Association) Board of Directors.
GIS Courses at SJSU: The Geography Department offers a two course sequence which has been taught by Len Gaydos since the late 1980s using NCGIA materials. Richard Taketa will teach the GIS II Applications course this year. The Geography GIS courses are at the upper division undergraduate level and attract a variety of students including Geography BS and MS majors and students majoring in Environment Studies, Urban and Regional planning, and other areas. Persons working at local GIS and computer mapping related firms such as Etak, Trimble, and SMI have taken Geography Department GIS courses as Continuing Education students.
During three of the past four years I have taught the Urban and Regional Planning Departments GIS Applications course which has attracted Environmental Studies and Civil Engineering students. Urban Planning students may take a specialty in Computers and GIS Applications which includes the Geography Departments GIS courses.
My GIS teaching focuses on applications for urban and regional analysis, using U.S. Census and related socio-economic thematic data. My research deals with the problem that the digital information revolution is increasing the potential for gathering data about urban conditions without a concomitant increase in the capability of processing this data into information useful for making informed decisions. My approach, entitled "Envisioning Neighborhoods" uses the evolving tools of the digital revolution to synthesize data about urban neighborhood conditions into a concise format of small multiple maps, charts, and photos which facilitate clear visions.
I would like to see my GIS education activities in the future evolve into Internet and Intranet based Planning or Decision Support Systems.