Lindenwood Signs Education Partnership Agreement with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Lindenwood University President Dr. John R. Porter signed an Education Partnership Agreement (EPA) with West Executive Bill Caniano of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). This EPA will enhance Lindenwood's educational leadership in the region, as well as provide high-demand workforce skills for students. Lindenwood students will use unclassified real-world data to solve problems in geospatial intelligence, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and human geographic issues in their courses and capstone experiences in particular.

The EPA will provide Lindenwood students and faculty with access to mentorship from NGA experts and create opportunities for valuable research and insights. As Senior Instructor Tara Vansell underscores, "Positioning GIS in the Humanities is a clear differentiator: our students not only have the technical skills to analyze geospatial data, but also the context, communication, and human skills to connect the right people with the right resources, bridging the Arts and Sciences and helping students to do well and to do good."

Lindenwood's GIS Day highlights the University's commitment to preparing students for the workforce of the future. Lindenwood partners with students from the Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS), along with other high school students, to create a pipeline of talent. The University places a high value on the role of internships and applied GIS experiences, with students having already done GIS work for local municipalities, parks and recreation, the Botanical Gardens, the St. Louis Zoo-all regionally impactful experiences. Lindenwood also had representatives from the State of Missouri Office of Geospatial Information, City of Saint Charles, Saint Charles County government, and the State of Missouri Department of Conservation, to name a few, in attendance. Students even had the opportunity to fly drones through an obstacle course.

"This EPA caps an incredible learning journey for our students by encouraging and heightening interdisciplinary study to benefit them personally and to prepare them professionally in a high-demand industry for our region," said Dr. John R. Porter, president of Lindenwood University. "We look forward to even further partnership with NGA guest speakers and enhanced quality experiences."

Lindenwood offers a certificate that is available to both degree- and non-degree-seeking students, making it an ideal option for professionals looking to advance their careers and stand out from the crowd for future employers, graduate schools, or professional programs. More cutting-edge courses and programs are being developed, as students can explore hands-on experiences through the University's GIS Lab, using drones and GPS equipment to successfully apply and interpret data visualization software for a variety of professions. Students can examine a wide range of sources that can be combined to build a GIS database, including aerial imagery, scanned historic maps, raw data, and data collected from Global Positioning Systems.

Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Kathi Vosevich adds, "I am especially proud not only of being one of just four universities in the country with an EPA with the NGA, but also of the responsible and ethical use of data that this partnership will encourage as we advance our geospatial capabilities with human-centered AI. Dr. James Hutson who is our Lead AI Disruptor has just finished his second US State Department sponsored engagement, so we have extensive expertise in GIS and AI to create even more opportunities for innovation."