UWM hosts GIS Day
The GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Council hosted GIS Day @UWM at the American Geographical Society Library (AGSL) on Nov. 21.
One hundred people attended the keynote event, a panel on ‘Careers in GIS’ featuring four UWM alumni who offered advice for students interested in GIS. Emily Sudar and Baldev Singh, both of whom majored in geography at UWM, emphasized the value of GIS and spatial data to local governments and business. Dominick Ratkowski, who completed his UWM degree in criminal justice, talked about his work at the Wauwatosa Police Department using GIS for crime prevention. Ryan Covington, who has his PhD in geography and works with the World Wildlife Fund, stressed the importance of continued learning on the job in the world of spatial data.
The day also featured workshops in QGIS, an open source GIS app; using Python with GIS software; Allmaps for relating historic maps to current, georeferenced maps; and humanitarian mapping to assist with disaster relief efforts around the world. Lunch was provided by the GIS Council, and after lunch there was a tour of the AGSL. Half of the people who participated in GIS day were students, one fifth were community members, and the rest included UWM alumni, faculty, and staff.
The GIS Council would like to especially thank UWM Libraries for the use of their space and other support.
UWM’s Geography Department hosts geographers conference
UW-Milwaukee’s Geography Department hosted the annual meeting of the West Lakes Division of the American Association of Geographers on Oct. 23-25, 2025. Students and professors of geography – from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and of course, Wisconsin universities – gathered to share research on topics ranging from flood preparedness and trout stream restoration to urban greenway networks and cycling safety.
The keynote presentation was delivered by Dr. Julie Cidell (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) on warehousing and logistics in the Milwaukee-Chicago corridor. Dr. Cidell has found that the growth of warehousing to supply online shopping has changed the landscape of that corridor, and is reshaping urban, suburban, and rural development.
The UWM Geography Department was also thrilled that three UWM graduate students won awards for their research. In the Master’s paper competition, Thea Brenner placed 1st with her research on arts organizations in Milwaukee, and brianna sas-perez placed 2nd with her project on Milwaukee’s best pizza. In the poster competition, Yiming Zhang placed 3rd among graduate students with his research on spatial accessibility at long-term care facilities in Wisconsin.
Courtesy of the UWM Geography Department