Detailed Agenda

This project demonstrates a machine learning pipeline for detecting deforestation using satellite imagery. We developed and compared deep learning architectures (CNNs, U-Net, Late Fusion) that process Sentinel-1 radar and Sentinel-2 optical data to identify deforested areas. The system handles real-world challenges like cloud cover and class imbalance through various training techniques. Our late fusion approach achieves superior performance by combining complementary information from both data sources, providing an automated solution for environmental monitoring at scale.

The Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment has launched a new integrated, cloud-based mapping and inventory system to teach students utilizing hands-on learning and cutting-edge spatial technology. For 5 years, forestry students at a 9-week Summer Practicum at the Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center have been learning field navigation, spatial data collection, timber cruising, and inventory analysis by using this system. Teaching-centric options and efforts to reinforce concepts in the curriculum provide essential training that prepares students for the future.

How can GIS be taught as more than a technical skill? This session shares a teaching approach where students use ArcGIS Online to create Story Maps on disasters of their choice, from 9/11 and Katrina to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, missing person cases, and more. By blending research, spatial analysis, and visualization, students learn how GIS supports crisis communication and decision-making. Educators and practitioners will gain ideas for engaging learners and connecting Esri technology to real-world challenges.

Since its origins in Birmingham, England in 1968 at the hands of Black Sabbath, metal has usually been associated with young disaffected white males in industrialized Western societies from the dark and frozen cities of Scandinavia to the sun-drenched sidewalks of the Sunset Strip. While academic studies have succeeded in presenting metal as a more global phenomenon the use of GIS can play a complementary role in researching the history and geographic spread of the genre. GIS can thus be a visual tool to explore historical geomusicology, or the inter-relations of geography and music over time.