NACIS 2024

Untangling Rhode Island’s Forest Habitat: Interactive Mapping at the Confluence of Art and Cartography
Quinn Cowing, Brown University
In designing a final project for my cartography course, I scoured journals and grew enamored with embroidered maps. Specifically, I was inspired by colcha embroidered maps from the San Luis Valley. These maps weave geography with cultural sights and rich history to make accurate representations of local areas. While these artworks heighten the cultural significance of maps, I wanted my embroidery to elevate map interactivity. Therefore, I embroidered the different layers of my map of Rhode Island forest types on separate sheets of tulle. The map viewer is thus able to interact with the map by selecting which layers they would like to view. This work ultimately melds art and cartography to provide an exciting aspect of user interaction.

Teaching Atlas Project Management: Lessons and Reflections
P. William Limpisathian & Alicia Adelle Iverson, University of Wisconsin-Madison
In the dynamic landscape of cartographic education and project management, how do we effectively prepare students for the multifaceted demands of modern map production? Beyond mastering cartographic techniques, students must also acquire the skills to take ownership, manage concurrent tasks, and collaborate seamlessly—a blend of competencies often overlooked in traditional cartographic curricula. This talk reflects on the challenges and insights from developing and teaching an exploratory atlas production and project management course. Drawing from our in-class experiences, we explore strategies that bridge the curricular gap between cartographic excellence and effective project management. Our discussion encompasses practical tips, pitfalls to avoid, and successful approaches to modeling and managing a complex atlas project in the confines of a classroom.

Understanding Lhasa through Declassified Spy Satellite Images
Tsering Shawa, Princeton University
Lhasa is the spiritual and political center of Tibet. It is believed that in around 633 AD Tibetan emperor Songtsen Gampo moved his capital from the Yarlung valley to Lhasa. Before it became the capital of Tibet, it was a desolate and swampy valley. Today Lhasa is one of the largest and most vibrant cities in Tibet. In this talk I will use declassified spy satellite images and maps to understand the extent of old Lhasa and identify important historical sites that do not exist now.

Where Did They Go? Mapping Out-Migration From Mammoth Cave National Park, 1920-1940
Collins Eke
The 52,830-acre Mammoth Cave National Park, located in the karst region of south-central Kentucky, was formally established in July of 1941, culminating a nearly three-decade process of park creation that displaced several thousands of residents of the proposed park area. Based on a sample taken from the 1920 U.S. Census, the residents’ migration destinations in the 1930 and 1940 censuses were mapped in a geographic information system. The data collected was represented through chloropleth maps and graduated circle maps. Maps were also constructed to identify destinations of specific sociodemographic subgroups of migrants — Black, White, homeowners, and renters.

Mapping Archaeology and Landscape in the Mongolian Altai Mountains: Transitions in Cartography from 1994 to 2010
James Meacham, University of Oregon
The high valleys of the Altai Mountains of Mongolia contain some of the richest concentrations of rock art and ancient monuments in North Asia. Starting in 1994, an international team assembled to study these complexes. During a 16-year period of annual field work, rapid advances in available geospatial base data and mapping technology allowed the team’s cartographers to radically improve the mapping of the region’s landscape and archaeology. This presentation covers the evolution of the maps and data visualizations from the research, which ultimately contributed to the complexes’ designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mapping Vulnerabilities: Projected Extreme Heat Risk for Southern Mobile Home Residents
Laura Diaz-Villaquiran, Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance
Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related death in the United States, and Southern communities are particularly vulnerable to it. This research examines the geospatial relationship between projected heat increases in the U.S. South and the prevalence of mobile housing units. Preliminary findings indicate that counties in Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi are highly vulnerable. Mobile home residents, who often face concentrated disadvantages such as high energy costs, low incomes, and rural isolation are particularly at risk. This research highlights the need for targeted interventions to leverage hazard resiliency and energy efficiency in these communities.