December 2005

Welcome to The Sensor -- the newsletter of the Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions (EIGS) bringing you the latest developments from Mississippi’s emerging geospatial industry cluster. Please feel free to share this with friends and colleagues. To subscribe, visit www.eigs.olemiss.edu

For further information, or to submit story ideas, please contact Lisa Stone - lstone@olemiss.edu 

Guest Corner:
GIS and Today's Global Market

By Leland Speed, Executive Director, Mississippi Development Authority

Our world is about speed and vitality in every spectrum of life. Producing products and services faster and better is the key to success in today’s consumer-driven market. The only way to sustain such a fast pace is through the knowledgeable and creative use of technology.

As we are learning more and more each day, that technology must include nanotechnology, biotechnology and, of course, geographic information technology. And with the skill of our young people and the tenacity of our workforce, Mississippi is positioned to lead the way in this country. We can already boast that we are home to more than 25% of the nation’s supercomputing power. Now we need to put that power and other resources to use developing and implementing new technologies that will improve our way of life here at home while driving the U.S. economy forward in the global market.

In the days following Hurricane Katrina, normal transportation and modes of communication were simply not available. Our resolve and ingenuity were tested like never before. Hurricane victims were stranded all over the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Help was on the way, but travel was limited at best. How would rescue workers locate victims or locate necessary supplies? How would we navigate the devastated landscape without the usual tools? That’s where geographic information systems (GIS) came into play. With the technology of organizations like the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security and various private entities, we were able to locate people and get them to safety and shelter. We were also able to make early assessments of the damage so that the recovery and rebuilding process would not stalled.

Those trying times haven proven that GIS technology is not just for a small sector of professionals or private agencies. But it has practical uses for our daily lives. Five Mississippi institutions are already leading the way with specialized GIS programs or centers: Delta State University, Mississippi State University, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Mississippi and Jackson State University.

The resources are available. Now we have to encourage the next generation to take advantage of the opportunities in this growing field. Additionally, we must also support the institutions and agencies that are working to grow these and other programs around the state.

Since 1998, 36 Mississippi companies have invested more than $158 million in the geospatial industry. That’s a good start, but we need to continue that growth. Geographic information technology is one of the top three emerging fields in the country and one of the top 12 business sectors that will significantly impact our nation’s economy.

By investing in our cluster of university research programs, private companies, state agencies and partner programs, Mississippi can be a part of the trend. In fact, we can lead the way.

Although Michael Baker Corporation (Baker) is one of the newest members of Mississippi’s geospatial cluster, they are certainly not new to the industry. As one of the largest professional service firms, they were founded in 1940 and have operated in Mississippi since 1945.

Baker is a national and international engineering design and energy services firm that provides full geospatial services including planning, AM/FM and GIS consulting, needs assessment and technology implementation, photogrammetric mapping, digital orthophotography, data conversion, scanning, remote sensing, LiDAR, GPS and conventional field inventory and surveys.

Recently, Baker was awarded the role of Program Manager for FEMA’s entire Flood Map Modernization project over the next five years. Baker’s Jackson office is directly involved in many facets of the program management including: project management for flood-map modernization for nine counties in Mississippi; country-wide flood map conversion to standardized National Flood Layer, and production of Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRM) for various locations across the U.S.

Another recent award is the multi-year contract by the US Census Bureau to provide program management and data collection services for Accurate Coordinate Datasets Collection (ACDC). In this role, Baker manages the dispatch field crews for GPS point collections, which are performed at the center of street intersections with Baker’s patented GeoLink® GPS/GIS Mapping Software.

Among their many projects, Baker is building a complete enterprise GIS to support the needs of the Denbury Onshore, LLC pipeline operators and staff. The DOMES (Denbury Onshore Mapping and Enterprise System) project will be used to located, report, and record specific areas and events along the 183 miles of pipeline, which begins in Rankin County, MS and extends south of Baton Rouge, LA. Additionally, a complete land base depicting current ownership had to be created and maintained through the efforts of local and county governments. When completed, the DOMES will serve as the repository of all legal, physical and historical records of the pipeline.

Baker has also been working with the Forrest County Emergency Management District to use GPS/GIS technology and Geolink to map over 1,200 miles road centerline and over 26,000 structure locations in order to increase dispatching and emergency response efficiency.

With Baker’s GeoLink Mapping to Manage™ solutions, users can efficiently create geographic databases, update existing databases, and use GIS datasets for field operations such as maintenance and verification. GeoLink is available s a standard core version of GPS/GIS data collection and live map display, or with add-on expansion modules for increased data collection and management capabilities.

Baker truly lives up to their motto of, “We view challenges as invitations to innovate.” For more information about Baker, please contact Larry Cowart at 601-933-6222, lcowart@mbakercorp.com or visit www.mbakercorp.com/gis.

IMAGE OF THE MONTH

Images of Colorado before (below) and after (above) a pair of November snowstorms dumped 3+ feet of snow on the state. Top image taken November 15, bottom taken November 1 by NASA satellites.

SEEN AND HEARD

Chris Harvey, EIGS Assistant Director and Laurie Jugan of PSI, an EIGS member, were both recently honored by the Stennis Rotary Club for their volunteer efforts after Hurricane Katrina.

Pictured standing from left: Neil Alfrod, District Govenor; Janice Young, Past-District Governor; Chris Harvey, Stennis Rotary President-Elect; (seated) Roy Crochet, President; Laurie Jugan, Secretary; and Chip Munday, Lt. Govenor Club Service, Carbondale, CO.

CONGRATULATIONS

NVision Solutions Inc. is pleased to announce the promotion of Joel Lawhead to Program Manager. Joel has worked with NVision since the company started in 2002. Joel has also worked alongside NVision executives Socorro Harvey, Don Peyton, and Craig Harvey since November 2000. As Program Manager Joel will work directly with NVision staff on project goals, as well as handle proposal and grant writing, and general administrative management.

UPCOMING EVENTS

December 6-9, 2005
MS Association of Realtors 2005 Winter Conference
Natchez, MS

January 9-11, 2006
MS Association of Supervisors Midwinter Education and Legislative Conference
Jackson, MS

January 18-19, 2006
Mississippi Business & Technology Expo
Jackson, MS

March 19-22, 2006
National States Geographic Information Council 2006 Midyear Conference
Annapolis, Maryland

May 1-5, 2006
ASPRS Annual Conference
Reno, Nevada

LEGISLATIVE CORNER

The 2006 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature convenes at 12:00 Noon on Tuesday, January 3, 2006. This will be a 90-day session with SINE DIE scheduled for Sunday, April 2.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has entered into a contract with ESRI to provide geographic information system (GIS) software and training to first responders through the Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program (CEDAP). Applications are being accepted November 7, 2005-January 13, 2006.

The intent of the CEDAP program is to provide necessary equipment to rural or smaller first responder agencies to conduct homeland security, emergency management, and similar functions. First responder agencies that have not received past DHS grant funding may be eligible to purchase GIS through CEDAP.

For additional information about the CEDAP GIS package and solutions for this grant, please contact ESRI's grant coordinator at grantcoord@esri.com or by calling 208-286-0220.

Check out the newly-released

available now at

www.eigs.olemiss.edu

Conference Report:
Conference on High Technology

The Sixth Annual Conference on High Technology was held at the Jackson Marriott on November 9, 2005. EIGS staff members attending the event were Lisa Stone, Chris Harvey, and Marty Inman. Several EIGS companies also attended including Air-O-Space International, Geo Tek Management Services, GeoData Airborne, and Michael Baker Corporation. EIGS participated as a sponsor, exhibitor and a presenter.

The Conference featured a keynote address from John Sculley, former CEO of Pepsi and Apple. Panel sessions were offered on a variety of topics including: homeland security, technology law and finance, commercialization programs, entrepreneurs and business development, The Next Big Thing, and rebuilding Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina.

Lisa Stone represented the EIGS geospatial industry cluster on the Rebuilding Panel and presented an overview of geospatial technologies and how Mississippi companies are using geospatial technologies to assist with recovery efforts. Additionally, the presentation provided details about how the technology can be highly effective during the rebuilding stage including:

• Site selection

• Zoning

• Plan new land developments

• Traffic patterns

• Land-use change impacts

• Location of housing developments, roads, sewers

• Assess timber damage

• E-911 Routing

• Planning for future disasters

• Rebuilding critical infrastructure

• Plan utility service expansions/upgrades

• Determine tax valuations

• Coordinate emergency response

• Re-draw voter districts

• Environmental hazard assessments

Please email lstone@olemiss.edu, if you would like a copy of the presentation, “Using Geospatial Technology to Respond, Recover, and Rebuild After Hurricane Katrina.”

The conference was sponsored by EIGS partner, the Mississippi Technology Alliance and the Mississippi Research Consortium and the Communication Information Technology Organization of Mississippi (CIT.ms).

Round Up Mississippi:
Geospatial News Briefs from Around the State

• The first item on the agenda at the November meeting of the Wilkinson County Board of Supervisors was a discussion of a pending application for a $350,000 grant to install a digital imaging and mapping system for the county. According to Chancery Clerk Tolliver, the benefits of the new system would be as follows: allow easier access to and improve the ability to correct addresses for all property locations; would contain a GPS which would give fire, rescue, and law enforcement agencies actual locations of building, houses, and property; and assist the county tax assessor with mapping and assessments of real property. (Woodville Republican, Woodville, MS – November 10, 2005)

• District 3 Supervisor Craig Hitt said he was most interested in seminars about GIS mapping. Hitt said GIS allows cities and counties to visualize relationships, connections and patterns in data. For instance, using GIS mapping, police could determine the exact location of a person who is calling 911 from a cell phone. (Meridian Star, Meridian, MS – October 22, 2005)

• State Representative John Mayo D-Clarksdale said he plans to pre-file a bill for the 2006-07 Mississippi legislative session which would mandate the most severe sexual predators wear global positioning devices. (Desoto Times Today, Hernando, MS – October 27, 2005)

• The Coastal Mapper currently offers 36 coastal data layers for viewing in addition to both satellite imagery and aerial photography covering the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast. Whether you want a bird’s eye view of your neighborhood to determine the location of the nearest boat launch, or study your local watershed, the DMR’s Coastal Mapper is a Web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) that provides the user an opportunity to view and query geospatial data pertinent to the Mississippi’s six coastal counties. The Coastal Mapper was funded through a Coastal Impact Assistance Program grant. (Sun Herald, Biloxi, MS -- August 28, 2005)

• The marvels of GIS become clearer each day for the technologist who is creating a Geographical Information System for Natchez and Adams County. After a year on the job as GIS Project manager for the Adams County Soil and Water Conservation District, Peter Dale sees a first goal met in his efforts to gather, assemble, and blend data into specialized computer programs tracking geographical elements throughout the county. (Natchez Democrat, Natchez, MS – August 28, 2005)

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