Why geospatial education matters

University of Massachusetts Global is making a concerted effort to help more students learn to use geographic information systems (GIS) technologies in professional settings. An op-ed in Forbes, “Why would we need a geospatial strategy anyway?” explains why GIS is an essential tool for making sense of complex supply chains and customer behaviors.

“What internet networking firms and other geographically minded companies are seeing is a leap — the leap every company will ultimately need to take,” writes author Brian Cross of GIS firm Esri. “It's taking a geographic approach toward decision-making at every level — who are our customers? How do we find them, how do we serve them, what do we serve them? How can we be more efficient in how we use energy, while assessing climate-related risks to our global operations? How do we trace every step in the product lifecycle to meet quality, transparency, sustainability, and social responsibility standards—both to save our own resources and to limit our impact on the environment?”

UMass Global employs Esri technology in several courses teaching students to think and communicate geospatially. More information is available from the university’s website listing degree and certificate programs for students interested in working with geospatial information and data.