Teaching

University of Arkansas undergraduate and graduate students have a number of GIS/GPS courses available to them at CAST. These courses, taken along with related courses in cartography, remote sensing, image interpretation, photogrammetry, surveying, and spatial statistics, provide the student with a range of career options. GIS/GPS courses are open to students from any discipline who plan to use these technologies in their work and research. In addition to classroom instruction, CAST facilities are used by students in both undergraduate and graduate research projects. Over 200 research and education computer accounts were issued to students this year. Access to CAST’s computer labs is of great benefit to both graduate and undergraduate students who attend GIS/GPS courses. A list of University of Arkansas courses taught during FY 99-00 follows.

Raster GIS and Advanced Raster GIS (taught by Dr. Ken Kvamme). Raster GIS provides an introduction to spatial analyses in the natural sciences and resource management fields using GIS. Lectures focus on development of principles, paralleled by workstation-based laboratory exercises using raster-based software, relational databases, and exploratory data analysis.

Introduction to GRASS Applications (taught by Malcolm Williamson; coordinated by Dr. Fred Limp). This course is an introduction to GIS problem solving using the Geographic Resource Analysis Support System (GRASS) software.

Introduction to Global Positioning System (taught by Mike Garner; coordinated by Dr. Fred Limp). Introduction to GPS introduces the student to navigation, georeferencing, and digital data collection using GPS receivers, data loggers, and laser technology for natural science and resource management. Components of NavStar GPS are used in the integration of digital information into various GIS platforms with emphasis on practical applications.

Information Technologies in Anthropology, Archaeology, Geography, Geology, and History (taught by Dori Gould; coordinated by Dr. Fred Limp). This course serves as an overview and introduction to a broad range of information technologies used in research in a wide range of disciplines. Topics include database management systems, GPS, GIS, spreadsheets, statistics, and publishing.

Information Systems in Anthropology, Archaeology, Geography, Geology, and History (taught by Dori Gould; coordinated by Dr. Fred Limp). This course explores detailed analysis of disciplines such as database management systems, GPS, GIS, spreadsheets, statistics, and publishing. GeoMedia, GPS, and Access are stressed. Homework assignments using PowerPoint and webpages are required.

Digital Remote Sensing (taught by Bruce Gorham; coordinated by Dr. Fred Limp). This class explores theoretical and practical aspects of the manipulation and interpretation of data recorded by earth-orbiting digital remote sensing platforms. Emphasis is placed on learning techniques of digital image enhancement and transformation including image geocoding and classification of multispectral image data in the study of environmental phenomena.

GIS for Business (taught by Brian Culpepper and Stephan Pollard; coordinated by Dr. Fred Limp). This introductory course covers the basic concepts of spatial analysis, desktop digital mapping, digital data, geocoding, address matching, relational database design, and cartographic practices employed by today's more progressive companies and marketing firms. This course covers business applications of GIS, industry methods, data sources, and interoperable applications are demonstrated within one specific GIS software. The course also includes a general survey of several different software and data that are designed for geo-business applications.

Near-Surface Prospection (taught by Dr. Ken Kvamme). Geophysical remote sensing methods are investigated for detecting and mapping subsurface features up to 5m in depth. Magnetometry, resistivity, conductivity, ground-penetrating radar, and other methods are examined with a particular focus on their use for understanding archeological deposits.

Environmental Dynamics Ph.D. Program. This program’s prime focus is human-environmental interactions within recent earth history. It stresses interdisciplinary regional analysis of geophysical, biological, climatic, and socio-cultural interactions and changes. The Program is an outgrowth of many years of successful research in human adaptations to past and present environments by faculty of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. Primarily, the program is staffed by faculty from the Departments of Anthropology, Geography, and Geology and associated research institutes and labs: CAST, the Arkansas Water Resources Research Center, the Tree-Ring Lab, the Bioarchaeology Lab, and the Archaeology Lab.

Internship Program in Applied Spatial Information Technologies. CAST, in cooperation with the University of Arkansas Department of Anthropology, now offers an internship program in Applied Spatial Information Technologies. The emphasis is on the practical skills needed to prepare the candidate for careers in nonacademic environments including employment in consulting and other private sector firms or federal, state, or local government employment. This internship allows the candidate to gain hands-on experience in one or more areas of computer systems administration, remote sensing and GIS applications and data, use of GPS, and/or database design and management.

GIS Training for the Bank of Fayetteville. In late summer of 1999, Brian Culpepper taught a four-day course in GIS technologies for the senior loan officers for the Bank of Fayetteville. GIS training was provided for seven students/teachers.

GIS Training for EAST Program Teachers. In January, three separate five-day training courses were team taught by Malcolm Williamson and Brian Culpepper on-site in Harrison, Arkansas. These teachers were given an introduction to GIS and GPS technologies in order to prepare them for the expectations of the EAST program training. Please see the Research section for details about the EAST Program.