At USC, Programming and GIS are Tools for Global Action

At the Spatial Sciences Institute at the University of Southern California (USC) students learn to use a wide variety of geographic information system (GIS) technology. The mission of USC's Spatial Sciences Institute is to develop the next generation of spatial thinkers, empowered with geospatial sciences and tools to solve real-world problems. Classes that build skills in GIS, programming, and automation are designed to ultimately prepare students to step in and contribute in a meaningful way when an urgent situation arises.

"When something happens and [students] have to do something fast—and they know how to customize or build an application quickly if they need to—that is a huge advantage to them in the workplace," said Dr. Jennifer Swift, associate professor (teaching) in the Spatial Sciences Institute.

Job applicants who can demonstrate through work experience that they are proactive and solutions-oriented are likely to find opportunities at every stage of their careers. Problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, and innovation top the list of soft skills that employers want, according to a report from LinkedIn, the online professional networking and career-building giant.

"They want people on their team [who] can pinpoint a need and address it," says a similar report from Indeed, another online job search and skills-building resource.

Bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs at the Spatial Sciences Institute challenge students to use their academic and practical training, research, and project work to tackle the most pressing issues of our time. Communities across the globe must develop and adopt more sustainable practices to protect human and wildlife populations, biodiversity, and the planet. The mandate for change is in response to human-made conditions that contribute to climate change, species extinction, food and water scarcity, and social and environmental injustice.

GIS technologies provide tools that work groups use in private and public institutions to better understand and address complex problems, especially those related to sustainability. Smart maps, dashboards, and data analysis are among the capabilities within GIS technologies.

As part of their spatial sciences education, students in the institute get training with ArcGIS Pro, a foundational GIS software for creating and compiling digital maps, integrating imagery and statistical information, and analyzing data. Images for GIS often are produced through remote sensing by satellites and drones. ArcGIS Dashboards shares real-time data and other crucial information to create a location-based context for understanding, as with the coronavirus public health crisis. Statistics alone lack the same visual impact and context. 

Training in programming and automation is available through the Spatial Sciences Institute's application development curriculum, and the coursework also ties into other areas of focus. As developers, students learn to modify existing templates and workflows within GIS applications or create new ones that better meet project objectives defined by a work group or client. Technologies they work with include ArcGIS API for Python and ArcGIS Notebooks. Students also become familiar with programming languages such as JavaScript.

With advanced training in programming and spatial computing, students build custom dashboards, mobile apps, and web applications. Integrating open-source software can bring more dimension to their work. These skills position students for greater agility and leadership opportunities in the workplace.

Tactics such as building dashboards and maps can be an entry point to a GIS professional. Many students who enroll for advanced degrees hope to elevate their careers by combining spatial sciences with skills they acquired in a related or complementary bachelor's degree program. 

Expertise in spatial sciences is valuable at every level of government and industry because practitioners bring a data-driven approach to investigation and problem-solving.

Maps and dashboards improve collaboration and communication as problem-solving begins, automating workflows and creating standard tools for all stakeholders. Seeing where and when events are occurring creates context. Adding demographic data and other statistical information helps work groups determine how events are related and how they differ by location. Teams also can assess risks by location and make predictions about future outcomes.

Prediction was important for leaders crafting a coronavirus response at the onset of the pandemic. Once the COVID-19 dashboard was launched at Johns Hopkins University, data scientists began to track the rate of viral spread along with hospitalization rates and deaths. This deepened the world’s awareness of the imminent global public health crisis.

Public health communities responded to forecasts by establishing safety guidelines at national, state, and local levels. Real-time awareness of changing conditions supported protocol updates as the virus spread and mutated, helping to keep more people safe. 

Bringing GIS technology to a global audience has had an additional benefit for GIS professionals: More leaders in the public and private sectors are awakening to the value of the geographic approach to problem-solving, and of GIS technology to enable the work.

Graduates of the USC Spatial Sciences Institute have seen GIS adoption grow and help advance their own careers.

"I watched an organization grow a GIS unit from the ground up," said a graduate who has advanced from intern to GIS analyst and GIS manager for a humanitarian medical aid organization. "GIS is of great value to my organization because [its leaders] understand how important spatial context is for making informed decisions in their emergency response efforts and existing humanitarian relief and capacity-building programs in countries in need around the world."