July 2006

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 

Director's Cut

State Legislature Commits to Critical Component to Sustaining Mississippi’s Geospatial Infrastructure

One of Mississippi’s most notable and successful activities in the geospatial arena is the statewide software site license program. I am pleased to announce that during the 2006 session, the Mississippi Legislature included funding to continue the Remote Sensing and Geospatial Information System (GIS) software learning packages for use at all Institutions of Higher Learning and Community and Junior Colleges. The Legislature recognizes the importance of the program to help ensure that an educated, well-trained workforce is available to address the growing workforce development needs of the geospatial industry.

As the first of its kind in the U.S., this program was established in 1999 for remote sensing/GIS software with three industry-leading vendors – ESRI, Leica Geosystems, and RSI. Other states have since followed Mississippi’s lead in having such a progressive program that serves the entire statewide public higher education community. Funded through EIGS and managed by the IHL Geospatial Council, the site licenses are designated for educational and research purposes and allow for unlimited copies of the software at all 8 public universities and all 15 community and junior colleges. Including software extensions and modules, over 18,000 licenses have been issued since the program began.

This software program is a resource that is critical to the research, development, and training mission of the participating universities and community colleges as well as the continued growth of the geospatial industry cluster. The software is being used as part of curricula, supporting research applications by faculty, helping graduate and undergraduate students complete research projects, and training the next generation of employees for Mississippi’s geospatial industry. This critical component will continue to address the workforce needs of Mississippi’s growing geospatial industry, attract new businesses to the state, and help solidify Mississippi’s leadership position in the geospatial industry.

IMAGE OF THE MONTH

Space Shuttle Discovery blasted off July 4th from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  Taken from the top of the Vehicle Assembly Building, this picture is
courtesy of Space.com.

SEEN AND HEARD

“Perhaps more importantly, this study (GITA/AAG geospatial workforce study) — which is the result of the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) High Growth Job Training Initiative, a program that has identified the geospatial industry as one of 12 sectors projected to have a far-reaching impact on the U.S. economy — is moving us closer to building a true community for the spatial sciences; one in which professionals' roles and responsibilities are defined and whose required competencies are being identified and addressed through a synergistic collaboration between academia and industry.”

- Amy Stankiewicz
Editor in Chief,
Geospatial Solutions Magazine
July 1, 2006

UPCOMING EVENTS

July 19-21, 2006
Mississippi Economic Development Council Summer Conference
Tunica, MS

July 24-27, 2006
MS Municipal League 2006 Annual Conference
Tunica, MS

August 7–11, 2006
Twenty-Sixth Annual ESRI International User Conference
San Diego, California

September 18 - 20, 2006
Geospatial Information & Technology Association’s (GITA) 15th Annual GIS for Oil & Gas Conference
Houston, TX

October 1-5, 2006
National States Geographic Information Council 2006 Annual Conference
Little Rock, AR

October 25-27, 2006
Mississippi Forestry Association 2006 Annual Meeting
Jackson, MS

November 13-14, 2006
Memphis 6th Annual GIS Conference
Memphis, TN

DID YOU KNOW?

U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Robert Murrett has been nominated for appointment to vice admiral and assignment as director of the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Department of Defense? Murrett, currently serving as director of Naval Intelligence, N2, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, will replace James Clapper as NGA director. Clapper retired June 13 after five years as director of the Pentagon's satellite mapping agency.

Source: Satellite Today June 14, 2006

Industry Perspective: Elizabeth Valenti, WorldWinds Inc.

EIGS Consultant, Johnna Van recently spent a few minutes with Elizabeth Valenti, President and CEO of WorldWinds, Inc., and talked about the company and what the future has on the horizon for WorldWinds.


Van: Elizabeth, why don’t you give our readers a brief overview of WorldWinds.

Valenti: WorldWinds, Inc. has been in business for over 6 years and was established as one of the original charter members of the Mississippi Space Commerce Initiative. We are a privately held, 8(a) certified, small business with offices located at the Stennis Space Center and in Slidell, Louisiana. WorldWinds main line of business is in the research and development of improving atmospheric and oceanographic modeling and forecasting through computer simulations. WorldWinds owns and operates our own Linux cluster 'supercomputer' with 64 virtual-processor nodes. In the past, we have performed work for the US Navy, NASA, MS Department of Environmental Quality, and numerous private companies.

Van: It seems as though we have a broader understanding of the need for the technology as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. How has this impacted your business?

Valenti: Our current business mainly deals with storm surge modeling for hurricanes and coastal restoration work. Over the last 9 months, we have performed numerous Katrina storm surge simulations for private and commercial clients. We run a state of the art hydrology model, called ADCIRC, that gives a very accurate indication of how high the water will be and how strong the wind is for a particular storm. We have provided lots of data to the public for Katrina hoping that it will better help them understand the relationship between the wind and water for their particular location. We are hoping that this work will lead to better preparedness for future storms.

We are also working for URS, Corp., and the LA Dept of Environmental Quality on a wetland restoration project. We hope this work will enable us to begin restoring Louisiana's wetlands.

Van: Have there been any lessons learned through this experience that will change the way the technology is applied or even communicated?

Valenti: Our hope is that technology will be better used for preparation and disaster mitigation, that way much of the devastation can be avoided next time. Much of the technology developed at the Stennis industry cluster can be used to save lives and avoid property losses, we hope that more local emergency disaster preparedness groups can take advantage of the technology we have to offer to be better prepared for the next storm.

Van: What is the most difficult challenge you face in growing and building your business?

Valenti: The biggest difficulty we have locally is finding and hiring qualified people. The lack of housing makes it impossible for people to move to the coast.

Van: Can you give our readers a few specific examples of how the technology has been used to solve problems for your clients?

Valenti: We have been working with a full-service weather provider called Accuweather, Inc., located in Pennsylvania. Accuweather contracted with us to provide them with storm surge and wind information for Hurricane Katrina. What this data showed is that sustained hurricane force winds preceded the maximum storm surge by 3-4 hours in most areas. Accuweather will use this information for their clients to help them collect insurance settlements when wind and water were factors in their insurance claims. We are very pleased that our data was able to help so many people affected by the storm.

Van: In closing, could you tell our readers what sets you apart from your competition?

Valenti: I think what sets us apart is our ability to react quickly and effectively to our clients requests. We have the hardware and technical expertise to solve complex problems, yet we can respond quickly because we are locally owned and operated and do not have to wade through a lot of bureaucracy to get a job done.


WorldWinds, Inc., an active member of the EIGS Geospatial Industry Cluster, was established in May 2000 as a spin-off of User Systems, Inc. WorldWinds, Inc. is a privately held, woman-owned, small business located the NASA Stennis Space Center in southern Mississippi. They provide customized consulting support and analysis of weather and remote sensed data including accurate, near real-time, high-resolution weather forecasts. Their forecast applications are used in a variety of markets including: marine transport, oil and gas operations, commercial fishing, coastal hazard and response support, aviation, agriculture, air pollution monitoring, and insurance applications. For more information, contact Elizabeth Valenti at evalenti@worldwindsinc.com or 228-688-1468.

Craig Harvey of NVision Solutions Honored during
2006 Small Business Week

On June 20th in Biloxi, MS, Craig Harvey was honored as the 2006 Small Business Person of the Year for Mississippi by the Small Business Administration. Craig is the CIO and Executive Vice President of NVision Solutions, Inc., a member of the EIGS Geospatial Technology Industry Cluster since 2002.

Each year since 1963, the President has designated National Small Business Week in recognition of the contributions that professionals like Craig make to the American economy. Small Business Week provided the SBA Mississippi District Office the opportunity to applaud the successes of Craig and NVision Solutions, Inc., as well as several other small business winners.

"Craig represents someone who truly exemplifies the innovation and strong determination that make small business the driving force of job creation in Mississippi and throughout our nation," said Janita R. Stewart, Mississippi District Director for the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Since Craig helped found NVision Solutions nearly four years ago, he has built a thriving technology company without any venture capital and has grown the business from a 2-person, 100-square foot office to 3 regional offices with over 15 employees.

"I am honored by this award, but when it comes down to it this is really an award for the entire NVision team as well as all of those who have supported and believed in us since day one," said Craig Harvey, CIO of NVision Solutions. "This award also represents a culmination of all the efforts by Mississippi's leadership to bring high tech to the State of Mississippi through the active fostering and support of the geospatial industry cluster."

In addition to this award, NVision has received a number of other accolades including the 2005 Mississippi Small Business Innovator of the Year award, ESRI’s New Business Partner of the Year, and ESRI’s Special Achievement GIS Award. NVision also received the Louisiana Governor’s Technology Innovator of the Year Award in 2004 for a product successfully launched in Louisiana.

The SBA Awards Luncheon featured a number of special guests including Eddie Farve, Mayor of Bay St. Louis; Nathan Sullivan of the City of Biloxi; Nuby Fowler, SBA Region IV Regional Administrator; and Nicholas Owen, SBA National Ombudsman. Senator Charles Pittman of the Office of Governor Haley Barbour was also in attendance and presented a Governor’s Proclamation recognizing the efforts of all entrepreneurs and in particular small business owners’ tremendous contributions to our economy, competitiveness and way of life. The proclamation went on to acknowledges that small business owners create wealth, develop new products and services, enhance existing products and services, and offer jobs and opportunities to many other Mississippians and Americans. The proclamation further declared the week beginning June 18th and ending June 24th, 2006 as "Mississippi Small Business Week" in the State of Mississippi.

The keynote address was given by Brigadier General Robert Crear, Commander of the Mississippi Valley Division for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. General Crear provided an in-depth look at Task Force Hope, the designation given to the efforts in support of FEMA’s national response plan to Hurricane Katrina. Engaging more than 3,800 personnel at its peak, Task Force Hope is among the largest disaster recovery operations in the history of the Corps of Engineers.

Other SBA honorees during the luncheon included:

• Ennis King, Financial Services Champion

• Lynne Jeter, Small Business Journalist

• Joan Branson, Minority Small Business Champion

• Adrian Jones and Moreh Smith, Young Entrepreneurs of the Year

• “Outstanding Contribution to Disaster Recovery”:

  • Mississippi Small Business Development Center, The University of Mississippi

  • Hancock Bank

  • Tish Williams, Hancock County Chamber of Commerce

  • Brice Phillips, WQRZ Radio

Attending the luncheon on behalf of EIGS were Lisa Stone, who nominated Craig for the award, and Chris Harvey. Craig was also honored this past April in Washington, D.C., during National Small Business Week.

Global Perspectives

GIS to be implemented in Nashik, India

Source: GIS Development
Nashik, Maharashtra, India, 7 June 2006: The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) will soon use GIS and other technologies for increasing its efficiency in civic administration. Nashik is among the eight cities chosen for a pilot project that is being conducted by Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC), Nagpur in co-ordination with NMC.

192.com to provide mapping service covering whole of UK

Source: GIS Development
UK, 20 June 2006: 192.com launched an online mapping service on June 26, covering the whole of the UK. The service will cover every street in the country. The mapping technology deployed by 192.com merges mapping and aerial photography in a flash format when zooming in and out. The web site will be licensing the mapping technology to business users following its launch on June 26th.

Humanitarian Relief Organization Uses Satellite Imagery to Plan Agriculture and Disaster Relief Efforts for Developing Countries

Souce: GISCafe.com
Healing Hands International (HHI), a non-profit humanitarian organization, is working with the Native Communities Development Corporation (NCDC), a DigitalGlobe business partner, to obtain satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe for use in planning and visualization efforts surrounding agricultural development and disaster relief missions in Africa and Central America.

Report: Russia Launches Earth Observation Satellite

Source: Satellite Today
A Russian Soyuz rocket launched the Resurs-DK imagery satellite June 15 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, according to Itar-Tass. The satellite can collect imagery with a resolution of 1 meter and also carries two scientific payloads -- a space spectrometer designed to study galactic emissions and equipment that will test a new method of forecasting earthquakes from space.

British & EADS Unveil Vehicle Prototype for ExoMars Mission

Source: Agence France Presse
British scientists unveiled Monday, June 12th, a prototype for a vehicle that
could be used for ESA’s Mars exploration mission, ExoMars, in 2011. The
vehicle, dubbed “Bridget”, was designed to seek out possible traces of past or present life on Mars, as well as to evaluate if the planet could sustain life
in the future. ESA will make its decision as to which vehicle to send in 2007;
for the moment, “Bridget”, built by EADS and co-financed by the United Kingdom, is the only candidate.

Flood forecasting for Newfoundland and Labrador available online

Source: ESA
Residents of the town of Badger, located in the central region of Newfoundland and Labrador, are accessing satellite radar imagery used for forecasting floods straight from their computers. This service has been funded by the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES), an EU-led initiative in partnership with ESA.

Satellite to Document Rights Abuses in Burma

Source: The Irrawaddy
Satellite technology that has provided irrefutable evidence of the destruction of civilian settlements in Zimbabwe will soon be used to document similar abuses in Burma, says the US team conducting the research. The American Association for the Advancement of Science based in Washington told The Irrawaddy that it has started working with the US Campaign for Burma on how the technology can best be applied to Burma.

Mississippi Angel Network Connects Companies and Capital

Mississippi’s only network of Angel Investors has grown to 62 members

In 2005, the Mississippi Technology Alliance launched the Mississippi Angel Network to help strengthen technology-based economic development in Mississippi. The term “Angel” refers to high-net worth individuals, or “accredited investors,” who typically invest in and support start-up companies in their early stages of growth.

MTA has recruited 62 Mississippi Angels to participate in the Network to date. Meetings are held in Jackson and Tupelo five times per year for Network members to hear presentations from early-stage and start-up technology businesses.

MTA Vice President for Business Ventures Jim Lowery said, “While traditional venture capital firms are a very important component of the marketplace economy, Angels tend to be more interested in early stage companies because they have more flexible investment parameters. This network consists of Mississippians investing into Mississippi ideas and businesses—and that is a strong recipe for success.”

The Mississippi Angel Network is the first formal statewide angel network within Mississippi to connect Angel Investors and technology entrepreneurs. Companies wishing to present before the Network must submit an executive summary to MTA, and MTA will pass it along to the Screening Committee. The Screening Committee is comprised of Network members, and it chooses which companies are invited to present before the Network’s meetings.

Detailed information on submitting a presentation to the Mississippi Angel Network and answers to frequently asked questions from entrepreneurs and investors can be found on the Mississippi Technology Alliance website, www.technologyalliance.ms. 

The mission of the Mississippi Technology Alliance is to champion innovation and technology-based economic development for the State of Mississippi. For more information about the Mississippi Angel Network, contact Jim Lowery at jlowery@technologyalliance.ms or 601-960-3610.

EIGS Staff and Members Participate in Stennis Rotary Annual Installation and Awards Banquet

On June 30, 2006, the Rotary Club of Stennis Space Center held its annual banquet at Stennis Space Center’s Rouchon House. Chris Harvey, EIGS Assistant Director was inducted as the incoming President. She also received one of the two top awards for the night, the “Service Above Self” which is awarded to a Rotarian by the Club’s Board of Directors. The purpose of this award is to recognize individual Rotarians who have demonstrated exemplary humanitarian service, in any form and at any level, with an emphasis on personal volunteer efforts and active involvement in helping others through Rotary. Chris also received a Presidential Citation for chairing the Community Service Committee for 2005-06 as well as a perfect attendance certificate. After joining Rotary only a year ago, Chris hit the ground running and has never looked back. When asked what her plans were for her presidency, she stated “to always operate in the spirit of Rotary, increase membership and awareness, because ‘he who helps others helps himself.’”

The other top award for the night went to Laurie Jugan who received the coveted “Rotarian of the Year.” Laurie is an assistant vice-president for Planning Systems Incorporated, an EIGS member company. "I am humbled and honored. It’s an honor to be a Rotarian, especially, post–Katrina. The Rotary response world-wide has been awesome.” Jugan also received a presidential citation, perfect attendance award, and a plaque for serving as the Club’s secretary.

Other EIGS members receiving awards were Robert Broome with PSI who received a Presidential Citation, a Prefect Attendance Award, and a plaque for serving as the Club’s Treasurer. Barbara Ambrose and Christy Masson also with PSI both received “Volunteer of the Year Awards.”

Socorro and Craig Harvey of NVision Solutions were also on hand in support of the Stennis Rotary Club. NVision is also an EIGS member. Greg Lier, District Governor-nominee 2008-2009, attended to install the new slate of officers and present the awards.

EIGS In the News

SBA Honors Best In Business
Clarion-Ledger, June 23, 2006
“The Mississippi SBA Person of the Year is Craig Harvey of NVision Solutions at the NASA Stennis Space Center in Hancock County.”

Air-O-Space Produces new High-Tech Undercover Operatives
Pointe Innovation, Summer 2006
“A charter member of the Mississippi geospatial industry cluster, AOSI has been leading the UAV industry with the use of its pioneering technologies since 1998. Using custom-designed UAVs, the Picayune-based company specializes in providing high-resolution aerial remote sensing acquisition, including LiDAR and multi-spectral data.”

Forest One Inc. Awarded Forest Services Contract to Develop New LiDAR Technology
Spatial News Daily, June 28, 2006
“Forest One was recently awarded a multi-year contract by the US Forest Services to develop new software and algorithms that will transform Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data into usable forest inventory biometric information. This project will push the frontier of the application of LiDAR to forestry.”

NVision staff earn FEMA certification
Mississippi Business Journal, June 26, 2006
“All NVision Solutions Inc. personnel have completed the Incident Command System certification, which is composed of courses designed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to enable responders and staff to work within the agency's personnel structure.”

Undersea Treasure Hunt
Ole Miss Alumni Review, Spring 2006
“Researchers from UM and USM team to develop new technologies, search for new medicines and energy sources. Established in 2002 through a partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NIUST includes scientists in fields ranging from biology to engineering. They study sea plants and animals, hunt for natural gas hydrates on the ocean floor or develop new technologies to explore the seafloor more quickly and efficiently.”

South Panola High School Students Team Up with NVision to Develop More Efficient Bus Routes
GIS Café News, June 23, 2006
“NVision Solutions, Inc. is proud of its role in supporting Mississippi's aspiring members of the geospatial community. South Panola High School students have been working with NVision Solutions to develop more efficient bus routes. The buses will be tracked in real-time, permitting immediate analysis of route efficiency. As patterns emerge, district officials will be able to determine the best method of increasing efficiency and decreasing fuel costs for the school district.”

A Hurricane’s Wake: Mapping Technology Speeds Katrina Recovery Efforts
GeoWorld, July 2006
“The mapping firm, 3001 Inc., was positioned to handle the post-disaster mission due to its proximity as well as because it operated airborne digital sensors capable of sub-foot resolution and supported by an all-digital processing system. In the days to come, FEMA and related agencies pulled together several other key geospatial companies and technologies into what would become one of the fastest large-area mapping projects every conducted, according to those who participated.”

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