Au Sable Institute is pleased to announce that Dr. Joseph Kerski will be teaching our online Geographic Information Systems (GIS) course this summer during Summer Session I (June 7 to July 9). GIS is a new online course offering from Au Sable and is intended as a broad introduction to geo-spatial technologies and maps for environmental students but is also very applicable and important to many other disciplines. This primarily asynchronous course will cover topics in natural hazards, biodiversity, climate and weather, rivers/lakes/oceans, energy, transportation, land use and land cover, population change and demographics, and others, at multiple scales, over space and time. Interested students should apply by May 31 by clicking here.

Educators or professionals seeking to update their knowledge of the latest in GIS technologies are also welcomed and encouraged to enroll in the course for credit or audit.

Dr. Kerski is a Geographer and Education Manager at Esri, the Geographic Information Systems company and has developed and taught GIS content across many venues and disciplines. He is known to play the ukulele while he teaches and plans to share "maps to students as analytical tools, not just reference documents.” Dr. Kerski aims to “enable and empower students to use geotechnologies in whatever career path they choose—business, science, engineering, arts, social work, planning, education, and many others." He has authored or co-authored 7 books, 5,000 videos, 1,000 blog essays, 1,000 curricular items, 10 podcasts, 75 articles, and 25 chapters.

We are thrilled to have Dr. Kerski teaching this course and for the enthusiasm and vast experience he will bring to our students. For more information about him, please visit his website. For more information about the course, please contact Dr. Brian Keas at Au Sable (brian@ausable.org).