UCGIS at 25

Abstract

UCGIS) turned 25 years old in 2020. In 2005, former UCGIS President Gregory Elmes wrote in this journal to commemorate the tenth anniversary of UCGIS (Elmes, 2005), highlighting the first decade's endeavors. He concluded that guest editorial with the recognition that transformation and revitalization are key to meeting the organization's vision as the hub for the higher education Geographic Information Science (GIScience) community in the United States. Now, more than 15 years later, is an apt time to celebrate the organization's accomplishments, assess its challenges, and look towards the future. | HIS TORY AND MISS I ONUCGIS is a non-profit organization whose members include more than 60 U.S. universities, as well as corporate, government, and international affiliates. The consortium emerged out of efforts in the early 1990s by the U.S.National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA) and others to establish a more permanent organization designed to foster the nascent field of GIScience. The 1992 NCGIA report On the possible role(s) of a "University Consortium for Geographic Information and Analysis (UCGIA)" (UCGIA Steering Committee, 1992) lists these potential roles for such an organization: