In January, Virginia Tech’s newest university center was approved, the Center for Geospatial Information Technology (CGIT) an affiliated center in VT’s International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT). The interdisciplinary center will serve as a focal point for geospatial IT programs at Virginia Tech, with a strong emphasis on research. Its main goals are to generate visibility, procure research funding, and provide technical expertise in the areas of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) applications research. Although new, CGIT builds on a solid foundation of interdisciplinary collaboration in GIS and IT at Virginia Tech, including the OGIS group formed in 1997. CGIT will also complement the activities of related centers like the Center for Environmental Applications of Remote Sensing in the College of Natural Resources.

In addition to receiving approval as a University Center, CGIT also received an ASPIRES grant to help establish the center. With that grant and support from IIIT, CGIT will establish research facilities in both Blacksburg and northern Virginia. A search for an Associate Director for CGIT to be located in Alexandria, Virginia, is currently underway see IIIT Postion Annoucements.

Center Director Randy Dymond (Assoc. Professor in Civil & Environmental Engineering) pulled together an impressive list of support from industry, federal and state government agencies, and Virginia Tech faculty. He noted that, “nearly all fields of commerce in the world today are utilizing geospatial data to increase productivity.” By locating research facilities in northern Virginia and Blacksburg, CGIT will be able to interface with the many federal agencies and IT industries in Virginia and the DC area that rely on GIS and related technology, while helping to coordinate research on the main campus.

More information about CGIT, including its Charter and new position announcements will soon be available on its website, currently under development www.cgit.vt.edu.

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