New Orleans Native Will Direct NATO Conference in Ukraine on New Geographic Modeling Techniques

For years now, scientists have been using sophisticated modeling programs called geographic information systems (GIS) to develop computerized versions of a region’s environmental features. However, one of the drawbacks of GIS has been their inability to effectively model areas with moving boundaries, such as watersheds, marshlands and even some shoreline areas. This "fuzziness," as experts call it, limits scientists’ ability to predict and protect against the impact of environmental emergencies, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and even eco-terrorism.

But today, a DePaul University researcher is at the forefront of efforts to develop new GIS programs to take uncertain boundaries into account, so that countries and communities can better prepare and defend against certain types of environmental disasters.

Ashley Morris, professor in DePaul’s School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems (CTI), is furthering his effort by bringing the issue before an international audience of experts. Morris is directing a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Advanced Research Workshop on the subject in Kiev, Ukraine at the end of June, and leading researchers in the field from 17 countries and seven universities in the United States are expected to attend.

The goal of the event is to promote an international exchange of ideas from countries with widely varying environmental features to help create new modeling systems. Each country faces its own unique challenges in geographic modeling, from a landlocked, mountainous country like Slovakia, to the conference host nation, which shares borders with seven different nations and is located along the Black Sea. By combining this diverse array of expertise, it is hoped that a more advanced program for geographic modeling will emerge, incorporating uncertain or fluid boundaries as well as new three-dimensional modeling technology.

The conference is part of NATO’s "Security Through Science" program, which seeks to "contribute to security, stability and solidarity among nations by applying science to problem-solving." The broad-based program will address dozens of topics, including counter-terrorism, environmental security, water resource management, sustainable consumption, disaster forecast and prevention, food supply security, information security, and human and societal dynamics. The program was borne of the notion that "civil science has proven to be a highly effective vehicle for international dialogue," according to a NATO web site.

The issue has a personal connection for Morris. A New Orleans native who watched in horror as his beloved hometown was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina last year, he believes in the power of technology to address global issues, such as environmental protection and disaster management. Many experts believe that more detailed predictive geographic models of Louisiana’s barrier wetlands may have resulted in better environmental management of that area and a more prepared emergency response, possibly blunting the impact of the storm and saving lives.

"It’s time to focus on ways to use science and technology to provide security, and as we’ve seen very clearly lately, security certainly includes environmental protection and disaster preparedness," Morris added.

DePaul CTI is one of the most innovative and wide-ranging computer science programs in the country. The undergraduate program enrolls 1,200 students and offers 11 different degrees. More than 2,130 students are enrolled in its 17 graduate programs. CTI also features a doctoral degree program in computer science. For more information, visit www.cti.depaul.edu.