2007 GIS Summer Workshop: June 28-29

Note: We are also holding an IPUMS Workshop from June 25-27, 2007. The IPUMS Workshop and the GIS Workshop are complimentary, but cover different material and have separate registration procedures.

The agenda will consist of a combination of presentations and laboratory work. The course will cover database creation, the data extract system, basic GIS concepts, hands-on GIS exercises, and an introduction to spatial analysis. Hands-on exercises will include preparing data for use in a GIS, joining data to GIS mapping files, basic thematic mapping, geocoding, and spatial analysis. We will focus mainly on the NHGIS, although participants may discuss their own GIS needs with the class/instructors.

Goals

• facilitate participants’ use of NHGIS data
• build community and connection between data users
• expose participants to potential uses of the data
• provide an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Audience

Anyone interested in learning about Geographic Information Systems, in general, and the NHGIS, in particular, should attend this workshop. While some participants will have experience using GIS software (ArcGIS, MapInfo), it is not essential. Instructors will do demonstrations in ArcGIS and GeoDa, a spatial analysis software package. No experience using the NHGIS database is necessary, although experienced users are welcome.

Registration

Tuition is $350, which includes course materials, lab time, breakfasts, and lunches. Enrollment in the course is limited to 30 participants. Twenty-two of the spots in the workshop are available on a first-come first-served basis; please register online through the University of Minnesota College of Continuing Education. The remaining eight spots in the workshop will include tuition waivers. These spots are available on a competitive basis only to graduate students; to apply, complete the application and email it to Pétra Noble (noble024@umn.edu) by March 24. We will send enrollment confirmations for the tuition waiver spots by April 7th.

Accommodations

We have reserved a block of rooms under the name “Minnesota Population Center” at the Holiday Inn Metrodome, which is a short walk from the Population Center and many restaurants. The rooms will be available to workshop participants at a rate of $100/night.

Instructors

The course coordinators are:

Pétra Noble, Spatial Core Director

David Van Riper, MPC Research Fellow

Additional presenters will include:

Mark Lindberg, NHGIS Principal Investigator, Senior Cartographer, Adjunct Associate Professor (Geography), and Director, Cartography Laboratory