For Brock Geography master’s student Nana Adwoa Owusu, working with geographic information systems (GIS) is a way to map data and uncover patterns that could save lives.

Owusu’s research on early childhood mortality in Ghana highlights the transformative real-world applications of GIS to tackle global challenges, from health-care access to socioeconomic disparities.

“GIS allows me to visualize disparities and link health outcomes to geographic contexts,” she says. “It’s essential for understanding how social and environmental factors interact regionally.”

She encourages others to explore GIS’ vast potential to chart pathways for better decision-making using data.

Brock community members will have several opportunities to explore how the wide variety of GIS these tools can be used to collect, store, process and display geographic information when the University celebrates GIS Day on Wednesday, Nov. 20.

“Everyone interacts with GIS in their daily lives, often without realizing it,” says Sharon Janzen, Brock’s Map Library Associate and Geospatial Data Coordinator. “When people use navigation apps to find the best route from one place to another, that’s GIS at work, combining geographic data and network analysis to guide them efficiently.”

The day will feature a Q&A session on Brock’s Esri site license; a virtual workshop on vector analysis using ArcGIS Online, where participants will learn to map demographic data and analyze gaps in community services such as childcare access; and a social gathering featuring pizza and cake. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP through ExperienceBU.

This practical ArcGIS session demonstrates how GIS can be used to examine local and global issues like Owusu does in her research. By examining disparities in healthcare access, maternal education, water quality and household wealth across the country’s 16 regions, she aims to uncover the social and environmental factors influencing early childhood mortality rates.

“GIS has become an essential tool in this work as it allows me to perform spatial analyses that reveal patterns and relationships in the data,” she said. “It provides a deeper, more comprehensive view of how childhood mortality determinants vary regionally.”

Jayson Childs, adjunct professor in Brock’s Department of Geography and Tourism Studies, says that location has always been a critical element of human activity and that GIS gives decision-makers insights that can lead to more sustainable choices.

“With advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning, GIS will increasingly automate the classification and analysis of massive datasets, from satellite images to atmospheric patterns,” he says. “This will open up even more possibilities for students and professionals alike.”

With resources like Brock’s Esri site licence, which provides access to advanced tools such as Esri CityEngine for building city models, Brock students, staff and researchers have a unique opportunity to explore GIS technology for academic and professional pursuits.