Professor Sean Moran, chair of ACC’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Department, will deliver the keynote address at the City of Austin’s GIS Day on Tuesday, November 16.

GIS integrates data from diverse sources to create intelligent maps, which can be used to visualize, analyze, and model the real world. By overlaying data, GIS can answer complex questions such as how many houses will be impacted by a flood, whether there is a relationship between residential crime and proximity to a highway, or how commercial development will affect an endangered species.

Moran will discuss “GIS for the Masses” at 11 a.m. at Austin City Hall. The topic reflects the increased awareness and popularization of GIS technology.

“I’ve been in the GIS field for almost 20 years, and for the longest time, even my family couldn’t really wrap their minds around my profession,” says Moran. “Now, with the advent of Google Maps, Google Earth, GPS units in cars, and smartphones, GIS technology is readily understood and easily accessible by almost everyone.”

GIS Day is part of Geography Awareness Week, an international event to promote the importance of geography. The event is free and open to the public.

Click here to learn more about ACC’s GIS Department.