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GeoBus UCF Builds Momentum for New Adventures in 2024
Looking back on 2023, GeoBus UCF accomplished a lot—both in Florida and internationally. We spoke with Associate Professor of Geographic Information Systems in the Department of Sociology and 2024 National Geographic Explorer Timothy Hawthorne, Ph.D. about these exciting accomplishments. Top Three GeoBus Highlights in 2023 2024 Goals for GeoBus When asked about goals for this […]
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GIS Mapping Research Benefits Coastal Village, Teachers, Students
A community in Belize and students and teachers from UCF and across the U.S. benefited from a seven-week research project hosted by Citizen Science GIS this summer. This was the sixth year Associate Professor of Geographic Information Systems Timothy Hawthorne, Ph.D. led 10 students and two teachers to Hopkins Village, Belize in Central America […]
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School District Partnership Deepens GeoBus Reach, Impact
The impact of the nation’s first GeoBus continues to grow, with a new partnership bringing the immersive educational experience to 18 Title I Brevard County schools this spring semester, with an additional set of schools to continue in the next school year. The partnership ushers in the next phase for GeoBus from one-off school visits […]
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Sociology Associate Professor Named National Geographic Explorer
Explorers still exist, even in a world where every has corner has a name. Count Associate Professor Timothy Hawthorne, Ph.D., among their number. Hawthorne was recently named a 2022 National Geographic Explorer by the prestigious organization. The National Geographic Society describes its Explorers as “infinitely curious people who are passionate about our planet and making it […]
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Renewed Funding Opens Three More Years Of Citizen Science in Belize
Impactful community research in rural Belize will continue for another three years thanks to renewed funding from the National Science Foundation. The $465,000 grant supports fully funded research experiences for eight undergraduate students and two K-12 teachers each year. The team will perform drone-mapping and citizen science to mitigate flooding and litter in Hopkins Village […]
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Critical Seagrass Mapping Project Continues Uninterrupted Thanks to Remote Instruction
Critical work mapping seagrass beds on the Pacific West Coast continues uninterrupted this fall thanks to innovative thinking from the Citizen Science GIS team. The seagrass (also known as eelgrass) project is funded by a $1.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation and helps researchers to measure seagrass meadow dynamics over time. This data […]
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Kids ‘Drone’ Up Interest in Citizen Science GIS
by Rachel Williams More than 350 4th-12th grade students, their teachers and parents Wednesday saw firsthand at UCF how apps, maps and drones are used in geographic information systems, an interdisciplinary field that captures, analyzes and presents geographic data in meaningful ways. Students flew mini drones over a model town to simulate how GIS professionals fly […]
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The 2017-18 Distinguished Speaker Series is Here!
The UCF College of Sciences Distinguished Speaker Series is back this September with six UCF faculty who are experts in topics relevant to the natural, computational, social or behavioral sciences and the developments in their respective fields. This year’s 2017-18 series will be held monthly at Tuscawilla Country Club at 6 p.m., from September 2017 […]
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Arc Partnership Empowers Special Needs Community
By Zenaida Kotala A group of conservation biologists and a non-profit agency that advocates for individuals with special needs are partnering to help keep local waterways healthy. UCF Biologist Linda Walters, whose research and volunteer efforts help restore eroding shoreline and oyster habitats along the Mosquito Lagoon, is teaming up with The Arc of Indian […]
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Maps, Apps and Drones
University of Central Florida professors of geographic information systems and biology teamed up Wednesday to take GIS technology and drones into Florida classrooms for 5th grade through high school. In the geospatial technology training workshop for Florida teachers, 15 teachers were shown customizable lesson plans that use GIS, mapping and drone technologies. Tim Hawthorne, GIS assistant […]
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Sociology Students Impress at Geographers Conference
University of Central Florida sociology students presented their remarkable research at the American Association of Geographers Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, held in April, 2017. Geographers, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) specialists, environmental scientists and more gather at the annual conference for the latest in research and applications in geography, sustainability and GIScience. Sociology students Kenisha Johnson, […]
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The Coordinates of Success
Amanda Ashby, a University of Central Florida senior majoring in sociology, was thrilled when she was awarded a student assistantship for the annual Esri FedGIS Conference. The conference, held this year in Washington, DC, focuses on the high-tech field of geographic information systems, or GIS. GIS is a system that is designed to capture, store, […]
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GIS Professor Appointed as Associate Editor
Timothy L. Hawthorne, Ph.D., assistant professor of geographic information systems in the University of Central Florida Department of Sociology, has been appointed as an associate editor of the “Journal of Geography.” The academic journal is an online and print publication that showcases the research of geographers and spatially-oriented scholars. The journal’s website describes the publication […]
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GIS REU Site Wraps Up Successful Start
The first ever UCF Geographic Information Systems Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) was a huge success this summer. The international REU site, held in Orlando and Belize, was funded by the National Science Foundation. The program hosted eight competitive undergraduate students from across the country. The eight scholars, including one UCF sociology student Amanda Ashby, […]
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Living Shoreline Workshop Makes Waves in K-12 Classrooms
12 educators, representing eight schools throughout three counties, participated in the UCF Living Shoreline Educator Workshop on Sunday, August 28, 2016. Pegasus Professor in the UCF Biology Department Linda Walters, Ph.D., UCF Biology Post-Doctoral Researcher and Instructor Melinda Donnelly, Ph.D., and Paul Sacks, Ph.D., a science educator at Winter Springs High School, led the group […]
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UCF Scientists Investigate Restoration Efforts
Story by Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala, UCF Today A scientific answer to a challenge such as water pollution is only part of a long-term solution. For example, science may provide a way to clean water, but keeping it clean usually relies on identifying underlying causes and making a long-term impact on human behavior. A team of UCF […]
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GIS to Offer Certificate
Beginning this fall, UCF will offer a new Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This new GIS certificate will provide students with the interdisciplinary background in the geography and the technical skills in the application of GIS through a 4 course, 12 credit hour load. The certificate will not only enhance students’ ability to understand, […]
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Back from Belize, Changed
“Back from Belize, Changed.” This is the shared sentiment of ten University of Central Florida students who traveled to Belize this summer as a part of the UCF Geographic Information Systems’ Belize study abroad experience from May 30 – June 10, 2016. UCF Citizen Science GIS is a collaborative, academic initiative that works in community-university […]
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GIS Scholars Impress at the Embassy
UCF assistant professor of geographic information systems Timothy Hawthorne, Ph.D., of the UCF Department of Sociology and the College of Sciences GIS Cluster Initiative led a group of eight students to the U.S. Embassy in Belmopan, Belize as part of the Community Geographic Information Systems and Citizen Science Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU). Citizen Science […]
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UCF GIS Students Map the Globe
University of Central Florida is one of 27 universities taking part in an interactive and editable global mapping program, YouthMappers, that is used to address development challenges around the world. Founded by Texas Tech University, YouthMappers was created to address development challenges for some of the world’s most impoverished countries. This is done by the creation […]
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GIS Academy Hosts National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
On Oct. 28, Timothy Hawthorne, Ph.D., and The Geospatial STEM Academy hosted Sue Gordon, deputy director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), for a student and STEM meet and greet event. Currently an assistant professor of geographic information systems (GIS) in the department of sociology, Dr. Hawthorne is also the Founding Director and Principal Investigator of […]
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New Faculty Brings GIS Innovation to UCF
Starting this fall, Scott Branting, Ph.D., Timothy Hawthorne Ph.D. and Yingru Li, Ph.D. joined UCF’s GIS cluster. GIS stands for Geographical Information Systems or Geographic Information Science. It is a powerful information system that improves our ability to collect, store, retrieve, manage, analyze, and report information on the earth’s surface, and to integrate those with economic, […]
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Dr. Hawthorne Bring GIS Innovation to UCF
Timothy L. Hawthorne, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of geographic information systems (GIS) in the department of sociology. He is a broadly trained human geographer with deep interests in community geography, qualitative GIS, and critical GIS. Dr. Hawthorne’s research and teaching utilizes innovative methods to integrate qualitative data and mixed methods into GIS analysis. His published […]
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COS Welcomes 50 New Faculty
The College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida welcomes 50 new faculty members this fall. In conjunction with the new faculty hiring campaign, approximatley 200 new faculty will begin at the university by fall 2015. These new faculty members will strengthen the areas of the university where there has been high student enrollment and growth. Many of […]