Ecosystem GIS & Community Building

Hello New DVDC Members!

Is Data Visualization a science or an art? Our goal is to create great events where everyones' experiences reflect that sentiment, and we are beginning a great speaker in Joseph Sexton (http://www.terpconnect.umd.edu/~jsexton/). Joe will give us a glimpse of his department's unique global ecological datasets, with stunning visuals, and what goes into unparalleled GIS data. Joe's datasets include DISCO (Dynamic Impervious Surface Cover Observations) and global 30-m resolution continuous fields of tree cover from 2000 - 2005. Elizabeth Lyon will show us the next evolution of Wikipedia with interactive map visualization by MapStory.

We are excited to have NClud host the event, they have a great aesthetic downtown space that facilitates networking as well as presentations, and as with all Data Community DC (https://www.meetup.com/Data-Visualization-DC/events/103349942/www.datacommunitydc.org) events we cap the night with Data Drinks.

Agenda

6:30pm -- Networking and Refreshments 7:00pm -- Introduction & Announcements 7:15pm -- Presentation #1 7:45pm -- Readjust & Announcements 7:55pm -- Presentation #2 8:25pm -- Q&A - Discussion 8:40pm -- Data Drinks Bios

Joseph Sexton (http://www.terpconnect.umd.edu/~jsexton/)

Joe is a research professor at the University of Maryland whose research focuses on ecosystem dynamics and the remote sensing methods required to monitor landscape changes over time. He developes statistical and ecological analyses for the Global Forest Cover Change Project (http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/research/portal/gfcc/index.shtml), a joint project of the Global Land Cover Facility (http://www.glcf.umd.edu/index.shtml), NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html), and South Dakota State University (http://globalmonitoring.sdstate.edu/). The project is mining more than thirty years of Landsat images to map changes in Earth's forest cover from 1975 to 2005. Joe also contributes ecological, statistical, and remote sensing expertise to collaborative studies of urban heat islands, threatened and endangered species habitat, tropical deforestation, climate effects on boreal biomes, and urban growth.

Elizabeth Lyon

Liz is a Geographer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She leads innovative research and technology development in social media, social sciences, and geospatial technology. Currently she works on building technical capacity for spatial narrative development. Elizabeth volunteers her time in Washington DC growing the geospatial community. She is currently completing her Ph.D. in Geography at George Mason University. She has a Certificate in Computational Social Science from George Mason University, a Masters of Science in Geography from University of Illinois and a bachelor’s degree in Economics and French from Augustana College.