Associate Professor, Auburn University at Montgomery
Mission with JAXA – Japan/2011
Terry Winemiller
The GISCorps mission was to analyze satellite imagery to help guide the emergency response efforts for the coastal communities that were either directly impacted by the March, 2011 tsunami inundation or, at the time, had not reported their condition. After I was selected to participate, I received geographic coordinates for three cities located on the northern coast of Japan and access to public and restricted areas on the USGS EROS Hazards Data Distribution System. Our specific assignment was to search for pre- and post disaster coverage of the three areas of interest, Miyagi-Kamaishi, Iwate-Miyako, and Iwate-Miyakoshi. Original data were processed and enhanced in ENVI 4.8. Final maps were produced in ArcMap 10.0., by creating multiple data frames for small scale pre-disaster and post-disaster scenes as well as large scale insets to illustrate highly impacted zones in the area of interest. Our finished maps were uploaded to the USGS server for distribution. Involvement in this project provided an invaluable opportunity for students enrolled in our GIS program to gain real-world experience in a disaster situation where GIS project design, development, and operations require deployment of high-quality output in an extraordinarily short period of time.
I became interested in GIS as a graduate student at Louisiana State University. Today, I use GIS in my research and teach undergraduate and graduate courses in GIS at Auburn University at Montgomery. There is nothing more gratifying than to use the expertise I have in remote sensing and GIS to help others in times of need. The GISCorps provides a way to hopefully improve quality of life on a global basis.
Volunteering has been so fulfilling—helping fellow mappers across the world use the power of GIS to bring rescue, care, and repair efforts to areas in need SOONER after disaster strikes and making the seemingly unreachable reachable again for affected communities. Serving in these capacities speaks to my core, and I’m glad to be part of these missions, especially when they concern communities I have known for years, as was the case during the Hurricane Helene mission. Some of the hardest-hit areas in that storm were my homes away from home. Although I couldn’t be physically there to contribute, I was still glad to aid in the recovery efforts as “eyes from the sky” with the PhotoMappers. Everyone involved in these missions is always so engaging, and I’m very glad for the connections I’ve made in the process. Till the next mission!
Volunteering was a fantastic collaborative experience. I had the opportunity to use GIS and Esri tools in a new application, and SystemsGo was a wonderful client that would give me feedback on how users would experience the end result. I appreciate that GISCorps allowed me the opportunity to volunteer my GIS skillset! I am very grateful for this experience and highly recommend it to anyone who has the extra time and bandwidth.
My experience volunteering for GISCorps with Run Her Way was highly impactful. Together with the organization's team, we explored the ambitions and goals of Run Her Way and discussed how ArcGIS products could best support these objectives. Based on this, we established a workflow that spans from data collection and analysis to a dynamic, living document where all information comes together and users are informed in one central place. Being able to contribute to a meaningful initiative like Run Her Way by applying technical expertise has been a fantastic experience!
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