The MAGIP Grants and Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce the 2022 awards for Higher Education Scholarships. Despite the ongoing pandemic and challenges of online learning and living, MAGIP was fortunate to receive high quality applications from undergraduate and graduate students alike. While we would like to support all submitted projects, we identified two exceptional Higher Education Scholarship proposals that we are delighted to fund this year. These scholarships will be distributed to one highly motivated undergraduate student, and one Master’s degree student. Furthermore, we are excited to distribute these awards across the Continental Divide and support one student at the University of Montana, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, and one student at Montana State University, Department of Earth Sciences.

Two (2) scholarships totally $3,000 were awarded to undergraduate or first-year graduate students studying GIS at a Montana college or university through the MAGIP Higher Education GIS Scholarship.

Madison Vastine, Undergraduate, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana

“Spatio-temporal variation in black bear activity patterns”

Hayden Yates, Master’s Candidate, Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University

“UAS thermal infrared and machine learning to identify surficial and structural parameters diagnostic of surface thermal anomalies near Norris Hot Springs, Montana” 

For more information visit the Scholarships website

MAGIP is now accepting applications for the 2022 MAGIP Higher Education GIS Scholarships and K-12 Education Grants!

Applications are due March 25, 2022

Contact the Scholarship and Grants Committee Chair for more information.

The Montana Association of Geographic Professionals (MAGIP) biannually presents two awards. The Distinguished Service Award is presented for long-term service and leadership to the Montana GIS community and the GIS profession. The GIS Professional Livability Award recognizes an individual's measurable contribution to the application of GIS, thus improving the quality of life within their community.

The awards will be presented at the Big Sky GeoCon dinner on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 in Missoula.

Click Here to submit your nomination! 

The deadline for submission is February 22, 2022.

If you plan to submit multiple nominations, please create a separate submission for each. Each nomination requires a one-page letter of nomination, two references who also support the nomination, and any supporting documentation.

On behalf of MAGIP Awards Committee, we look forward to hearing from you!

Applicants for the Distinguished Service Award must: 

• Have substantial years of service (10+) in or supporting the Montana GIS Community and a desire to continue to serve
• Displays exemplary accomplishments as a GIS Professional, selfless service to the profession and participation in committees, workgroups, and organizations that support the Montana geospatial community
• Has an impact within and / or external to the realm of the member's workplace
• Undertakes and leads activities that benefit the GIS Community outside of regular job responsibilities
• Demonstrates initiative, resourcefulness and creativity and is willing to seek out and pursue new challenges that benefit the Montana GIS Profession
• Acknowledged by his / her peers for leadership and substantial service to the profession and community

Applicants for the Livability Award must:

• Demonstrate a measurable contribution to the education, communication, coordination, and application of GIS technologies that have been a major influence to the growth and use of GIS in creating a more livable community
• Express exemplary dedication with focus to the development and implementation of GIS technologies which enhance individual and community life and promote the efficient use of community resources
• Acknowledged by his \ her peers for perseverance with belief and purpose; tasking themselves with the growth, as well as the challenges of GIS development for them and for their neighbor...sometimes in the face of discouragement

Questions? Contact Phoebe Ferguson, 2022 Conference Liaison

GIS DAY 2021

Wednesday, November 17

MAGIP WEB MAP CONTEST RESULTS

Congratulations to Eric Spangenberg for winning this year's MAGIP GIS Day web map contest.  His web map titled "Economic Development - City of Helena, MT" received the most votes.  Eric's map earned him a $100 prize!

Our first runner-up was Allen Armstrong and his web map titled "BLM Montana/Dakotas Interactive Map" and Allen won $50 for his map.  

Rounding out the top three was Haley Jurecki and her web map titled "City of Helena Major Infrastructure Projects".  Haley won $25 for her effort.

A big thank you to everyone who submitted maps to this year's contest, and thanks to everyone who participated by voting for their favorite!

I am already looking forward to next year's contest.

Steve Jay, Membership Development Chair

 

MAGIP has re-established the special interest group (SIG) to bring together GIS professionals who work in or with local governments to share issues, ideas, problems, or just to meet other local government staff.

You are invited to join the Local Government Special Interest Group meeting on Thursday, November 18 at 2:00 pm.

Thank you,

Tommy Luksha, Madison County GIS

Local Government SIG Chair

email: TLuksha@MadisonCountyMT.gov

phone: 406-843-4242

Hello MAGIP Member! On behalf of MAGIP President, Jeff Hedstrom and Local Conference Chairs Andrew Stickney and Kyle Burke, we invite you to participate on the 2022 Big Sky GeoCon planning committee. The 2022 Big Sky GeoCon will be held at the Holiday Inn, Missoula, MT April 4-7, 2022. Help us develop the topics, secure speakers, shape the format, plan social events and more! Time commitment is one-hour planning meetings each month starting in September or October and then twice a month or more often a couple months prior to the conference.  Also plan to be onsite as much as possible during the conference week. If you are interested or would like more information about participating on this committee, please reach to any of us below. We would like to finalize the committee by August 31.  Thank you!  Jeff Hedstrom, MAGIP President Andrew Stickney, Local Co-chair Kyle Burke, Local Co-chair Michelle Quinn, MAGIP Administrator

I would like to congratulate the following MAGIP Members on winning the 2021 Board Member Election: 

Thank you to everyone who ran for the various offices, for your dedication to MAGIP.

And a special thank you to the out-going Board members for your time, dedication and commitment to making MAGIP a great organization to be a part of.

Jenny Connelley, MAGIP Past President

Recently, MAGIP supported the GIS-based student research virtual poster competition at the Montana State University Earth Sciences Student Colloquium (ESSC) by providing two judges and cash prizes to the winners.

The ESSC is an annual event organized and fundraised by graduate students in the Department of Earth Sciences at Montana State University. The public event includes student research talks, a poster session, a raffle, and a keynote address. This year, the event was held online on Thursday and Friday, April 22nd-23rd. The goal of the ESSC is to advance, support, and celebrate student research in the Earth Sciences. GIS is one of the principal academic tracks in MSU's Department of Earth Sciences and is widely applied across all avenues of research in our department -- from geology and paleontology to snow sciences and city planning.

The Poster Competition winners were:

Tied for 1st Place ($75 each): 3rd Place ($25):

View the Nominees!

Vice President - Elected to three (3) year term (Vice President, President, Past President)
Secretary  - Elected to two (2) year term
Treasurer  - Elected to two (2) year term
Technical Committee Chair  - Elected to two (2) year term
Scholarship & Grants Committee Chair - Elected to two (2) year term 

REMEMBER - Only MAGIP Members in Good Standing can vote in the MAGIP Election!

Elections will run May 3 - 17

Look for your ballot in your email on May 3!

More information can be found at the 2021 MAGIP Elections page

The MAGIP Grants and Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce the 2021 awards for Higher Education Scholarships and K-12 Education Grants.

Despite the challenges of online learning and living, MAGIP was fortunate to receive a relatively large number of high-quality scholarship applications from Doctoral and Master degree candidates.

While we would like to support all submitted projects, we identified two exceptional Higher Education Scholarship proposals that we are delighted to fund this year. These scholarships will be distributed to one Doctoral student, and one Master’s degree student:

• Christopher Hansen, Ph.D. Candidate, W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana; Project Title: “Vegetation Response to Livestock Grazing on Public Lands in the Western United States” 
• Shira Ellenson, Master’s Candidate W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation Department of Geography University of Montana; Project Title: “Arctic Greening: 25 Years of Change from In-Situ and Remotely Sensed Observations”

Furthermore, we are excited to work with the Frenchtown Intermediate School through a Van Shelhamer Memorial K-12 Education Grant and help them develop geospatially oriented lesson plans based on GeoCaching and Orienteering exercises.

• Riley Devins, Principal Frenchtown Intermediate School Frenchtown, MT

Visit the Grants and Scholarship pages for additional information about these projects.

Congratulations to these well-deserving awardees on behalf of MAGIP and the Scholarships and Grants Committee!