Joseph serves as Education Manager for Environmental Systems Research Institute. ESRI is a company dedicated to making and supporting GIS software that people use to teach and learn about geography, and to make wise decisions around the world in business, engineering, academia, government, nonprofits, and beyond.  Joseph confesses that he is a Geography Geek, with three degrees in Geography and having served 21 years as Geographer at the USGS and the US Census Bureau.

For centuries, the study of geography and the maps geographers have created have stirred imaginations and inspired explorations of the unknown.  Nowadays, thousands of new maps are created each week in digital form, making it easier than ever to explore topics and regions of our wonderful and complex world.  These maps can be explored with Web GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and with desktop GIS, in 2-D and 3-D, at an infinite variety of scales.  Let’s investigate some real-world issues with a sample of these resources.
 
Maps show spatial relationships among climate, vegetation, population, landforms, river systems, land use, soils, natural hazards, and more.  They help us investigate the “whys of where”–the essence of scientific and geographic inquiry.  However, maps aren’t confined to learning about geography.  Imagine an epidemiologist studying the spread of diseases, a scientist studying caribou habitat, or a businessperson siting a new retail establishment.  In each case, maps are critical tools for studying and solving real problems on a daily basis.

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