Penn State Online Geospatial Education

10/19/2026

The Big Ten Academic Alliance's portal for geospatial data has been redesigned! The Geoportal provides access to more than 100,000 downloadable GIS data sets across hundreds of government agencies, as well as scanned historical maps from university library collections. Join Penn State library staff for a demonstration on November 2; learn more in the link below.

The Big Ten Academic Alliance Geospatial Information Network has redesigned and relaunched the open access BTAA Geoportal, making more than 100,000 data sets, maps and other GIS resources easy for Penn State researchers, students and instructors to find and use.

10/08/2026

Sometimes we branch out and attend non-geography and GIS conferences! We're in lovely Chattanooga, TN this week learning more about our adult learners, and how we can design our courses to better serve this population.

09/22/2026

Mark your calendars for Penn State Library's workshops on mapping and GIS- they have some good ones coming up. https://www.psu.edu/news/university-libraries/story/university-libraries-announces-fall-2026-workshops-maps-and-gis-topics.

The first one is Sept 28, on Amplifying Projects with Geospatial Visualization and Storytelling. All workshops are offered in-person and remotely.

Beginning Sept. 28, the Donald W. Hamer Center for Maps and Geospatial Information at Penn State University Libraries will offer four virtual workshops on topics related to maps and geographic information systems (GIS).

09/21/2026

The United Nations recently voted to use a new map projection that more accurately shows the size of Africa. Most of you have likely had a discussion on this topic in one or more of your geography or cartography classes, and this article adds more to the story:

Equal Earth projection, adopted by the UN last week, provides an alternative to 16th-century Mercator display

09/02/2026

Yesterday's On Point podcast was particularly relevant to our field! Learn more about the history of GPS, and so much more. Take a listen: https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2026/09/01/gps-little-blue-dot-lost-maps.

Since Google Maps launched in 2005, the little blue dot has come to symbolize a transformation in how we navigate through the world -- wholly reliant on GPS. But what do we lose when we no longer get lost?

08/20/2026

Hello Students! Please mark your calendar for Tuesday,. August 25, the next ASPRS Student Chapter meeting. See the flyer below for more information.

08/19/2026

A warm welcome to our new and returning students; our Fall 1 courses start today!

08/07/2026

A friendly reminder that our Fall 1 session of courses starts on Wednesday, August 19. Registration is open and a full list of courses offered is here: https://geospatial.psu.edu/the-experience/course-calendar.

ONLINE GEOSPATIAL EDUCATION Course Calendar We offer over 30 courses in five 10-week terms each year: two every fall, two every spring, and one every summer. VIEW COURSES > APPLY NOW > READY TO REGISTER? > Class and Registration Calendar Most classes are offered in 10-week sessions, which allows for...

08/04/2026

Congratulations to Anthony Altobelli for receiving this year's Michael P. Murphy Award, which recognizes a Penn State student who has made exceptional contributions to the global geospatial intelligence community. You can read more about him and the award below. Well done Anthony!

Penn State graduate student Anthony Altobelli, a Pennsylvania Army National Guard staff sergeant, is the recipient of the 2026 LT. Michael P. Murphy Award. He is a student in Penn State’s online master of geographic information systems program, which is offered in partnership with the Penn State C...

07/27/2026

**Job Opportunity**: The Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center is hiring a full time GIS Specialist!

We are seeking a driven, talented GIS professional with experience in agricultural conservation and watershed restoration who is eager to contribute to meaningful conservation work with real impact. Ideal candidates are self-motivated team players with a strong interest in agriculture, environmental stewardship, and applied problem-solving.

To learn more and apply, click on Job Number REQ_0000079225 GIS Specialist, or visit Browse Staff and Technical Jobs and search for job number REQ_0000079225.

Be sure to include both a current resume and cover letter/letter of interest in your application.

Questions? Contact Matt Royer, AEC Director, at [email protected]