February 2001 trip to California

The itinerary below will take me to several campuses which have innovative programs in Global Studies (Santa Barbara and Monterey) or in the use of spatial information (Pomona and Hayward). The addition of a visit to ESRI will permit me to explore collaboration possibilities and identify cognate programs and initiatives at other colleges and universities. The core questions for the Global Studies programs have to do with how they incorporate training with and use of data into courses; for the others my focus will be on how professors are supported in learning and incorporating GIS into teaching. I am about to start contacting the people I've identified as interested parties.

Monday 19 Feb
UC Santa Barbara: A campus with a number of innovative programs, most notably the Global and International Studies Program (whose mandate is "to actively encourage an interdisciplinary global perspective within the university") and the Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science. Last year I spent a morning in the Alexandria Digital Library Project in the UCSB library and learned about efforts to establish a statewide data network (see details in the report of that trip ). The programs I propose to visit this year seem to address many issues relevant to our planning. And Jim Kahn mentioned Frank Davis (GIS and watershed ecology) as somebody I might contact. Here's a link to the Global Studies Handbook.

It turns out to be Presidents' Day at UCSB, but I have a breakfast meeting with Don Janelle of CSISS, and I have active correspondence with Rich Appelbaum of the Global Studies Program, and Michael Goodchild of CSISS and NCGIS
Tuesday 20 Feb
Cal Poly Pomona: At the ESRI-sponsored conference in San Bernardino last July I learned of this institution's intention to develop a "GIS-literate campus", and of the Faculty Institute run by two members of the Department of Geography & Anthropology (Sara Garver and Lin Wu) to help instructors develop GIS skills. I want to find out what progress has been made with the promulgation of "GIS literacy", and hope to meet with support staff to explore demands and solutions.
Appointments arranged with Wu and Garver and Cheryl Hickam, director of the Center for GIS Research
 Wednesday 21 Feb
ESRI Redlands: I will meet with Ann Johnson, Mike Phoenix's successor as University Coordinator, find out about other institutions that are doing something like what we contemplate (particularly those that are exploring teaching with GIS), and explore what further possibilities there may be for cooperation and collaboration. I also intend to look into how ArcGIS, ESRI's new product, will fit into (and make further demands upon) our teaching and support of GIS.

Thursday 22 Feb:
Cal State Hayward: Meet with Gary Li, who teaches Interdisciplinary Applications of GIS (Library 2000) to discuss the problems and methods of interdisciplinary teaching. The library location of this course is an interesting precedent, and suggests that there may be other GIS-using instructors to whom Gary Li can direct me. I hope also to revisit Branner Geological Library at Stanford, where I spent a morning of last year's trip, and get an update on developments in their continuing support of GIS for the campus.

Appointments with Gary Li and David Woo (interim chair of GIS Committee) at CSHayward
Appointments with Meredith Williams and Julie Sweetkind at Stanford
Friday 23 Feb:
Cal State Monterey Bay: The Global Studies program (Director: Dr. Robina Bhatti) seems quite unique in its goals, methods, and array of courses (some links to syllabi). I want to learn more of the process of program development --how faculty were recruited and how their teaching is supported by library and other resources.
Active correspondence with Richard Harris, who will be away on the 23rd; meeting with Robina Bhatti in the works
Another that I would add if time allows: The Center for Global, International and Regional Studies (CGIRS) at UC Santa Cruz. Their Global Information Internship Program might be of particular interest to our Journalism folks.
Active correspondence with Paul Lubeck, who will be away on the 23rd