UCSC M.A. in GIS Spatial Technologies, Applications, and Research

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UCSC M.A. in GIS Spatial Technologies, Applications, and Research

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UC Santa Cruz is proud to introduce the new M.A. in Geographic Information Systems, Spatial Technologies, Applications, and Research (GISTAR)

09/30/2026

🌐 This week, GISTAR students sat down (virtually!) with Andrew Lookingbill, Google Maps engineering leader, for a Q&A on how Google actually builds the maps we use every day, as part of the guest lecture course series for GIST250: Geospatial Technologies.

🛰️ From satellite imagery to the tools that build Street View to AI-assisted data pipelines, students got an insightful look into what it takes to map the world.

💬 Huge thank you to Andrew for giving our students this kind of direct access to industry leadership, and to GIST250 instructor Dr. Megan Goddard for bringing voices like this into the classroom. This is what GISTAR is all about!

Image Description:
Students seated at U-shaped tables with laptops in a classroom, watching guest speaker Andrew Lookingbill on a projector screen via video call while instructor Dr. Megan Goddard stands near the screen.

09/25/2026

🌲 Meet the newest minds joining GISTAR at UC Santa Cruz!

This fall, eight new students are joining our M.A. program in Geographic Information Systems, Spatial Technologies, Applications, and Research — and they’re bringing an incredible range of experience with them.

Our incoming cohort spans the country and spans disciplines: backgrounds in computer science, ecology and evolutionary biology, environmental studies, and environmental sciences; experience in academic research, industry, and independent projects; and a mix of career stages — including students continuing straight through on UCSC’s 4+1 pathway, and others returning to school after years in the professional world.

That diversity of perspective is what makes GISTAR work! Geospatial problems don’t stay inside one discipline, and neither do our students.

Please join us in welcoming the incoming GISTAR cohort:

🗺️ Leah Cline 🗺️ Jacob Deutsch 🗺️ Alex Kellogg 🗺️ Clarissa Langub 🗺️ Denise Marc 🗺️ Kate Miller 🗺️ Kimberly Nicholls 🗺️ Max Tcheng

We’re excited to see where their research and learning takes them — and where they take the field of geospatial science next.

09/15/2026

🗺️ SPOTS STILL OPEN for ENVS115A/L: Intro to Geographic Information Systems & Environmental Applications 🌎

Open to all undergraduates! Ever wondered how maps shape decisions about climate, conservation, and our cities? This course is you hands-on intro to GIS — No experience required! 💡

Lecture is Synchronous online:
🗓️ Tue & Thu, 8:00am — 9:35am

Lab is in person, with hands-on access to GIS computers & experienced TA support. Must enroll concurrently.

📧 Email Professor Bo Yang at [email protected] for questions or permission codes.

09/10/2026

📣 We are excited to introduce two GISTAR M.A. faculty members and their new graduate courses offered this fall at UC Santa Cruz!

📡 Dr. CJ Knoble – GIST 230: Remote Sensing
Dr. Knoble is a leading researcher in remote sensing and spatial statistics. This interdisciplinary course integrates remote sensing, spatial statistics, and R programming, with a strong emphasis on graduate research.

🌎 Dr. Megan Goddard – GIST 250: GIS Technologies
Dr. Goddard brings 20 years of experience with Google Maps. The course will cover GIS technologies such as water analysis and Google Earth Engine. It will also feature guest lectures from Google and other industry professionals on emerging geospatial trends in Silicon Valley.

These courses are relevant to environmental studies, environmental justice, coastal science, Earth observation, global climate, geospatial AI, and other related fields. Graduate students from across UCSC are welcome!

🔗 Learn more at the link in our bio!

Post Description:
Image 1 (FALL 2026 GISTAR COURSE SPOTLIGHTS) —
Blue image with UCSC and GISTAR logo over text reading “GIST230: Remote Sensing AND GIST250: Geospatial Technology Applications”

Image 2 (GIST 230) —
UC Santa Cruz GISTAR flyer for GIST 230: Remote Sensing, “Exploring the World Through New Data and Lens.”Course covers electromagnetic energy physics and GIS methods for analyzing satellite, aircraft, and drone imagery. GISTAR M.A. Program, Fall Quarter, 5 Credits. Instructor Dr. CJ Knoble, data analyst and research lead at Recidiviz. Images show orbiting satellites, a thermal aerial map, and a drone controller screen.

Image 3 (GIST 250) —
UC Santa Cruz GISTAR flyer for GIST 250: Geospatial Technology Applications, covering 3D design, drone tech, GPS surveying, and server infrastructure. GISTAR M.A. Program, Fall Quarter, 5 Credits. Instructor Dr. Megan Goddard, Google Maps Program Manager and UCSC lecturer. Images show terrain models on screen, a drone flying over water, GIS software, and a map legend.

05/19/2026

🛰️ How is AI reshaping the maps we use every day? 🤔

CISR Bytes is back! Join us for our next talk:
Vectors, Rasters, and Robots: Navigating the Shift from Digital Cartography to Spatial AI

Featuring two Google Maps veterans, Dr. Megan Goddard and Kailen Wright, in conversation about where geospatial work is heading.

📍 ISB 221, UC Santa Cruz 🗓️ Friday, May 22 · 3–4 PM

Open to all! Bring a friend!

04/23/2026

🌍 Happy Earth Day from GISTAR and the GeoFly Lab! 🌿

Today we’re celebrating by spotlighting one of our biggest projects: Monitoring seagrass health along the Pacific coast using drones, field ecology, and AI-driven geospatial analysis.

Seagrass meadows are unsung heroes of our coastlines: stabilizing shorelines, filtering water, supporting marine life, and storing blue carbon. But eelgrass faces growing threats from wasting disease, warming waters, and nutrient loading, making monitoring more important than ever.

Since 2019, our team and collaborators across 8+ universities have surveyed 33 sites from Alaska to Southern California, capturing 50,000+ high-resolution UAV images and videos. We combine RGB and multispectral drone imagery with computer vision to turn pixels into ecological insights 🛰️🌊

Swipe through to learn more, and check the link in our bio to get involved!
🔗 geofly.io
🔗 envs.ucsc.edu/graduate/ma-program.html

Post Accessibility Description:
Slide 1: Happy Earth Day 04/22/2026 graphic from GISTAR and the GeoFly Lab, with both logos over an aerial photo of islands and ocean and a stylized Earth illustration.
Slide 2: “How is GISTAR helping the Earth?” over an aerial photo of two paddleboarders in clear water collecting seagrass samples.
Slide 3: “What are we looking at?” over a drone photo of researchers in an exposed tidal seagrass meadow, with text about UAV mapping and AI-driven analysis.
Slide 4: “Why seagrass?” with an aerial photo of a researcher on a paddleboard in dense eelgrass, and text about wasting disease threats.
Slide 5: List of survey sites spanning Alaska to Southern California (33 sites total) over a misty forested coastline.
Slide 6: Text highlighting 50,000+ UAV images captured, AI/computer vision methods, and collaboration with 8+ universities, over a coastal ocean scene.
Slide 7: “Get Involved!” closing slide with links to the GISTAR M.A. program and geofly.io, with logos over an aerial shoreline view.

03/26/2026

⭐️ Last week, the GISTAR and GeoFly Lab team had the incredible opportunity to attend and showcase their program and research at the 2026 AAG (Association of American Geographers 🗺️) Annual Meeting in San Francisco! 🌁

They had an incredible time, attending high-profile sessions and networking in the field, as well as sharing their own critical research, examining “the interplay of technology and geography!”🌐

Address

1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA
95064

Telephone

+18314594136

Website

https://envs.ucsc.edu/graduate/ma-program.html

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