YSU offers new majors, classes in field

Computers and remote imaging have revolutionized geography. By HAROLD GWIN VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER YOUNGSTOWN -- Geography isn't just about states and capitals anymore. The development of high technology and satellite imaging is dramatically changing the field, and Youngstown State University is adapting its geography department to keep pace with a changing world. The department is offering a new Spatial Information Systems major for undergraduates and has added a certificate in Geographic Information Science for both undergraduates and nondegree professionals seeking additional training. The new programs go beyond the standard geography major, said Dr. Craig Campbell, department chairman. The SIS major is really a joint program, blending geography and computer science, said Dr. Bradley Shellito, assistant professor of geography. The university also will offer its first Global Positioning Systems course next summer, and Shellito will teach a course in 3-D Modeling next fall, Campbell said. Growing industry The U.S. Department of Labor says the geospatial industry is one of the major job growth areas in the country, with thousands of positions expected to open, Shellito said, explaining that the new major and certificate program both focus directly on that expanding market. The programs add new answers to the old question of what can be done with a degree in geography, Campbell said. "Geography has a reputation as a states and capital major, but it's so much more than that," he said. Companies want people with GIS backgrounds, and the new major will give graduates the skills they need to fill those jobs, Campbell said. Geospatial technologies such as remote sensing (using satellite imagery), GPS and spatial data handling and analysis are part of that training. Department literature points out that geographers work as cartographers in business, government and the military, making and editing maps using both conventional and computer-assisted techniques. Some of the applications Using GIS and spatial imaging, they can analyze maps to solve problems for both simple and complex problems, from finding the best route for a fire truck to run through a community to determining the best location for industrial plans or solid-waste disposal sites. They are part of the fields of planning and economic development, environmental and atmospheric studies and even tourism. There also is an increasing demand for geography and earth science teachers at the elementary and secondary level. A lot of municipalities are using GIS and remote sensing for planning and mapping purposes, Campbell said. There are also applications in homeland security, hurricane monitoring and the lumber industry, to name a few more job possibilities, he said. GIS has really been around for hundreds of years, Shellito said. Now, with the aid of computers, geographers can take huge amounts of data and different types of data to speed up and improve spatial analysis, he said. Word about YSU's expanding program is growing, Campbell said. Most students come into the department as sophomores or juniors but several freshmen listed geography as their major this year, he said. The department has about 50 students in all of its programs this fall, nearly double the number reported in 2000. gwin@vindy.com