The world is changing at unprecedented rates, primarily as a result of human actions. Opportunities for increased well-being of humans and the environment abound. On the other hand competition for resources such as fresh water and oil is reaching crisis proportions. Pandemics of infectious diseases, extreme climate events droughts, hurricanes, floods, crime, and social unrest can precipitate disasters that decimate populations, destabilize governments, and may even cause armed conflict.The future of humanity depends on skillful management of our environment by planning the social, urban, suburban and rural settings where we work, live and play. Expert care of the environment is needed to maintain supplies of food, natural products, water, and the other resources on which life depends. New insights into the social, economic and urban environment can help control poverty and crime.Geography concerns the relations between people and the natural world, the effects of ecosystems on human beings and vice versa, the choices people make, the effects of past actions on people today, and the effects of today's choices on future generations. For example, clearing tropical forests in response to human population growth is leading to loss of biodiversity and an increase of the Earth's atmospheric greenhouse gases that contribute to climate warming and extreme climate events.
Students specializing in the Geospatial Data Science concentration gain the technical skills needed to acquire, manage, and analyze large amounts of geographic data. Students will get computer training in digital processing of remote sensing observations and cartographic vector data, spatial analysis, and the display of information in GIS software. The curriculum will provide students with the necessary background to use remote sensing and GIS in various fields such as environmental monitoring, disaster assessments, military analysis and intelligence, social justice, cartography, and other related fields. This track goes beyond the techniques for gathering and analyzing data and requires an understanding of the environmental and social processes represented by the data. These tools are essential to the education and future of global citizens.
