November 2004

What's Inside This Month's  Sensor:

• The Director's Cut

• Company Spotlight: Planning Systems, Inc. (PSI)

• Image of the Month

• Upcoming Events

• Legislative Corner

• Seen and Heard

• Conference Report 
  A Picture of Success: The 2nd Annual Gulf Coast Geospatial Conference

• Graduate Fellow Feature

• Did You Know???
  
  

Robin Buchannon Director, EIGS

The Director's Cut

As I look around, I am always pleased to see such exciting things happening in the geospatial technology industry. From the release of Daratech’s industry forecast for 2004 that expects total GIS core-business revenue to top $2.02 billion to the Department of Labor’s investment of $4.9 million in training and education models to ensure better trained workers for this industry. Even the current discussions about updating the description of this industry from GIS to the more encompassing “geospatial” reflects the dynamic nature of this industry. 

Our regional activities reflect the national stage as we have a number of exciting things going on here. I recently attended an award ceremony in Baton Rouge for one of our EIGS member companies, NVision Solutions, who won the Technology Innovator of the Year Award for Louisiana. And the recent Gulf Coast Geospatial Conference, hosted by the University of Southern Mississippi, brought together all aspects of our geospatial community including businesses, researchers, government, and end users. I encourage you to read the full Conference Report submitted by Chris Harvey further down in the newsletter. 

If you scan the local newspapers, you get a glimpse of all the exciting ways our communities are adopting the use of geospatial technology. For example: 

• The City of Batesville has added a new global positioning system (GPS) and global information system GIS which has given the department a better insurance rating, which reduces the insurance rates by several hundred dollars for home and business owners residing within the city limit of Batesville. (Panolian, September 12, 2004)

• Ducks Unlimited and Waterfowler.com are providing real-time mapping of the North American Waterfowl Migration during the 2004-05 general waterfowl hunting season. The maps allow users to stay in touch with what’s going on in the field. The map is a GIS program that plots the intensity of waterfowl migration for the US and displays it in a simple color-coded format. (Leader Call, Laurel, MS, September 12, 2004)

• Vicksburg expanded the city’s web site to include GIS services that will include city maps detailing the municipal limits, voting precincts, zoning and addresses. (Vicksburg Post, March 11, 2004)

• Pearl River County received a grant to fund portions of the county GIS mapping project to improve emergency management and homeland security services for its residents. (Picayune Item, February 29, 2004)

On a final note, I want to make sure you are aware of the upcoming CIT.ms Conference on High Technology, sponsored by the Mississippi Technology Alliance, that will feature a panel session on geospatial technology entitled “Shhh…It’s a Secret: Mississippi is Quietly Becoming a Leader in a High Tech Industry.” I encourage you to attend the session and learn how Mississippi is building a new high tech industry based on the projected $30 Billion global market of geospatial technology. The session will focus on everyday solutions being provided for law enforcement, agriculture, forestry, and education/training by EIGS member companies. I look forward to seeing you in Jackson for this event.
 

Planning Systems Incorporated (PSI) is an innovative, employee-owned business with more than 125 employees located in the Mississippi Gulf Coast area. The company’s office at Stennis Space Center has been an active member of Mississippi's geospatial technology industry cluster since 2002. 

The company specializes in providing scientific, engineering, and information technology services to government, state, and commercial agencies in a number of high-tech areas including GIS and remote sensing. PSI also translates technology innovation into real-world applications to address immediate needs related to network-centric warfare, homeland security and the commercial industries. 

PSI has successfully performed on more than 400 government task orders, has won numerous repeat contracts with over a dozen Federal agencies, and has developed a number of products with an ultimate goal in mind for providing higher levels of support on a local, state, and federal level. 

Under a recent SBIR award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), PSI is currently investigating how polarization techniques can be used to enhance the detection of coastal phenomena and may help reduce glint, or glare, in remote sensing signals from sensors on satellite and airborne platforms. (Click here to see images) Glare is highly problematic before 10 a.m. and after 2 p.m. and severely limits the time for successful collection of imagery. It is expected that the results of this research will extend the time frame during which useful imagery is collected. Additionally, this technique, when applied to existing imagery, may yield better images and improve the ability to detect coast phenomena such as red tides, oil spills and seeps, pollution and sediment plumes, or other environmental conditions. 

PSI’s 30-year track record and deep technical and market expertise adds significant value on projects like this. As a small, innovative business, PSI is dedicated to research and development through its participation in the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program. For the NOAA project, PSI is leveraging technology already under development for a separate Phase II SBIR project for the Air Force Research Laboratory. The commercialization potential of this technology exists in support of various remote detection platforms, both airborne and satellite-based. The NOAA SBIR project is addressing one of the non-military applications of this technology. 

Additionally, local PSI scientists worked in conjunction with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to develop methods that take data derived from remote sensing imagery and predict how far a diver can see underwater. These methods were used during the first stages of the war in Iraq to help divers entering the area determine the best track to get to shore. 

Other projects that the company is pursuing across the country include:

• SECURES – PSI developed this gunshot detection system where sensors are placed on telephone poles, trees, or on the sides of buildings, and ‘listen’ for sounds with the characteristics of a gunshot. The location of the sound is identified through triangulation and gunshots are distinguished from other sounds through automated processing. The pinpointed location is sent to a GIS system located on the desk of law enforcement dispatchers. Additionally, the company has developed a low-cost trial package for localities wanting to test the capabilities of the system prior to full implementation.

• Speech Capable-Personal Data Assistant (SC-PDA) – The SC-PDA was developed by PSI to provide hands-free support to emergency personnel in the field. The voice-activated, hand-held system allows the user to verbalize a medical question and then returns the answer on the screen. It also has practical application to support soldiers deployed at distances from medical care – it could easily be used in any medical emergency. 

“At PSI, we pride ourselves on the technical breadth and depth our people can bring to any project working with the R&D community as well as those who use our tools operationally. We strive to understand the unique user requirements, and then interject the tools that will most effectively support their mission. PSI is at the forefront in transitioning sensors, systems, signal processing, and information analysis technology to critical emerging programs,” stated Laurie Jugan, Assistant Vice President of PSI.

PSI was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Reston VA, with 300 employees across 20 offices nationwide, including two locations in Mississippi – Long Beach and Stennis Space Center. For more information about PSI, visit www.planningsystems.com or contact Laurie Jugan at ljugan@psistennis.com, 228-689-8408.

IMAGE OF THE MONTH

Mount St. Helens, Washington
Imagery collected October 2, 2004

This image is provided by DigitalGlobe, an EIGS member company.

LEGISLATIVE CORNER

The 2005 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature convenes at 12:00 Noon on Tuesday, January 4, 2005. The session will last 90 days with SINE DIE scheduled for Sunday, April 3, 2005. 

DID YOU KNOW???

Industry forecasts for 2004 expect total GIS core-business revenue to top $2.02 billion, an increase of 9.7% over 2003. Core-business revenue includes software, hardware, services and data products.
(Source: Daratech, Inc.,)

.

Be sure to visit the EIGS website at

www.eigs.olemiss.edu

Congratulations to Applied Geo Technologies Inc. of Choctaw, Mississippi, a member of the EIGS industry cluster, for being listed in the Mississippi Business Journal’s Mississippi Business 100 List in the October 25-31, 2004 issue.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Nov. 7-10, 2004
GeoScience in a Changing World
Geological Society of America
Denver, CO

November 9-10, 2004
CIT.ms 5th Annual Conference on High Technology
The Marriott - Jackson, MS

Nov. 15-18, 2004
The Seven Hills Regional Users Group for GIS 3rd Annual GIS Workshop: "Mapping Our Future"
Tallahassee, FL

March 6-9, 2005
GITA's Annual Conference 28: Crossing Boundaries
Denver, CO

March 7-11, 2005
ASPRS 2005 Annual Conference - 
Geospatial Goes Global: From Your Neighborhood to the Whole Planet
Baltimore, Maryland

**Stay posted for the release date of the EIGS Annual Meeting.
**If you have any upcoming events that need to be posted, please email them to Johnna@pfidc.com.

CONFERENCE SPOTLIGHT

Research Seminar on Medical GIS: 
GIS Applications in Medical Research
November 4th, 2004 - 12:00 pm
University of Mississippi Medical Center, Room R354

Speaker: 
Bill Davenhall
Global Manager, Health and Human Services
Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI), Redlands, California

Mr. Davenhall will present a growing body of evidence that links geography to health status. He will address the academic interests of GIS (in teaching and research) to the public's need for GIS centric programs such as disease surveillance, population health tracking, and advocacy. He will also mention the capability building strategy of GIS programs across academic and research units of a multi-disciplinary health sciences university.

Contact information:
601-815-5000/601-984-6263 or ffaruque@son.umsmed.edu 
 

SEEN AND HEARD

From an article in the Focus Tech Report of the Mississippi Business Journal, October 18-24, 2004: “All of us entrepreneurs connected with the Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions believe this has huge potential globally, and a lot is happening here in Mississippi,” said Clark Love, CEO of Forest One. “We hope to see this whole industry grow locally, on the Coast, in Jackson and other locations.”

From GISuser.com, Oct. 26, 2004: “The geospatial industry is fast-growing and exciting and it offers a great deal of job opportunities. The workforce in this industry has doubled in the last four years and accelerated growth is expected in the years ahead,” said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “That’s why training is so important. And, that’s why the Administration is devoting $4.9 million to invest in training and education models that can be replicated across the country to prepare our workers for the exciting and good paying career opportunities jobs in this industry offer.”
 
Who: NVision Solutions Louisiana's 2004 Technology Innovator of the Year
What: Louisiana Governor's 2004 Technology Awards
When: October 14, 2004
Where: Awards Luncheon Baton Rouge River Center (formerly Centroplex)

Pictured: Left to Right - Robert Bruce, New Business Development Office Chief -NASA Stennis, Benji Newman, Manager, Innovative Partnership Program - NASA Headquarters, Don Peyton, NVision Solutions, Michael Olivier, Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development, Dr. Robin Buchannon, Executive Director, Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions, and Roy Keller Director Louisiana Business and Technology Center Louisiana State University

Conference Report

A PICTURE OF SUCCESS: 
The 2nd Annual Gulf Coast Geospatial Conference

The second Annual Gulf Coast Geospatial Conference was held October 20-22, 2004 in Biloxi, MS. This year’s theme was Geospatial Applications Supporting Community Endeavors. “The goal of the conference was to provide a venue for the exchange of ideas on how geospatial technologies can support community endeavors. This was accomplished by bringing together over 200 federal, state and local professionals from across the nation all focused on sharing ideas about the latest technologies and cutting-edge applications supporting the work”, said Ed Pinero, Gulf Coast Geospatial Center’s Associate Director for Outreach. 

The conference featured keynote speakers Dr. John Jensen, a Carolina Distinguished Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of South Carolina and Stanley A. Morain, Director, Earth DATA Analysis Center, University of New Mexico. Conference sessions and informational displays presented by cutting edge companies and universities gave attendees the opportunity to network with GIS professionals and learn about current trends in GIS and remote sensing technology. Sponsors for this year’s conference were NASA, the Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions (EIGS), South Central Arc User Group (SCAUG), and The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Geospatial Center, The Mississippi Association for Spatial Technologies (MAST), and The Nature Conservancy. Each has a history of providing GIS and remote sensing capabilities to support the wise management of natural resources and commercialization of GIS and remote sensing in supporting communities throughout Mississippi and the nation with many displaying a wide variety of products and services including Laurie Jugan with PSI, Dan Lee with Geo Tek Management, and John Williams with Global Positioning Solutions.


EIGS member company sessions focused on the commercialization of this NASA technology and how it is touches lives daily. Participating EIGS member sessions are outlined below: 

• Adam Dunlap with Applied Geo Technology (AGT), a company owned by the Mississippi Band if Choctaw Indians, is the first American Indian tribe in the U.S. to adopt a smart growth zoning ordinance and in doing so utilized the latest geospatial technology in developing land use data layers and maps. 

• Keith Alphonso, Diamond Data Systems (DDS), focused on the Framework for Intelligent Geospatial Interoperability (FIGI). FIGI is a framework developed by DDS for promoting the interoperability of geospatial systems. The system uses XML and Web services integration techniques to promote the sharing and integration of geospatial data. 

• DigitalGlobe’s session with Brett Thomassie entitled “QuickBird: High-Resolution Satellite Imagery to Support Floodplain, Coastal Management, and Natural Disaster Application” gave attendees examples of uses of QuickBird data for a variety of state and local government applications including homeland security, port and infrastructure, GIS mapping and many other decision support systems. 

• WorldWinds’ Hurricane Storm Surge Modeling for Biloxi, MS session brought remote sensing home. It is this time of year when Mississippians, particularly coastal residents, are acutely aware of what going on with the weather during this active hurricane season that runs through November. 

• A session titled REACT: The Real-Time Emergency Action Coordination Tool was presented by Thomas Strange, Radiance Technologies and Joel Lawhead, NVision Solutions. REACT is a product that benefits county and state emergency management and includes a flood-inundation model and partial integration of Radiance Technologies’ Emergency Evacuation Response Tool. Both are web-based decision support tools.

• Eddie Hanebuth of Digital Quest showcased training courses developed to the train the users in this high-tech as it relates to real job skills. 

This was the second year for the GCGC and Joyce Brasell- Director, Workforce Planning and Development at Northwest Mississippi Community College was very enthusiastic when asked what she thought about the conference, stating, “This is the perfect compliment to our program at Northwest, which is developing and nurturing students for careers in GIS. As awareness grows, especially, in the first responder community, the demand for GIS skills will escalate.”

Thanks to all who participated for a job well done.

Congratulations to Pat Fitzpatrick, Associate Research Professor of the GeoResources Institute at Mississippi State University who has recently had the draft of his book, "Hurricanes: A Reference Handbook, Second Edition" sent to ABC-CLIO Publisher. This book is the follow-up edition to Natural Disasters: Hurricanes published in 1999. As in the first edition, the purpose of this book is to provide background information on issues, people, organizations, statistics, and publications related to hurricanes, and to provide guidance on where additional information may be obtained about a specific topic. Much of the book has been meticulously referenced so that the reader can explore these publications if they wish. All material is based on peer-review literature and has been updated. This book is a useful reference for students, the general public, emergency managers, public officials, journalists, and meteorologists. Anyone in a weather-sensitive field on the tropical ocean will also find this book practical. The book should be published in Spring 2005 or early Summer 2005. The book cover can be seen here.

Nathan Buehring, originally from Tupelo, MS, is currently enrolled in the Weed Science Ph.D. program at Mississippi State University. He holds a B.S. in Agriculture Pest Management from Mississippi State University and a M.S. in Weed Science from the University of Arkansas. Mark is involved with several organizations including the Southern Weed Science Society, the Weed Science Society of America, and Alpha Theta Chi Honorary Society. Nathan is a second year EIGS/NASA Graduate Fellow.

Under the guidance of Dr. Daniel Reynolds, Nathan’s research project, “The Use of RS for Herbicide Drift Detection in Corn and Cotton,” is addressing the critical problem of herbicide spray drift. After a spray drift event in corn, producers are often left with a difficult decision on whether to terminate the crop and replant or keep the crop in production. Previous research has indicated that visual injury estimates and plant height reductions do not strongly correlate to potential yield losses from sublethal applications of non-target herbicides. Therefore, other methods of assessing potential yield losses from non-target herbicides are needed. Research in remote sensing would indicate the possibility of detecting herbicide spray drift onto susceptible crops. This project is addressing whether remote sensing can be used to accurately identify herbicide spray drift from non-target herbicides in corn and cotton.

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