LU Teaching, Learning & Technology Program and The Environmental Literacy and Inquiry Group Honored for Special Achievement in GIS

Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, presented Lehigh University's Teaching, Learning & Technology Program and The Environmental Literacy and Inquiry Group with Esri's Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award on July 13, 2020, at the annual Esri User Conference, which moved to a completely virtual format this year. Selected from over 300,000 eligible candidates, Lehigh's Teaching, Learning & Technology Program and The Environmental Literacy and Inquiry Group received the award for its innovative application of mapping and analytics technology, as well as thought leadership in the field of GIS technology. 

The SAG Awards are meant to show appreciation for organizations using GIS to understand complex data and meet challenges around the world. Through their unique approaches to geospatial science, the users honored with awards are demonstrating groundbreaking possibilities of GIS software. 

"Esri User Conference has always given our users an opportunity to share the ways they are implementing GIS and using it to improve their organizations and the world around them," said Jack Dangermond, Esri founder and president. "I am inspired by the amazing work our users are doing, and I am honored to present these awards to all the organizations recognized for their commitment to technological leadership in government, business, and nonprofit work." 

The Lehigh University Teaching, Learning & Technology Program and The Environmental Literacy and Inquiry Group received a Special Achievement in GIS Award.  This award is given to user sites around the world to recognize outstanding work with GIS technology.

The group is led by Dr. Alec Bodzin and Dr. Tom Hammond, professors in the Teaching, Learning, and Technology program. Dr. Bodzin is also a faculty member in Lehigh’s Environmental Initiative. Core team members include Dr. David Anastasio in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Jeremy Mack, geospatial and visualization specialist in Library & Technology Services.  The team also includes a rotating cast of other faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students that have contributed to the development of a number of GIS educational projects.  Their contributions will be showcased during the SAG Award Virtual Event and at www.esri.com/sag-award. 

The curriculum projects include a series of inquiry-based learning activities that use dynamic interactive mapping applications to analyze data patterns and relationships on the Earth's surface.  Topic areas include climate change, energy, land use change, tectonics, and socio-environmental science investigations.

This year's Esri User Conference was the world's largest, virtual GIS event. Lehigh was one of over 180 organizations in areas such as commercial industry, defense, transportation, nonprofit work, telecommunications, and government to be honored. Recipients were recognized by Dangermond during the event.