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Big Ten GIS Conference 2025 Wrap-Up Report

Issued: May 1, 2025

Executive Summary

The fifth annual Big Ten GIS Conference, hosted virtually on April 11, 2025, set new records for participation and engagement. Organized by the Big Ten Academic Alliance Geospatial Information Network (BTAA-GIN), the event tripled registrations from 2023 and brought together students, faculty, researchers, librarians, and professionals to share innovative work and build cross-institutional connections.

Wins at a Glance

  • 664 registrants from 230+ institutions; presentation submissions more than doubled
  • 220+ peak attendees and 262 unique participants throughout the day
  • 37% student attendance, followed by state and local government professionals
  • 40% from GIN member universities, with strong turnout from Michigan, Purdue, Ohio State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington, and Pennsylvania State
  • Opening remarks by Maurice York (BTAA) highlighted the value of Big Ten collaboration and BTAA-GIN infrastructure
  • Keynote by Dr. Emily Fairfax (UMN) on climate resilience received high praise
  • Workshop by Matt Forrest offered practical insights into emerging geospatial technologies
  • Three sessions and lightning talk block delivered strong and diverse presentations
  • BTAA-GIN resources, including the Geoportal, were promoted throughout the event

2025 Improvements

  • A formal proposal review process improved speaker quality and representation
  • A rebranded identity with consistent visuals across all materials
  • Expanded outreach, including targeted emails to 72 organizations, listservs, and social

Challenges & Lessons Learned

  • Too few volunteers led to long shifts; we’ll expand the team in 2026 to reduce burnout
  • Zoom Webinar limited backstage coordination; future events will revisit Zoom Events
  • Some GIN universities had minimal participation; we will set clearer expectations to ensure all 17 institutions are actively involved in planning, outreach, and execution

Looking Ahead

The 2026 conference is scheduled for April, providing a full year of lead time. Earlier outreach—particularly to faculty—will help boost student and campus-wide participation.

The strong growth and success of this year’s event reflect the momentum of the BTAA-GIN network and its ongoing value and influence in advancing geospatial research, shared infrastructure, and collaboration across the Big Ten and beyond.

2025 Conference Planning Group

BTAA-GIN Conference team

Committee Members

  • Colleen Wilson (Chair), BTAA-GIN Associate Director, University of Minnesota
  • Karen Majewicz, BTAA-GIN Associate Director, University of Minnesota
  • Laura Kane McElfresh, Cartographic Metadata Librarian, University of Minnesota
  • Daniel Dobson, Map Librarian, Ohio State University
  • Nicole Scholtz, Librarian for Geospatial and Numeric Data, University of Michigan
  • Sue Oldenburg, GIS Specialist, Rutgers University-New Brunswick
  • Kathleen Weessies, Head, Map Library, Michigan State University

Volunteers

  • Mech Frazier, GIS & Cartographic Specialist, Northwestern University
  • Tara Anthony, GIS Specialist, Pennsylvania State University