On October 8, 2019, SLU announced the establishment of the new Geospatial Institute that the GeoSLU has been shaping and supporting for almost two years. President Pestello made the announcement at the USGIF Geospatial Gateway Forum, formerly known as Tech Showcase West, with NGA Director VADM Sharp in attendance. Also known as GeoSLU, the new SLU Geospatial Institute brings together faculty and students from various disciplines across the campus to use geospatial research tools to solve real-world challenges and to enhance graduate and undergraduate education as the University prepares the next generation of geospatial scientists and innovators. Funding of the Institute is beginning to flow, and will support faculty and staff hires, and the facilities and infrastructure investments outlined in the GeoSLU Business Plan, and previous monthly reports. The following is the press release announcing the new SLU Geospatial Institute:
Saint Louis University Launches New Geospatial Institute
New Institute Focuses on Research, Training, Innovation, and Industry Partnerships
ST. LOUIS (Oct. 8, 2019) – Saint Louis University has established a new Geospatial Institute to support and accelerate research, training, and innovation in the rapidly growing fields of geospatial science and technology.
The news was announced Oct. 8 during the Geospatial Gateway Forum, formerly known as Tech Showcase West, which was hosted by the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation in St. Louis. The announcement comes as the region continues to emerge as a national hub for all things geospatial.
Also known as GeoSLU, the new SLU Geospatial Institute brings together faculty and students from various disciplines across the campus to use geospatial research tools to solve real-world challenges and to enhance graduate and undergraduate education as the University prepares the next generation of geospatial scientists and innovators.
The SLU Geospatial Institute will:
- Promote research through externally funded grants and by applying geospatial insights to important local, national and international challenges.
- Provide educational opportunities for students to apply geospatial techniques and methods in fields such as engineering, sociology, computer science and public health.
- Offer analytic and data management services to industry partners, civic and community organizations, and scholars engaged in geospatial research.
- Partner with industry on collaborative research, talent development and acquisition, and commercializing new geospatial technologies.
The institute’s primary areas of research will include a wide array of themes involving artificial intelligence, machine learning and informatics to respond to the challenges of today. They include:
- Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and geoinformatics
- Disaster preparedness and response
- Economic development and social instability
- Ethical challenges in geospatial technology and data
- Food, water and human security
- Geo health and disease mapping
- Transportation and supply chain
In launching the Geospatial Institute, SLU is seeking to strengthen collaborations with other universities, including Washington University in St. Louis and Harris-Stowe State University, as well as innovation partners in the region, including Cortex and T-Rex.
The Geospatial Institute also builds upon SLU’s existing relationship with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). In January, the University signed a partnership agreement with the NGA and the organizations also partnered on a widely-attended GeoResolution conference in April.
Vasit Sagan, Ph.D., associate professor of geospatial science, will serve as the new institute’s faculty director, while Ness Sandoval, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology, and Enbal Shacham, Ph.D., professor of public health, will serve as its associate directors. Robert Cardillo, former director of the NGA, will advise the institute as part of his work as a Distinguished Geospatial Fellow at SLU.
The origins of Saint Louis University’s new Geospatial Institute lie in an internal Big Ideas competition to define university-wide strategic research priorities. SLU’s ability to invest in geospatial science and other areas of research was greatly enhanced in 2018 when Dr. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield made a historic $50 million gift to accelerate research growth at the University. GeoSLU is among the projects supported by the Sinquefield-funded SLU Research Institute.
For more about the SLU Geospatial Institute, visit slu.edu/geoslu.
