In Brief: Geography Department honors Esri Education’s Joseph Kerski

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
Office of Media Relations
May 11, 2016

The Department of Geography at Texas State University has honored Esri Education Manager Joseph J. Kerski, Ph.D., with the Outstanding Support from the Business Community Award.

The award commends Kerski’s exemplary dedication to the scientific community and the advancement of geographic information systems (GIS) in education.

“Joseph Kerski has been a long-time supporter and friend of Texas State Geography, as a resource for countless students and faculty through his blog and willingness to respond to questions," said Alberto Giordano, professor and chair of the Department of Geography. "With his good nature, humor, competence, passion for geography and GIS, and willingness to share his story with students and faculty, Joseph is an excellent ambassador for Esri and the ideal winner of the Outstanding Support from the Business Community Award."

Kerski most recently met with Texas State students and faculty February 2-7 to discuss how to enhance GIS skills and spatial thinking. In addition, the former U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Census Geographer led discussions at Austin Community College, University of Texas-San Antonio and the Texas Alliance for Geographic Education. He encouraged participating faculty, students and workshop attendees to think of GIS not just in terms of geography, but also in arenas such as marketing, commerce, health analysis and beyond.

“I am honored to receive this award from a department whose faculty I have long respected, but I want to acknowledge that it is a team effort,” Kerski said. “The education outreach team at Esri is committed to supporting and partnering with GIS instructors at all levels of education. Together, we help foster skill development, geographic perspectives, and career pathways among students.”

Esri’s education team has worked closely with Texas State since 1998. The company, in conjunction with President Obama’s ConnectEd Initiative, launched a program in 2014 to offer the ArcGIS Online platform to every K-12 school in the United States.

With more than 750 students and 35 faculty members, the department is the largest of its kind in the United States. Its emphasis on geography education enables the institution, its scholars, and community to remain on the forefront of geographical advancement.   

For more information on GIS in education, visit esri.com/education.