A new computer classroom in Penny Hall is being used by students and researchers from virtually all disciplines at the University to carry out such diverse tasks as analyzing census data to predict future traffic congestion in Delaware and mapping where a particular species of bird nests in the northern part of the state.

The tool these projects--and many more--share is Geographic Information System (GIS) software. In the new classroom, 28 workstations are used for classes and for special seminars.

GIS is sophisticated, state-of-the-art technology that allows users to gather data from many sources and consider them together in various layers that form a big picture.

"The GIS teaching classroom is allowing our students to be very competitive in the job market with experience using GIS technology," says Tracy DeLiberty, assistant professor of geography. "I am able to introduce geographic principles and concepts and then able to apply them directly in the classroom by having the students download real data from federal and state agencies and run some analysis to look at a particular socioeconomic or environmental problem."

A related project, carried out by the University in conjunction with the Delaware Geological Survey, the Delaware Office of State Planning Coordination and the U.S. Geological Survey, has resulted in a tool called Delaware DataMIL.

The DataMIL makes statewide data from various sources readily available and easily downloadable. Users have access to data on such subjects as elevation, land use, tax parcels, transportation and aerial and satellite photography.

That kind of access, DeLiberty says, "has become very important and very useful for all kinds of different problems that have any geographic or spatial component."

was very beneficial because many of us were not experts with these programs and could learn from others."