The
Director's Cut
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Robin
Buchannon
Director, EIGS |
On May 12, 2004, the Clarion Ledger ran an article on the recent release of the Gold Guide rankings which consistently placed Mississippi at the bottom of business-related categories. From my point of view as the Executive Director of a program with a group of thriving, innovative entrepreneurs, this report and its rankings deserve further examination. While the Guide did rank Mississippi 28th in providing a favorable climate for small business and entrepreneurs, I believe we are doing even better.
Mississippi is making great strides in fostering high tech businesses that are making the state a better place to live and work. There are numerous examples that fly in the face of this report such as the Nissan factory, the NASA Stennis Space Center, the Polymer Institute at USM, and Northrop Grumman. These are just a few of the examples that illustrate Mississippi's progress in growing the high tech aspect of its economy.
Another strong example, Mississippi's geospatial industry cluster, is making a real impact in moving the state's rankings up in listings such as the Gold Guide. Since 1998, Mississippi has put forth a concerted effort to nurture and grow geospatial-related companies by providing support and services at a level that are not being provided anywhere else in the U.S.
The next time you are on the Internet, "Google" the phrase Geospatial Industry Cluster. It is not Maryland or Colorado or even California that comes up. It's Mississippi, specifically EIGS. Mississippi is unique, we are leading this effort. If this were a category in the Gold Guide, Mississippi would be in the top five, if not number one.
Why does this matter? Well, according to the Department of Labor, the geospatial market worldwide, which is currently a $5 billion market, will grow to $30 billion by next year. In addition, they have identified the technology as "one of the three most important emerging and evolving fields, along with nanotechnology and biotechnology." The average annual salary for the employees of Mississippi's cluster is $47,000. This is an industry that is populated by well-trained, well-educated individuals with jobs typically requiring at a minimum a 2-year degree from a community college.
This technology and this industry is developing products and services that impact our everyday lives from everything to warning of floods to helping farmers increase their crops. And its being done right here in Mississippi. However, we are finding that one of our biggest challenges is awareness that these amazing things are happening right here in Mississippi, that we are building this new industry for Mississippi.
The continued support and growth of this industry in Mississippi represents a real opportunity for Mississippi to pull itself ahead of other states and really make a difference for its population. And EIGS remains committed to making this happen.
National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology
Addressing a unique area of research for EIGS is the National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology
(NIUST). NIUST was established in 2002 in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Undersea Research Program to develop and apply new technologies that enhance research in marine environments. By providing cutting edge technologies to the undersea research community, NIUST is furthering the nation's research capabilities in
nearshore, deep water and extreme marine environments.
NIUST is a collaborative effort between The University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi
(Stennis Space Center, Ocean Springs) with three divisions:
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The Ocean Biotechnology Center and Repository
(OBCR) in the Department of Pharmacognosy at Ole Miss is under the direction of Dr. Marc Slattery. The overall goal of the OBCR program is to create a national repository of biochemical / biomolecular products of marine organisms from US and international waters for use by the biotechnology research sector.
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The Seabed Technology Research Center
(STRC) in the Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute at Ole Miss is headed by Dr. Bob
Woolsey. The overall goal of the STRC is the research and development of remote sensor and direct sampling technologies for the investigation of the deep seabed.
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The Undersea Vehicles Technology Center
(UTVC) at the University of Southern Mississippi where Dr. Vernon Asper serves as Director. The overall goal of the UTVC program is the development of viable technologies involving interactive communication, systems command and control, data assimilation and processing, and artificial intelligence appropriate for the operation/deployment of ROVs and
AUVs.
One of NIUST's many research activities focuses on the installation of a multi-sensor monitoring station on the continental slope of the northern Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of the station is to remotely observe changes in physical and chemical parameters associated with gas hydrate at or near the sea floor. The need for such observations comes from the growing realization by many that sea floor stability may be influenced by the presence of gas hydrates and episodes of their sporadic disassociation. Such episodes appear to be related to phenomena such as warm water currents (associated with the Loop Current from the Caribbean Sea), warm hydrocarbon fluids (migration upward from deep reservoirs), or fault movement (perhaps caused by local salt adjustment).
Another area of research focuses on autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) which offer the potential to significantly increase access to the world's ocean for scientific, environmental and educational purposes. Expensive and time-consuming tasks such as marine habitat observation, seafloor and water column mapping, observatory support, and test bed for new sensor technologies are but a few of the countless possibilities that AUVs have the potential to perform cheaply and easily. AUVs are capable of gathering detailed information about a specific area of the ocean, while their on-board sensors are capable of chemical analysis, detecting dissolved oxygen, measuring salinity and temperature and taking water samples. The AUVs may also be sent out to investigate some sort of dynamic phenomena whose characteristics may not be well known or predictable in advance such as a thermal front or a chemical spill.
For more information about NIUST contact Dr. Marc Slattery, Interim Director at 662-915-1053,
eniust@olemiss.edu.
Congratulations
to DigitalGlobe
Congratulations to
DigitalGlobe, an EIGS member, on their recent award by Frost & Sullivan of Aerospace and Defense Product of the Year. They won this distinction for their demonstrated excellence in developing new products and technologies within their industry. Specifically it is DigitalGlobe’s leading edge QuickBird satellite that boasts the world’s highest resolution commercial satellite imagery capabilities and the greatest on-board storage capacity that garnered this prestigious award.
Graduate Fellow Feature
Brian Mitchell is a second year
EIGS/NASA Graduate Fellow enrolled at the University of Southern Mississippi as a Ph.D. student in the International Development program. Brian graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science and from Mississippi State University in 1997 with a Master of Science. Among Brian's notable distinctions include
NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellow, Outstanding Dedication to Education in Forestry Technology, and David Moehring Memorial Award for Outstanding Graduate Student in Forestry.
Under the direction of Dr. Jerry Griffith, Brian's project "Streamside Management Zone Delineation and Assessment: A Sustainable Forestry Practice Base on Applied Geospatial Technologies" is addressing sustainability issues required by foresters through the use of digital remote sensing and GIS technologies. This project is developing a GIS model that integrates DigitalGlobe's QuickBird imagery and supporting data layers into a tool that guides the sustainable forestry practice of implementing streamside management zones
(SMZ's) to protect water quality. The results will demonstrate how SMZ maps can be efficiently and accurately produced to provide useful tools for planners, land managers, and policy makers worldwide.
Stennis Technology Park Update
Industry insiders know that the dream has been a long time in the making, and finally mid-May a group of Mobile-based investors announced the groundbreaking of the Stennis Technology Park. The facility, just north of Interstate 10 and west of Mississippi 603, will accommodate high-tech companies, many of which have ties to Stennis Space Center. Construction is scheduled to begin in June with a projected completion date towards the end of the year.
Rodney Pilot, one of the Mobile investors, said the office park would be the first part of what he envisions as a widening circle of technology companies that do business with the space center or its contractors. Pilot said the project's potential is huge. He pointed to Huntsville, Ala., home of Cummings Research Park, a sprawling science and technology park that sprouted up around Marshall Space Flight Center. That office park has grown to house 220 companies and employs 22,500 people, since 1962.
Stennis Facility Designated Center of Excellence
The Mississippi Legislature passed House Concurrent Resolution number 85 recognizing the Mississippi Technology Transfer Center at the NASA Stennis Space Center as a Center of Excellence in Geospatial Technologies. The concurrent resolution enables the center to promote itself as a leader in the geospatial field. The center qualified for this designation due to the fact that more than 70 percent of its space is devoted to research and commercialization in geospatial technologies. In addition to being the home of the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology, the building also houses 4 university programs, 2 nonprofit corporations, and 22 companies.
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Company
Spotlight
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As an active member of the Mississippi geospatial industry cluster since 1998, Digital Quest, Inc. (DQI) is addressing the industry's need for a well-trained workforce, not only in Mississippi, but nationwide. This summer the U.S. Department of Labor’s pilot of the Geospatial Apprenticeship program will be using Digital Quest’s STARS Certification. “It is the only industry recognized certification that matches up with the Geospatial Competency Model requirements” said Dr. Cyndi Gaudet of the University of Southern Mississippi, who is directing the pilot project.
The STARS certification is a product created by SPACESTARS LLC a Partnership between Digital Quest, Inc. and the Berkley Geo-Research Group. The recognition of the STARS certification by the Department of Labor is just the latest in a series of successes for the Digital Quest Team.
In May 2004, the independent research group Management & Training Corp of Centerville, Utah recommended the STARS Certification to Department of Labor for use in Job Corps in a report entitled "Industry-Recognized Certificate Programs and Job Corps: Working Toward a
Skilled and Qualified Workforce." The report stated the geospatial field is one of the high growth industries that will be affected by critical shortages in trained personnel and lists only one certification for GIS/RS
Technician - STARS. With this recognition from the Department of
Labor, the Geospatial certification "STARS" is setting the standard for
Geospatial technology training - and all from Ridgeland, Mississippi.
Also, thanks to an innovative program called "GEODESY," marketed by Digital Quest, students from California to Virginia, starting as early as the fourth grade, are learning to use out-of-this-world technology to understand real world problems in their own backyards.
This exciting new way of teaching geospatial technology has been recognized by NASA as one of the most significant technology spin-offs ever produced by NASA in its 40th Anniversary publication of "Spinoff" magazine. Another major recognition of Digital Quest’s innovation came from Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), the world's largest GIS software developer, when they awarded Digital Quest ESRI Business Partner of the Year honors in 2003.
DQI markets a series of geospatial training products to school, colleges and
Universities designed to provide skill training in the new and ever more vital field of geospatial technology. Through partnerships with organizations such as Berkeley Geo-Research Group, ESRI, NASA, EIGS and others, Digital Quest develops and delivers customized turn-key courses including:
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"GEODESY" (GEOgraphy a
Developmental Education System for Youth) is an introduction to GIS/RS(Geographic Information
systems/Remote Sensing).
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"SPACE"
(Spatial Projects And Community Exchange) is a series of community-based GIS projects for High Schools.
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"STARS" (Spatial Technology and Remote Sensing) is a certification
for entry level GIS/RS technicians.
Digital Quest also has a series of
application-based courses including "GIS
in Homeland Security" and "GIS in Economic Development" with additional topics, including law enforcement, under development.
Collectively, the SPACESTARS courses are instructing students how to use the same satellite data, geographic project management, GIS data and GIS/RS software NASA uses to solve problems. In addition, the programs are customized to the location of the individual school to make the training personally relevant to each student.
To find out more about these courses, where they are taught, and to view
work completed by students, visit www.spacestars.org.
For additional information about Digital Quest, visit www.digitalquest.com
or contact Eddie Hanebuth at eddieh@digitalquest.com,
877-573-6683.
If
you have suggestions for future SPOTLIGHTS, please send an e-mail
to lstone@olemiss.edu.
Members of the Partners for Stennis
Team - including EIGS staff members Robin Buchannon and Nancy Roberts and EIGS company member Glade Woods of GeoDigital Mapping
- met with Senator Thad Cochran to discuss a national vision for Space Exploration during early May 2004.
Visit
www.pointeinnovation.ms to read the most recent edition of Pointe Innovation Magazine which includes a feature article on EIGS Building a New Industry for Mississippi.
Be
sure to visit the EIGS website at
www.eigs.olemiss.edu
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UPCOMING
EVENTS
June 6-9,
2004
Annual Emergency Management Conference
Gulfport, MS. For more information: www.msmema.org
June 9-11, 2004
INTL Business Trade Certification Program
Jackson, MS. For more information: aatkins@mswtc.org
June 11, 2004
ESRI: ArcGIS 9 Seminar
Jackson, MS. For more information: www.esri.com
June 11,
2004
ESRI: ArcGIS 9 Seminar
Jackson, MS
www.esri.com
June 14-17,
2004
Mississippi Association of Supervisors’ 75th Annual
Conference
Tunica County, MS
For more information: Phone (601) 353-2741
August 9-13, 2004
ESRI International User Conference
San Diego, CA. For more information: www.uscregis.esri.com
August 17-19, 2004
Army Corp of Engineers' Geospatial Technology Symposium and Exposition
San Antonio, TX
October 17-20, 2004
Mississippi 911 Coordinators Association Annual Training Conference.
Tunica Resorts, MS. For more information: Phone (662)363-4012
**Stay posted for details about the upcoming EIGS Annual Meeting.
LEGISLATIVE
CORNER
The 2004 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature officially adjourned on May 9, 2004. However, Governor Haley Barbour summoned lawmakers back to the Capitol to discuss two issues: voter identification and lawsuit limitations. They wasted no time getting started, as both houses passed their own voter identification bills within the first few hours of the session. By the second day, each chamber had approved bills to limit civil lawsuits. Special sessions cost over $49,000 per day.
DID YOU KNOW???
The uses and applications of geospatial technologies have grown well beyond the original military and land information management purposes of the technology. Now being used in numerous areas that affect everyday lives such as transportation planning, homeland security and weather prediction, geospatial technologies are even being applied in the public health sector.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing are being used to address public health issues such as vector borne infectious diseases, respiratory illness, and skin and eye diseases that are related to conditions in the environment. Of particular interest to Mississippi are outbreaks of West Nile Virus.
GIS is serving as a powerful tool to analyze epidemiological data in order to survey and control infectious diseases investigate and respond to outbreaks, and reveal trends. This technology allows users to visualize problems in relation to resources which allows for better allocation of those resources when responding to communities in need. Public health officials are more effectively monitoring and managing health events. According to the World Health Organization, uses of GIS in public health include:
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Determining geographic distribution of diseases
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Analyzing spatial and temporal trends
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Mapping populations at risk
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Stratifying risk factors
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Assessing resource allocation
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Planning and targeting interventions
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Monitoring diseases and interventions over time
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in partnership with other federal agencies, has identified twelve national applications that can be served by NASA aerospace research and development of science and technologies. Public health is one of these priority areas. NASA's goal in this area is to help determine how weather, climate, and other key environmental factors correlate with the occurrence of chronic and infectious diseases. NASA works with the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Institutes of Health on this effort.
EIGS collaborates with several organizations in Mississippi that are using geospatial tools to address public health issues including Mississippi State University
(www.gri.msstate.edu) and The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) which has a GIS Department
(MORE). In fact UMMC, a pioneer in establishing a GIS program on a health science campus, has been using geospatial information technologies both epidemiology and healthcare research.
Some recent public health developments in the state include:
· Extension Specialist with GRI studying environmental causes of deadly West Nile virus
(MORE)
· MSU researchers chase bloodthirsty, disease-spreading ticks (MORE)
· As a partner in the NASA Public Health Application Program, UMMC is involved in landscape epidemiological studies using satellite images to analyze environmental variables. UMMC in aslo active in educating health scientists in geospatial information technologies through workshops, seminars, and training sessions.
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