UM to receive federal funds for geoinformatics research

Federal funds were released to the university last week for the development of one of the most unique research facilities in the country, the Virtual Center for Geoinformatics.

Under an appropriations bill which was signed into law by the President on Oct. 18, $2 million will be sent to satisfy a request made in a proposal by Gregory Easson, assistant professor of geology and geological engineering, and Allan Falconer of the Geomatics Institute.

The project, defined by Easson as an "integration of spatial technologies," will pool the resources of the geology, biology, computer science and sociology departments to further research projects ranging from environmental to business-oriented through the use of satellite technology. These technologies will include remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems, Global Positioning Systems and other methods of describing the earth's surface.

"The remote sensing industry is projected to grow exponentially in the next several years," Easson said in explaining the need for such a project. "This will allow us to have state-of-the-art technology to train our people and students in the use of this new technology."

While the geoinformatics project will not be offered as a degree program at its inception, it will be an available emphasis area to students who wish to pursue it.

"We want to make sure that students will have access to these systems for research," said Easson.

The tentative plan for the program's first year includes setting up four new computer labs with large data servers and advanced data compression equipment. The satellite imagery, said Easson, is very graphics-intensive and storage-intensive, so the Center will have "fairly large data storage requirements."

An example of a potential use for the Center's powerful imaging capabilities in a business application would be for a prospective business owner to research settlement and traffic patterns in order to determine the best location for his business. The technology could also be used by a real estate agent to take a sort of "virtual tour" of houses in which he is interested without ever leaving his office.

The project has hit a snag already, though. There is simply not enough room on campus for the proposed research labs.

"We don't know where it's going to be," Easson said. "With all of this construction going on around here, space is going to be a prime issue."

In addition to the geoinformatics money, the Congressional act provides for an additional $250,000 to be shared by Ole Miss and Mississippi State to study water quality initiatives among the state's forestry community.

The water quality initiative study is designed to be a cooperative effort between the two universities to examine the effectiveness of current state-implemented programs in forestry management.