Speakers Bio & Abstract

BiographyDr. Michael F. Goodchild received University Consortium of Geographical Information Science (UCGIS) Fellow status in recognition of his leadership, contributions to UCGIS, and his remarkable impact on the field of GIScience. His writings are universally admired for their relevancy to current thinking in GIS and for their insightful suggestions for future emphases for the field. Goodchild has been a source of inspiration for several professionals and institutions. The purity of his purpose and institutionalization of his knowledge empowering research, innovation, and professional development, has played a major role in building, strengthening, and adding meaning and relevance to GIS/geospatial community. His never-ending passion and unparalleled contributions towards crafting and shaping fabric of geospatial discipline in last 3-4 decades has laid foundation for vibrant, socially relevant, and value oriented geospatial industry enabling collaboration, communication and co-existence while sharing and vision, knowledge, experiences and processes.Abstract Successful Response Starts with a MapIn 2007 the US National Research Council published a report laying out the arguments for maps as essential tools in all stages of disaster management. In this presentation I first summarize the contents of the report. I then raise some cautionary notes, first about uncertainty, and then about the inherent limitations of map representations. I suggest ways of dealing effectively with both of these issues.