Awards, Competitions, and Map Gallery

Every year, IMAGIN presents several awards to encourage and recognize excellence in GIS activities. These awards are presented annually at the IMAGIN Conference. Past winners are available by clicking on the links to the left.

The 2008 IMAGIN Annual Conference Award Winners

Student Paper Competition
Sponsored by: Sanborn Solutions, ESRI, Hubbell, Roth, and Clark; InfoGeographics, Inc.; Schoolcraft College, Food & Beverage

The 2008 IMAGIN Poster & Paper Competition was a success this year with eight undergraduate posters on display and four graduate paper competitors. For the second year in a row, the competition, which took place on Thursday, January 24, was held at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan. The competition kicked off at noon with the Undergraduate Gallery Walk. With the students standing by their posters to address any questions, observers were able to meander through the gallery and discuss the posters with their creators. At 1:00, after a welcome by the Professional Recognition Committee, the Graduate Paper competitors, addressing a full room, began their presentations.

After a full day of posters and presentations, the judges made their difficult decisions and a brief awards ceremony took place. The results are as follows:

1. Erika Espeland, Central Michigan University, 3D Mapping for the Cloud Forest in Tropical Areas
2. Joe Polmerville, Central Michigan University, Identifying the Most Suitable Habit for the Florida Panther
3. Ken Robertson, Central Michigan University, African American Migration in the United States
4. Don Lafreniere, Eastern Michigan University, Representations of Eastern Michigan
5. Amber Eckert, University of Michigan - Dearborn, City of Novi GIS Demonstration Project

1. Maxwell Field, Central Michigan University, Common Loon Habitat Modeling in Northern Lower Michigan Using Binary Logistic Regression
2. Heather Stricker, Central Michigan University, Monitoring Wolf Recovery in Michigan's Northern Lower Peninsula
3. Andrew McAninch, Michigan State University, The Tasseled Cap Transformation for the IKONOS Satellite and its Utility

Jim Living Scholarship
Sponsored by: Woolpert, LLP
Awarded to Heather Stricker of Central Michigan University. Heather is obtaining her Masters of Arts in Conservation Biology. She has done extensive GIS modeling of recovering wolf population and plans to continue on and earn a Ph.D. in sustainability.

IMAGIN Volunteer of the Year Award
Matthew Malone of the City of Farmington Hills was the third recipient of the IMAGIN Volunteer of the Year Award. This award is given to an IMAGIN member in recognition of their continuing commitment to the organization and their work that goes above and beyond what is expected. Matt has been an active member of IMAGIN since 1995, serving as a board member from 2004 - 2006 and as the current chair of the Services & Benefits Committee, where he plays many roles, one of which includes the lead editor of the IMAGIN E-News. Matt represents the geospatial discipline with energy and enthusiasm and is constantly delivering results. IMAGIN thanks Matt for his hard work and dedication over the years.

GIS for Everyone Award
The City of Birmingham received the GIS for Everyone Award for its Retail Market Analysis Mapping interactive website. The Retail Market Analysis Mapping project was formulated though a joint effort between the City of Birmingham Planning Department, GIS Services and the Principal Shopping District (PSD). The intent of this project is to integrate data on businesses and vacant properties with a mapping feature which allows data to be represented visually on a map. They did this successfully with the creation of the website, which has encouraged a reciprocal relationship within development and business communities, providing them with a tool and unique application that has truly provided GIS for everyone.

Jim Living Geospatial Award
The recipient of the Jim Living Geospatial Achievement Award was Dave Lusch of Remote Sensing & GIS Research and Outreach Services at Michigan State University. A regular attendee and presenter at IMAGIN conferences, Dave exemplifies the spirit and mission of the IMAGIN organization. Dave has been a constant and strong promoter of GIS at all levels and in all its forms for his entire career. He is a respected researcher, teacher, and colleague who has always promoted GIS in his classrooms and workshops and continues to enthrall his students and peers to this day. He is the author of over 30 publications, many focusing on Remote Sensing techniques and classification methods. Dave has served as the Primary Investigator/Co- Primary Investigator on numerous grants including ongoing contributions to groundwater stewardship through collaboration with health departments, non profits originations, and state agencies.

His work through the years has resulted in the betterment of the state - its environment, its geographic professionals, and its citizens. His prolonged dedication to the field of GIS, especially in Michigan, and his fellow colleagues makes him more than deserving of this award. IMAGIN thanks Dave for his years of hard work, dedication to IMAGIN, and to GIS in Michigan.

Map Gallery
Sponsored by: North Arrow Technologies, Inc.

Cartographic Design

1. Registered Historic Sites and Districts
   Oakland County Planning & Economic Development Service
2. Tax Assessment Map: Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
   Land Information Access Association
3. Peshawbestown Address Map
   Land Information Access Association

Data Integration

1. Recreation, Open Space and Natural Resources — Map & Guide
   Land Information Access Association, et al.
2. Dexter Township Buildout Analysis
   Washtenaw County

Analytical Presentation

1. Detecting Land Cover / Land Use Change: Saline Michigan
   Doug Rivet, Eastern Michigan University
2. Vision Based Policy
   St. Clair County Metropolitan Planning Commission
3. Miller Avenue: Allen's Creek Storm Water Improvements BMP Locations
   Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment

Cooperative Presentation

1. Recreation, Open Space and Natural Resources – Map & Guide
   • Land Information Access Association
   • Michigan Coastal Management Program
   • MDEQ
   • NOAA
   • Frey Foundation
   • Partnerships for Change Program