The North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS) recognizes the important contributions students make to our field. To recognize some of their hard work and achievements, we offer two fantastic student competitions each year at our annual conference (this year October 8–11 in Pittsburgh, PA). All students currently enrolled in a certificate program, undergraduate, or graduate/post-graduate program are eligible to enter, as long as they have not previously won top prize in either competition.

Student Dynamic Map Competition: The North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS) recognizes the importance of dynamic mapping in cartography. We are sponsoring the 15th Annual Student Dynamic Map Competition to promote cartographic excellence and innovation in this versatile medium. A first prize of $500 will be awarded in each category. Deadline for submissions is September 12th. To view the rules and prizes, please visit http://nacis.org/index.cfm?x=4 .

Student Map and Poster Competition: Students who would like to display their works at NACIS 2014 should register for the Student Map and Poster Competition. We encourage all students to submit their maps and technical/research posters for a chance at a prize of $500! There is no entry fee. All entrants will be displayed in the Map Gallery, and the winner will be selected by a ballot of all meeting attendees. The deadline to register is September 12th, 2014. For more information, please visit http://nacis.org/index.cfm?x=18 .

Please take a moment to encourage your students to enter either of the above competitions. We look forward to seeing the diverse range of entries in Pittsburgh!

Travel Grants and Memberships: As an organization (and as former students ourselves), we’re aware that student budgets don’t often allow for extras like conference attendance or organizational memberships. Each year, NACIS offers up to 10 free memberships to undergraduate students, as well as offering a number of travel grants to students wishing to attend the annual conference. To find out more, please visit http://nacis.org/index.cfm?x=27 .

Thank you, and we hope to see you in Pittsburgh in October!

Martha Bostwick
NACIS Board of Directors
Chair – Awards and Travel Grants Committee
mlbostwick@mac.com

Deploying Mobile Solutions: What to Consider – URISA Certified Workshop Presented virtually for the first time!

URISA is pleased to announce the presentation of one of its most popular Certified Workshops, Deploying Mobile Solutions: What to Consider, via instructor-led web based training.  URISA’s Deploying Mobile Solutions: What to Consider workshop is regularly presented at URISA conferences, chapter events, and at regional conferences. Normally a full-day classroom session, the workshop has been re-packaged into three sections and will be presented online this March to meet the constant demand for the subject matter without the travel expense and time away from work.  The workshop content is thoroughly peer-reviewed and updated each year and is eligible for GISP Education credit (8 hours of EDU-2).

This 8-hour workshop will be presented over three days:

• Wednesday, March 19, 2014 – 1:00– 4:00 pm EST
• Thursday, March 20, 2014  – 1:00– 4:00 pm EST
• Friday, March 21, 2014 – 1:00– 3:00 pm EST

Cost: URISA International Members: $195 Non-members: $295

Attendees will receive all of the benefits of traditional classroom learning in an interactive online classroom while not having the expense of traveling to onsite training locations.  Interactive communication between the instructor and other attendees is accomplished through communication tools within the training platform. Participants will receive an electronic workbook to accompany the instruction and certificate of completion.

Course Description: One way to meet demands for providing superior service levels and operational efficiencies under tightening budget constraints is to leverage new technology that places GIS data in the hands of field crews. This allows for improved management and better maintenance of work processes to properly appraise infrastructure assets and to meet service request response times.

This workshop is designed to provide local government managers with practical guidelines for building an effective mobile GIS program across multiple departments.

Specific topics include:

• Practical guidelines for building a mobile GIS
• Business drivers for moving GIS technology and data into the field
• Alternative strategies for implementing GIS-based field solutions
• Overcoming obstacles to automating field processes
• Steps in the mobility implementation process

Intended Audience: Supervisors and managers responsible for public works operations. GIS and IT department managers interested in mobilizing user applications and Mobile GIS project managers.

Instructor Profile: Tripp Corbin, MCP, CFM, GISP, eGIS Associates, Atlanta, GA. Tripp Corbin, MCP, CFM, GISP, eGIS Associates, Atlanta, GA. Tripp Corbin is the Chief Executive Officer and Lead Instructor for eGIS Associates. He is an award winning Esri Certified Trainer with over twenty years of experience orchestrating and managing surveying, mapping and GIS projects. He is recognized as an industry expert with a variety of geospatial software packages including Esri, Autodesk and Trimble products. Tripp was the primary author of several popular GIS courses including: Using AutoCAD data in ArcGIS,  Performing GIS Analysis with ArcGIS, and ArcGIS Desktop Associate Exam Prep. He created the online GIS Analyst Certificate program offered by the University of North Alabama Continuing Studies Center as well as teaching classes for the Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) at North Carolina State University.

Tripp is a member of the Board of Directors for URISA International and the GITA Southeast Chapter. He holds many certifications including GIS Certified Professional, ArcGIS Desktop Associate, Esri Certified Trainer, CompTia Certified Technical Trainer, Microsoft Certified Professional, URISA Workshop Instructor and Certified Floodplain Manager.

Limited Participation: Sign up early as the online ‘classroom’ is limited to only 100 participants. Consider pulling your team together to participate in the workshop together.

If your schedule will not allow your attendance at all three sessions, note that the sessions will be recorded and archived for participants’ access.
Register today to reserve your spot!

If you are a full or part-time undergraduate, graduate, and first year post-doctoral student attending accredited colleges and universities anywhere in the world AND working on a research paper in the history of cartography, then you might want to enter your work in the Ristow Prize Competition.  The winner will receive a $1000 cash prize and publication in the The Portolan, Journal of the Washington Map Society.  The deadline is June 1, 2014.