Highlights of the 1997 - 1998 Annual Report

During FY 97-98, the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST) staff members totaled 36 people (18 full-time individuals, 12 hourly individuals, and 6 graduate assistants). Fifteen active research projects were underway in FY 97-98 representing $1,108,296 in awarded external funding representing an 8.9% increase in funding from FY 96-97. Many of CAST’s research projects were conducted in cooperation with faculty from various departments at UAF and other institutions around the state. UAF cooperative research efforts include:

• J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, Departments of Anthropology, Biological Sciences, Geography, and Geology.
• Dale Bumpers College of Agriculture, Food and Life Sciences, Departments of Agronomy, Rural Sociology, and Entomology.
• College of Architecture, Department of Landscape Architecture.
• College of Engineering, Departments of Civil Engineering and Industrial Engineering.

A Board of Associate Directors has been created to provide guidance to CAST from the various Colleges. Dr. Thomas Graff represents Fulbright College, Dr. Don Scott represents Agriculture, and Professor Karen Hanna represents Architecture. Cooperative research or teaching efforts are also in place with off-campus faculty at the University of Arkansas, Monticello, the Arkansas Archaeological Survey, Arkansas State University, and Arkansas Tech University.

CAST staff have been involved in numerous and varied projects, programs, consultations, talks, workshops, conferences, etc. during this fiscal year, ranging from answering quick technical questions by phone to complicated funded projects lasting several years. A few selected highlights of the year follow: please see Teaching , Research, and Public Service sections of this report for many more listings and detailed information about the following.

• Environmental Dynamics Ph.D. Program focusing on human environmental interactions is established.
• New professional short-course introduced.
• National satellite videoconference downlink site hosted.
• EAST GIS/GPS training program for high schools established.
• GeoSpatial Technologies Lecture Series benefits UAF students.

• The Nature Conservancy supports CAST researchers in a neo-tropical bird conservation habitat mapping project for Central and South America.
• Oracle Corporation designates CAST as Center of Excellence and provides $1.8 million.
• External funding for 15 research projects totaling $1,108,296 awarded.
• Seamless Warehouse of Arkansas Geodata technology project begun.
• Multi-year USGS-funded research project to map Arkansas vegetation and vertebrate distributions with satellite imagery is completed.

• Legislative districts project for Arkansas Secretary of State’s office completed.
• CAST staff have trained and supported students and teachers in spatial technologies programs in 16 high schools around Arkansas.
• CAST’s web site enhanced, reorganized, and expanded.
• Arkansas Interactive Mapper available via CAST’s web site.
• Newsletter is distributed to 6,000 people per issue.
• Staff member Shelby Johnson appointed by Governor Huckabee to State Land Information Board.
• Vision 2010 project serves Arkansas communities.
• Dr. Van Belleghem of the Southeastern Universities Research Association and Director of NSF EPSCOR tours CAST.
• Dr. Van Belleghem of the Southeastern Universities Research Association and Director of NSF EPSCOR tours CAST.

• Cooperative program with Royal Jordanian Geographic Centre flourishes.
• Demonstration and tour for Yarmouk University officials.
• Demonstration and tour for Chonnam National University dignitaries.
• Multi-institutional research project to study early human sites in South Africa and Botswana begun.
• CAST Director, Fred Limp, was the opening keynote speaker for the joint International Geomatics and Canadian Geomatics Conference held in Ottowa, Canada.