Keynote:
Daniel G. Cole – Smithsonian Institute

This presentation will analyze the use of maps and GIS in Smithsonian exhibits over the years. As such, this discussion will present maps and GIS on display that provide the opportunity to educate the public on a variety of themes (oceanography, biogeography, paleobiology, physical geography and geology, environment, history, human origins, and ancient cultures). These exhibits provide maps in several different formats: generalized maps from which visitors can glean spatial information from as they walk by; detailed maps that require visitors to stop and study so that more can be learned; along with interactive maps, story maps, and GIS. Maps and GIS help us navigate, but they can also be abstractions, as mediums of relationships or interactions over time. At the basic level, cartographic displays provide geographic context to collections and photographs within the exhibit. While at the same time, the maps cannot be distractions to the main exhibit; rather, they must add to and enhance the learning experience for museum visitors.
For more than 30 years, I have worked as a research cartographer and GIS specialist with our scientific staff to spatially analyze collections and other research data and display them in maps for publication. During the past 20 years, I have been involved with the exhibits staff in multiple museums for providing maps for display to educate the public and people walk through exhibits and stop to study the static, interactive and animated maps.
Session 1A
Field Data Gathering to Reports – Replacing a Manual Process – Carol Goodman Zollweg – Bergmann Associates Parking lot pavement for major retailers needs to be inspected periodically to detect any need for repairs. This was formerly done using a manual process which involved marking up paper plans and taking separate photographs in the field. This presentation describes how this time-consuming and laborious process was replaced by a user-friendly custom mobile application and ArcMap Add-in. This new system improves efficiency and accuracy in pavement inspections and creates consistent reports.
Survey123 Geoform – Technical Session on Creating a Geoform and the Workflow that Follows to Modify the Schema and Host the Data In-House – Maria Dolce – Bergmann
This presentation is a technical session to demonstrate the workflow for creating a Survey123 Geoform, downloading the hosted feature layer into your sde database, modifying the schema, publishing to your ArcGIS Server, and then reconfiguring the Survey123 to point to your feature service. The process will include how to configure your sde feature class so that it can be utilized in Survey123. The presentation will also discuss technical difficulties that were overcome along the way.
Session 1B – Student Lightning Talks
Using GIS to Foster Collaboration between Rochester and Colombia: A New Hybrid Study Abroad Program at Monroe Community College – Catherine DuBreck – Monroe Community College
This talk focuses on the experience of one of four students selected to participate in a new hybrid study abroad program at MCC that seeks to increase cultural awareness through collaboration between MCC students and students in Cartagena, Colombia. Student tasks include creating a mapping app to monitor water quality, leading a humanitarian mapping workshop en español, and travelling to Cartagena. The talk ends with a brief overview of MCC’s GIST certificate program and new Mapping Club.
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for As-Built Actualization and Site Monitoring – Amal Suleiman – California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Photogrammetry with UAS gives dense point clouds but the collected data is perceived to not give the greatest accuracy with respect to position. The possibility of receiving unreliable positioning has led to an increase in studies of the capabilities of UAS based mapping. This study focuses on accuracy assessment based on UAS derived point clouds. To verify the accuracy of the UAS derived point cloud, check points were used as verification and measured throughout using a GNSS RTK survey.
GEOBIA for Industrial Site Identification – Connor Plensdorf – Michigan State University
“Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA) is a useful tool for analyzing remote sensing imagery in cases where pixel size is smaller than the objects intended for identification. In order to use this technology for supporting political strategizing, it is important to understand the limits of current technologies and geospatial data. In this case, GEOBIA is used to analyze high-resolution imagery from Planet Labs with the intent to identify missile test facilities in North Korea.
The Cortland Votes Project and GIS Analysis of NY Congressional District 22 Results – Luke Williams & Christopher Badurek – SUNY Cortland
College students report limited interest in voting, frequently citing “my vote doesn’t matter.” NYPIRG reported the Cortland Votes Project registered over 1,360 students prior to the 2018 election. Did these efforts impact the race? This project uses GIS analysis of electoral data from the NYS Board of Elections within counties comprising NY District 22 to explore impacts. Results indicate a very narrow margin of victory for the winner (1,293 votes) and just 1,627 in Cortland County.
The Spatial Distribution of Negative Reviews for U.S. National Parks – Emma Barrett – SUNY Geneseo
This research analyzes spatial patterns in the content of negative reviews in US national parks in the lower 48 states. A mean of 28 one- to two-star reviews for 18 parks were gathered from Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google Reviews, and analyzed for themes such as traffic/parking, crowds, cost, and feeling underwhelmed. Data were collected and mapped using ArcGIS software. Results show that the aforementioned four themes showed the most spatial variation between western and eastern parks.
Environmental Change in Chimney Bluffs State Park – Mickayla Buisch – SUNY Geneseo
Chimney Bluffs State Park, on the southern shore of Lake Ontario in NY, is constantly undergoing environmental changes that contribute to its signature landscape. Using ArcGIS software and historic maps, the park’s land cover and shoreline were mapped and analyzed from 1943 to 2015. Results showed that the park’s shoreline eroded 2 feet per year, about twice the average for the entire lake. Forest cover increased from less than 25% to almost full coverage over the same time period
Assessing the relative influence of past Native American activity on Oak distribution in Canawaugus, NY – Lina Clifford & Dr. Stephen J. Tulowiecki- SUNY Geneseo
This research assesses the relative influence of environment and Native American land use on forest composition of Canawaugus, NY, using more detailed representations of land use. Interpolations of tree species abundance were made using witness-trees records from ca. 1806.Quantitative models were developed in R to assess the relative importance of Native American activity and environmental attributes. The results showed high abundances of oak near Canawaugus Native American activity.
Session 1C
Dynamic Exploratory Analysis as a Planning Tool – Sheri Norton – Ontario County
In 2018, as part of a Shared Services initiative between Ontario County and the Town of Victor, a web-based program was created to help municipal staff and the public evaluate a development’s feasibility based on features in the vicinity. This application utilizing ArcGIS Enterprise with Geocortex Essentials provides detailed summaries for both the project area and buffer zone.
Building Campus Apps: Integrating Web GIS Education and Campus Data Management – Christopher Badurek & Adam Levine – SUNY Cortland
This presentation focuses on the development of ArcGIS Online and Portal applications used in teaching an undergraduate Web GIS course, managing spatial data collection for campus facilities management, and an app developed for a walking tour of campus trees for the Campus Tree USA designation at SUNY Cortland. Applications include ArcGIS Pro, AGOL, Survey123, WebApp Builder, and Operations Dashboards.
Session 2A
Modernizing Land Records with ArcGIS – Gerard Aiken – Esri
The ArcGIS Assessment, Tax and Land Records solution suite improves analysis, simplifies public access to information, streamlines workflows, and helps you efficiently manage staff. An Esri representative will outline the latest software, solutions, and apps, designed to address this critical function of Real Property Departments and Assessors.
What’s New with Collector for ArcGIS® and High Accuracy Mobile Field Data Collection – Sally Holbert, RLA – Land Logics Group
Learn how to start collecting data with web maps in the field using submeter or better accuracy. Join Sally for a conversation about what’s new for Esri’s popular Collector apps, including how Bluetooth GPS / GNSS receivers improve accuracy.
Session 2B
Story Map Workshop – Karl Korfmacher – RIT & Robert Beutner – Hobart William Smith
Heard about Storymaps but don’t know where to start? Come to a hands-on introductory workshop where we will explore ArcGIS On-line, introduce you to different templates, discuss best practices for creating content, and walk you through the basics of creating a simple Storymap. All levels welcome, but we are focusing on beginners. If interested in attending this workshop, please send your name and e-mail to Karl Korfmacher (kfkscl@rit.edu) before the start of the conference.
Session 2C
DOS’ Gateway: Have You Played Today – Jeff Herter – NY Department of State, Office of Planning & Development
The Geographic Information Gateway (Gateway) is an award-winning , state-of-the-art website providing access to geospatial data, real-time information, interactive tools, and expert knowledge relevant to New York State. Interactive map viewers allow easy download, visualization, and exploration of geographic data. Also included are illustrated stories, which demonstrate how the Office uses available geographic information to improve planning and decision-making.
Using GIS for Stormwater Regulatory Compliance – Annie Bastoni – VHB
New stormwater regulations in New Hampshire and Massachusetts were recently released and may provide some insights into what is on the horizon for New York State. Complying with the new regulations in New England has proven virtually impossible without drainage system mapping, system evaluation through the use of geoprocessing tools, field data collection, and dashboards for reporting. This presentation will provide an overview of the NH and MA requirements as well as enhancements VHB has made to ArcGIS Online tools to allow for streamlined regulatory compliance.
Session 3A
BIM for GIS and PLS – Greg Hale, P.E. – Hale Technology in Practice
Building Information Modeling (BIM) has become the prevalent practice for designing and constructing facilities across the world. While most believe this workflow is just another form of 3D modeling, we’ll explore the reasons why it is so much more. This session takes a look at the fundamentals of BIM and the broad range of applications it can influence. The focus will be on what this means for GIS professionals and land surveyors and how you can expand your horizons.
Drones are going to change all business! – Brian Pitre – SkyOp
SkyOp focuses on high-value, high-demand skills that prepare students for the real world of drone operation. Overview of classes offered by SkyOp including new STEM education. Update of pending proposed regulations by the FAA on drones and how you can voice your opinion.
Session 3B
Runoff Estimation Tools for Culverts and Catch Basins – Benjamin Houston – GroundPoint Engineering
Storm water upgrades, replacements and repairs require prioritization of limited capital dollars to ensure the greatest impact for the least cost. This presentation demonstrates the use of GIS based tools to leverage existing high resolution LIDAR and Land Cover data to model drainage and estimate peak flows at any location across the landscape. The results can help determine where pipes may be overloaded based on 5, 10, or 20-year storms, prioritize system repairs, and reduce damage costs
Session 3C
How to Set Up PostGIS Databases for Use in QGIS and ArcGIS Pro – Justin D. Cole, GISP – University of Wisconsin Madison GIS Professional Program
So you want to start to hold GIS data on a database server, but you do not know where to start. This presentation goes through the setup of PostgreSQL, PostGIS, and how to load GIS Data. We will also look at using that data in QGIS and ArcGIS.
Administering and Automating ArcGIS Enterprise using Scripting – Vijay Sambandhan – Bergmann
While ArcGIS Enterprise allows analysts to create rich, complex applications with relative ease it is cumbersome to manage. Each application requires the setup of multiple items. There are Services, Maps, Users, Roles, Groups, and more which, over multiple projects and departments, can be overwhelming. The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate a method to efficiently administer and automate tasks in ArcGIS Enterprise using Python and the ArcGIS Python API.
Session 4A
What’s new in ArcGIS 10.7, ArcGIS Pro 2.3, Apps, Solutions, and more. – Mark Scott – Esri,
An Esri representative will outline some highlights of some of the new products, solutions, and apps from the latest release. Included will be ArcGIS Enterprise 10.7, ArcGIS Pro 2.3, Insights, ArcGIS Urban, ArcGIS Indoors, and more.