Phil Young

Intergraph awards education grant,
boosts NIU research technology

Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions - a worldwide industry-leading geospatial solutions provider - is making cutting-edge mapping and geographic information systems (GIS) software available to the NIU Department of Geography.

Intergraph recently awarded the university a GeoMedia Education Grant for the software and designated NIU as a "Team GeoMedia Registered Research Laboratory." The Huntsville, Ala.-based company has collaborated with NIU since 1995.

The Intergraph Team GeoMedia Registered Research Laboratory program provides students, educators and researchers with the leading-edge technology and development support needed for applied research activities. In return, the geography department's Advanced Geospatial Laboratory is required to conduct two research projects a year using Intergraph technology.

Intergraph's award of GIS software, technical support and accompanying licensing agreements is valued at more than $900,000, said Phil Young, an NIU research scientist in geography and Intergraph GIS project director.

The software donation includes multiple licenses of GeoMedia, GeoMedia WebMap Professional, GeoMedia Grid, SMMS for GeoMedia, GeoMedia Terrain and IntelliWhere OnDemand, plus a license for IntelliWhere LocationServer and unlimited licenses of GeoMedia Professional.

The licenses are university-wide, Young said. That means any faculty or students can use the software for research. (For more information, contact the geography department at 753-0633.)

Northern's geography program is uniquely equipped and staffed to provide students with expertise in creating detailed electronic maps with GIS technology. The maps can provide hundreds of details at the click of a mouse - from property tax records to locations of utility easements to information on topography and soil conditions. NIU geography faculty and students created such a map for the tax assessor in Carroll County, located in northwestern Illinois.

Young said the geography department's Advanced Geospatial Laboratory now is working on a detailed "automated campus map." The computerized mapping project should be completed by late next fall.

"We're really excited about this project," Young said. "We'll have an overhead shot of the university showing buildings, greenways, sidewalks, street names and other features. Map users will be able to click on any building to get information about what's inside. The map will also have a query bar that will allow users to ask questions. For example, you could ask to identify all the places on campus that have food, or to identify all computer labs. It's going to be a great asset."

About 170 graduate and undergraduate students at NIU major in geography, but students in other academic areas also stand to benefit from the partnership with Intergraph. NIU's Department of Geography offers a certificate in GIS studies that attracts students from all disciplines.

Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions is a leading geospatial solutions provider for the following markets: transportation; utilities; communications; photogrammetry; cartography; remote sensing; local, state and federal government; location-based services, and military and intelligence.

For more information, visit www.intergraph.com.

2-10-2003