Geospatial Forum
The Geospatial Forum brings together researchers, educators, practitioners and students in the geospatial data sciences for a series of lectures, studios and panels focused on important topics and cutting-edge techniques in geospatial analytics.
Ways to join the Forum:
Unless noted below with an asterisk (*), events will take place in 5111 Jordan Hall on select Thursdays from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET. Refreshments will be available. Expand each event below for more details.
Watch live online by visiting go.ncsu.edu/geospatial-forum-live.
The Geospatial Forum is hybrid delivery with in-person guest speakers and the option to participate remotely for Distance Education students and external participants. To the extent possible, all forum events will be livestreamed and recorded.
Fall 2025 Events
Planning is ongoing for the Fall 2025 forum speaker lineup. Check back often for newly added events and expand each title for more details.
SEP 11 – Monitoring Dryland Ecosystem Function with Multi-Source and Multi-Scale Remote Sensing | Lecture
Lecture
Speaker: Dr. Matt Dannenberg, Associate Professor, School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability, University of Iowa
Hosted by: Dr. Chris Jones, Senior Research Staff and Faculty Fellow, Center for Geospatial Analytics, NC State
Summary: Drylands make up ~40% of Earth’s land surface and are home to >2 billion people and numerous rare and endemic organisms. Their large size and dependence on intermittent water availability also make drylands important regulators of the global carbon cycle, but monitoring dryland ecosystem function with remote sensing poses many challenges not encountered in more humid regions. In this talk, Matt discusses the potential for multi-source and multi-resolution remote sensing of dryland primary production (carbon fixation through photosynthesis) and evapotranspiration, ranging from near-surface sensors at individual sites to global-scale satellite-based approaches.
About the speaker: Dr. Matt Dannenberg is a global change ecologist specializing in responses of forests and drylands to climate variability and change, especially to human-caused changes in the water cycle. He received both his M.A. and Ph.D. in Geography just a short drive down I-40 (UNC Chapel Hill) and then did his postdoctoral research at the University of Arizona, where he discovered his love for drylands. He’s been an assistant professor at the University of Iowa since 2019. In Matt’s free time, he enjoys building things, playing disc golf and Magic: The Gathering, reading sci-fi/fantasy novels, and listening to death metal.
SEP 25 – From Software Distribution to Species Distribution: an Engineer’s Journey into Marine Spatial Ecology | Lecture
Lecture
Speaker: Mr. Jason J. Roberts, Research Associate, Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University
Hosted by: Dr. DelWayne Bohnenstiehl, Professor in the Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and CGA Faculty Fellow
Summary: Species distribution models increasingly drive regulatory and policy decisions for the ocean by providing data needed to balance ecological and economic priorities. This trend will only accelerate as additional satellites and drones come online, providing new modes of remote sensing and ever-expanding coverage. In this talk, Jason will discuss his career transition from a software engineer focused on operating system development to a marine ecologist who specializes in modeling spatial distributions of marine megafauna. Jason will describe what he does, what he’s learned on this journey so far, and how he thinks the field will continue to develop.
About the speaker: Originally a software engineer with a passion for scuba diving and other marine hobbies, Jason left Microsoft in 2003 to pursue a full time career in marine research and conservation. At the Duke Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab since 2006, Jason splits his time between writing software tools and conducting scientific research. Jason’s interests include facilitating progress in marine ecology and conservation by developing, applying, and helping others apply advanced software tools, statistical methods, and modeling approaches. Currently, Jason spends most of his time developing species distribution models for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale and other marine mammals that inhabit the western North Atlantic.
OCT 23 – Dr. Christa Brelsford, Los Alamos National Laboratory | Lecture
Lecture
Speaker: Dr. Christa Brelsford, Research Scientist, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Introduction by: Dr. Mollie Gaines, Postdoctoral Research Scholar, CGA
Summary: Forthcoming.
About the speaker: Forthcoming.
NOV 6 – Dr. Jacelyn Rice-Boayue, NC State | Lecture
Lecture
Speaker: Dr. Jacelyn Rice-Boayue, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, and CGA Faculty Fellow
Introduction by: TBD
Summary: Forthcoming.
About the speaker: Forthcoming.
NOV 20 – GIS Week
Format TBD
Speaker: TBD
Hosted by: NC State’s Geospatial Graduate Student Organization
Summary: Forthcoming.
About the speaker: Forthcoming.
*DEC 11 – MGIST Digital Symposium | Time TBD
Symposium: Note this event is in Hunt Library’s Teaching and Visualization Lab, Room 4505, Time TBD
The MGIST Digital Symposium is an opportunity for our graduating professional master’s students to present their Capstone projects to the geospatial community at NC State and beyond. This includes student peers, alumni, faculty and staff from across the university, and our community and industry partners. This is a tremendous professional development and networking opportunity for our students.
The technology in Hunt Library will allow students to present digital posters of their Capstone projects on a large, immersive projection screen in a social atmosphere with networking and open discussion. The event is capped off with an award to the winner of the poster competition!
Schedule TBD
Watch Recordings on YouTube
Geospatial Forums are recorded and posted with closed captioning on the Center’s YouTube channel.
Join the Geospatial Forum listserv
Subscribe to receive email announcements about upcoming events; simply send an email to John Vogler (jbvogler@ncsu.edu) with the subject line “Add to Geospatial Forum listserv.” You can also add the Geospatial Forum calendar to your Google Calendar.
The Forum is a Sustainable Event!
NC State’s University Sustainability Office has recognized the Geospatial Forum with Champion certification for its contribution to environmentally responsible operations. For example: Forum advertising is almost entirely paperless; all of the disposable items used during Forum events are compostable; refreshments accommodate vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets; and all leftover food is donated.