GIS: A Growing Technology at DePauw
Contributed by Beth Wilkerson, FITS GIS Specialist

Since its inception in January 2004, the DePauw GIS Center has been striving to establish a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) presence at DePauw. Its goal is to promote GIS awareness and host GIS activities as well as encourage and support the use of GIS technology in teaching, research, and scholarship campus-wide. At present, the GIS Center is supporting, at some level, numerous GIS projects that span various disciplines across campus. Some of these disciplines are Asian studies, biology, classical studies, economics, geosciences, history, and library and information sciences. A few project examples include:

Dr. Glen Kuecker (History) is using GIS in his book project on the processof modernization in 19th Century Tampico, a port city on the gulf coast of Mexico. GIS allows Dr. Kuecker to map tax and property records for the city, and show social and economic change over time from 1870 to 1910.

Dr. Sherry Mou (Modern Languages and Asian Studies) is utilizing GIS to assist her in teaching students about the territorial changes throughout China’s history. By overlaying the borders of ancient dynasties on each other as well as on China’s modern political boundaries, students are able to visualize the territorial relationships between dynasties and are able to better understand the economical and political implications related to the changing borders.

Dr. Rebecca Schindler and Dr. Pedar Foss (Classical Studies) are the principal investigators for the CGMA (Collaboratory for GIS and Mediterranean Archaeology) project. CGMA is an on-going teaching and research initiative that is supported by the Mellon Foundation and by the four participating institutions ( DePauw University, Rhodes College, Millsaps College, and The College of Wooster). CGMA ultimately seeks to provide an online queryable GIS of archaeological survey projects that have been undertaken throughout the Mediterranean region.

For those of you who might not be aware of GIS or of the power of this rapidly growing technology, GIS is an emergent technology that provides a means to create interactive environments to manage, model, manipulate, visualize and analyze data both spatially and temporally. The keyword in GIS is “geographic”. A GIS uses the location of the information to integrate tabular data from various database and/or spreadsheet sources with maps to create dynamic displays. More importantly, a GIS provides the tools necessary to overlay, query, visualize, and analyze (including high-level statistical, spatial, temporal, and mathematical analyses) those data in ways not previously possible. In turn, GIS users are often able to more precisely interpret their data because comparisons and analyses can be made that reveal patterns or relationships in the data that may not have been discovered using traditional methods.

Although GIS has traditionally been associated mainly with environmental analysis and resource management, it is now becoming more prevalent in the public, private, and academic sectors. GIS is being used

and the list goes on. Because GIS is such a versatile tool, it is quickly becoming the preferred mechanism for managing spatial information across a broad array of disciplines.

In addition, because the explosion of GIS in the public and private sectors is creating a demand for graduates with GIS skills, we are also providing GIS education opportunities for our students. Several classes across campus have begun to integrate GIS into the curriculum either indirectly as a teaching tool (e.g., CLST 300: The Art and Archaeology of Carthage and North Africa, Dr. Pedar Foss, Department of Classical Studies; GEOG 315: Map Interpretation, Dr. Scott Wilkerson, Department of Geosciences) or directly as the main focus of the course (e.g., GEOL EXP: Introduction to GIS and GPS Mapping, Dr. Tim Cope, Department of Geosciences; CLST 361: GIS and Mediterranean Archaeology, Dr. Rebecca Schindler, Department of Classical Studies; GEOL 197S: FYS: Dynamic Earth-GIS, Dr. Tim Cope).

If you would like to learn more about GIS and what this powerful technology can do for you,

Wednesday, November 16, 2005
3:30pm – 5:00pm
Julian Science and Mathematics Center Atrium

For more information regarding the DePauw GIS Center or GIS in general, visit our website at http://www.depauw.edu/univ/gis/.

Aided by a Faculty Fellowship and some time off from teaching, Dr. Ophelia D. Goma of DePauw’s Department of Economic and Management has been creating supplemental online resources for her students in Economics 100. “I am working on a project to develop interactive technological modules that introduce students in my Introduction to Economics course to key historical economic events,” writes Goma. “The purpose of these modules is to allow for a self-paced, active participation of students in learning the concepts in the course, to improve the conceptualization of economic models and theories through visual and auditory displays, and to engage students about historical topics in the world economy. These modules will apply a variety of technological tools including flash applets, spreadsheets, video clips and web-based presentations, and will incorporate case studies that demonstrate the effective use of economic modeling.”

“Ophelia Goma's project relies heavily on the collaboration of its team members,” says Frank Gilbert, a FITS Graduate Intern who is helping Dr. Goma build web pages for this project. Others helping with this project include Jin Kim, I.L.S. multimedia specialist, and Jim Gehring, a DePauw senior ITAP student who is interning for FITS this academic year. Frank and Jim are currently working to create the Web-based environment which will contain the primary content as well as the interactive learning modules. The Flash learning modules include information slideshows that support the web content, interactive timelines to provide a historical summary of each web environment, and interactive games (drag-and-drop, or chronological ordering) to provide opportunties for students practice and understand the content.

National CyberSecurity Awareness Month
Contributed by Alicia Louden, START Coordinator

Here at DePauw, the week of October 24th - 28th was Cyber Security Awareness Week. Many collected the “Wizard of Oz” poster series, laughed at the public service announcements on WGRE and groaned at the not so subtle “Wizard of Oz” puns in a series of awareness messages sent through the HelpDesk. Despite the light hearted approach, the message is important. Identity theft, computer fraud and electronic viruses are real risks that can cause real headaches. It can, and does, happen to someone like you everyday. Every time you surf the Internet, bank online, or even check your email, you could be leaving yourself vulnerable to these risks. Fortunately, there are several simple steps that individuals can take to reduce the risk:

1. Set good passwords and keep them secure.

Passwords are the first line of defense in protecting ourselves and our personal information. When choosing a password, create one that is at least six characters long and is comprised of a combination of letters, numbers and special characters. Avoid the temptations to use real words that can be found in a dictionary. Try not to relate the password to something you are passionate about or include personal information such as birth dates or phone numbers.Do not write your password down or share it with anyone, including the people behind those annoying emails threatening to deactivate your online accounts. This is a technique called phishing and the messages are sent by thieves trying to steal your personal information.

2. Use antivirus software and keep your operating system up to date.

Antivirus software is any easy way to significantly reduce the risk of your computer being infected. Most antivirus software and operating systems’ patches can be set to download automatically on a regular basis, requiring no extra effort on the part of the user. While this is of greatest concern for Windows users, Macs running Virtual PC are open to the same risks as PCs and should be protected accordingly. DePauw recommends and supports the Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition which can be downloaded for free from the HelpDesk Web site at www.depauw.edu/it/helpdesk/downloads. Users are also encouraged to download software such as Spybot & Ad-Aware, which help to keep your system free of pop-up ads and spyware which can slow performance and increase vulnerabilities.

3. Backup important data often.

Both Mac OSX and Windows XP have built in features to making backing-up data simpler. Mac users can simplify the process by using a burn folder. You simply select the files you want to backup regularly and put them in a burn folder. When you are ready to create a backup, you just open the burn folder and click burn. There is no need to go through your system and find all the files again. Windows XP Professional has a Backup utility found in the System Tools which enables users to schedule regular backups of important files. Backing-up data doesn’t require any special tools, though. The real key is to just be sure to save copies of important documents somewhere other than your desktop or hard-drive. Network drives, such as the U: drive and P: drive are excellent places to backup your data.

The internet can be a great resource and form of entertainment for many. By following these simple steps, one can greatly reduce the risk of being faced with a computer that will not run because it is laden with viruses or, even worse, unexpected charges to a credit card because the number was stolen by a hacker. For more information of cyber security and other computing related issues, please visit www.depauw.edu/it/healthycomputing.

Biography: Kristina graduated from DePauw in May 2005 with a BA in Classical studies and a Minor in Sociology. Originally from Hohenwald, Tennessee, Kristina worked as a tech assistant at IMS/MUST while studying at DePauw.. Currently, she is the 5th-year intern for GIS and plans to attend graduate school to earn a Ph.D in Archaeology. She enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, canoeing, and fishing.

Kristina Bradley, GIS 5th Year Intern

Area of Expertise: Geographic Information Systems

Fun Fact: I went to Turkey on the Hacimusular project with Professor Foss for the summer of 2004, and this was how I determined I wanted to be an archaeologist!

GIS: A Growing Technology at DePauw

Faculty Feature: Ophelia Goma Builds Course Enhancements for Econ 100

National CyberSecurity Awareness Week

Staff Spotlight: Kristina Bradley

Wednesday, November 16th
7th Annual GIS Day
3:30pm-5:30pm
Julian Atrium

Wednesday, December 4th
IHETS Virtual Brownbag Lunch Series:
"Challenge, Potential, and Success: A University-Wide Approach to Classroom Response Systems"
by Ed Evans, Purdue University
12:00pm-1:00pm
Roy O West Library Media Cl.

FITS Winter Term
Seminar Series,
January 2006

Topics:
‘Using multimedia presentations effectively in teaching’
“Laptops at DePauw: Experiences from our first semester as a laptop campus”

Watch for announcements about dates and times.

Faculty Instructional Technology Support (FITS) provides consulting and support for faculty to enhance learning through curricular innovations using technology.

Services that we offer . . .

• One-on-one consulting
• Workshops, seminars, and forums
• Equipment in the FITS Center for you to experiment
• Team-based support for projects

FITS is located in the lower level of Roy O. West Library

Hours:
Monday – Friday,
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Evening and weekend hours can be arranged by appointment.

http://fits.depauw.edu

Student Technology Assessment, Resources & Training (START) provides:

• One-on-one consultation with students working on technology projects
• Customized and course specific training arranged in collaboration with instructors
• Standardized training and workshops 

START offers students support at 3 locations:

Digital Media Lab (dml),
Roy O. West Library,
Lower Level

Monday - Thursday,
8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday,
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday,
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Julian Science and Math Center &
Tiger Services
( Student Union Building)
Sunday - Thursday,
7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

http://www.depauw.edu/it/start

Contact: Alicia Louden, alouden@depauw.edu