GIS Night at NIU

On Wednesday, November 19, the NIU Department of Geography hosted GIS Night as part of the global GIS Day event. Geographic information systems (GIS) Day--which began in 1987 as part of Geographic Awareness Week--provides a forum for showcasing spatial technologies and applied GIS projects that are making a difference in the world. NIU's GIS Night was one of several events that took place across more than 80 countries.

NIU's GIS Night encouraged participants to engage in a range of interactive exercises using cutting edge geographic technologies. The event also provided an opportunity for spatial scientists at NIU to exchange knowledge with the broader community. Some of the featured activities included:

• Exploring and analyzing the valley networks on Mars through a WebGIS
  
• Finding your home and property information using DeKalb County's WebGIS
  
• Locating and viewing farmlands that are being encroached upon by urban sprawl
• Navigating your way on NIU campus through the Virtual Campus Map
  
• Exploring the NIU campus in 3D
  
• Experiencing the 3D Virtual Reality Lab
  
• Viewing faculty and student projects and demonstrations
  
• Talking to NIU students, faculty and GIS professionals