Services

GIS consulting services

Geographic information science services enable data-driven administrative decision-making at all levels of public service. The Upjohn Center at WMU continues a tradition of over 20 years supporting decision making through spatial awareness. Beginning as a Groundwater Education in Michigan (GEM) Center in the early 1990’s, it has evolved into a GIS research center with specialties in conversion of paper data to GIS-ready georeferenced images and geodatabases. We now contract with county and local governments, as well as state and federal agencies, to provide GIS and spatial analysis services to interdisciplinary projects that benefit SW Michigan. Our GIS consulting team consists of our Director, a Senior GIS specialists and various temporary staff and research assistants. Our goal is to provide students with proposal to presentation experiences working with real clients and real data on real problems.

Project Example: Collaboration with Health Data, Research, Analysis and Mapping Center to establish an interactive website for community public health in Kalamazoo and Calhoun Counties.

Contact Dr. Kathleen Baker or Gregory Anderson for quotes, consults, or full proposals.

The center provides cost-based support for any WMU research activities that require the use or application of GIS. This includes, but is not limited to, cost of WMU ESRI site license, data visualization, analysis, and modeling. Faculty and staff members who need help with GIS in funded research should consult the Director of the center at the proposal stage to discuss their specific needs and estimated cost.

licensed geodatabases

We license high-resolution transparent topographical map layers in ESRI geodatabase format. The geodatabases are priced annually by county size, explained here.

Authoritative Topo:
Legacy USGS topological 7.5’quadrangles have been scanned at high resolution. Through a combination of hyper-accurate imaging, nuanced post-processing and color matching, exacting georeferencing, and assured curation, these are the highest quality legacy topo quads on the market. More information about this Authoritative Topo product is available here. Each county geodatabase includes a single seamless layer georeferenced from the original legacy topos. Pricing is for an annual license. Renewals are half the cost of the initial year price.

GeoChange:
Legacy USGS topological 7.5’quadrangles are paired with recent NAIP imagery. Through a combination of hyper-accurate imaging, nuanced post-processing and color matching, exacting georeferencing, and assured curation, these are the highest quality legacy topo quads on the market. The Authoritative Topo product is rendered transparent and overlaid on the most recent NAIP imagery for the county. More information about this GeoChange product is available here. Each county geodatabase includes a single seamless georeferenced layer. Pricing is for an annual license. Renewals of the same geodatabase are one third the cost of the initial year price. Renewals that include an update to the NAIP imagery, as available, are two-thirds the cost of the initial year price.

For direct credit card orders by county, choose appropriate new or renewal layer at the ShopWMU website and type County/State name in the Authorization Window. For additional information or pricing by state or region, contact us directly.

GeoChange topo-aerial map prints

Order print copies of your favorite GeoChange maps for decorative or recreational use. GeoChange Topo-Aerial Map Collection has been available for download to mobile devices for 5 years. Over 7,000 downloads by outdoor enthusiasts have made these a top seller at AvenzaMaps. Now you can request print copies of any of our GeoChange Topo-Aerial Map Collection! We offer standard prints on heavyweight, Premium Matte Photo or Artist Canvas stock.Prints vary in size with latitude, in the tradition of the original US Topo quads, but do not exceed 24”x28”

Samples are available here or 53,000 available maps are available for purchase on remote devices, or thumbnail sized images on AvenzaMaps.

To Purchase: Preview map images on the our sample page or WMU AvenzaMaps storefront. copy map name after preview of a single map; Paste single map name as it appears on AvenzaMaps in authorization window after you click “Add to Cart”.

For printing of map bundles contact us directly @email.

Of maps found on AvenzaMaps, only those available through the WMU storefront are available for print.

GeoChange images allow the use to see two slices of time in one image. These maps drape 7.5” Authoritative US Topo quadrangles (most created by USGS between 1975 and 1995) over recent (2010+) NAIP aerial imagery. Where there is no map content, you see the NAIP image directly, and where there is map content, you see through semi-transparent map features to the NAIP image below. The two time slices show evidence of geographical change in the form of alterations in waterways, coastline, canopy cover, erosion, reservoir flooding, urbanization, etc. Pixel resolution is 2.03 meters (ground). All topo quads in the contiguous US and most of Hawaii are available.

For work pairing aerial imagery with legacy topographic maps for the entire US, the Upjohn Center received both the prestigious Best Digital Map Product – Gold Award and the Overall Americas All-Category Winner of Best Map Product awards in 2013 from the International Map Industry Association.

Maps for mobile devices

As currently available on mobile devices through AvenzaMaps, each of 53,000 maps is referenced with respect to user location and can be used on 5 devices after download without an Internet connection. As a user, you can create digital breadcrumbs and waypoints, or attach additional info to images while in the field.

Want to check them out – download AvenzaMap app and search “WMU Grad” for a free download bundle to get a taste of our product.

Our maps have been awarded the prestigious Best Digital Map Product Gold Award from the International Map Industry Association. These maps combine two time slices so that GeoChange (erosion, urbanization, deforestation, reforestation, stream meandering) is evidenced. USGS legacy topological map detail is now available on top of newer aerial imagery for 49 states

scanning/digitization

Large format, high resolution scanning with the highest geometrical accuracy available anywhere. Maps, art, documents, journals, newspapers, collectibles. Create and maintain a digital portfolio of large format documents including maps, art, historical documents, family photos, and found objects. We use the best scanning system in the world - French Lumiere technology - to digitally represent your collection in a safe, highly accurate flatbed scanning environment. Finished product is extremely high resolution (400-1200 pixels per inch). This is optical resolution – not interpolated. No shadows or photo distortion. Use for personal or professional archiving, online display, insurance documentation, advertising or marketing of products, replica or white-off layers in desktop or web GIS environments. Scanning at high resolution essentially produces a magnified image of documents of any type. At 400 ppi (optical) the fiber of the paper is visible.

GIS TRAINING

The center, in collaboration with its affiliated departments offers GIS application courses to programs and groups. These fee-based courses are opportunity for tailored training in GIS applications to fit particular needs. The Department of Geography regularly teaches courses in Introductory GIS; GIS Project Management and Python; Geodatabases and Workflows; and WebGIS. The Department offers a GIS Certificate, a BS in Geography with emphasis in GIS; an MS in Geography with emphasis in Geographic Techniques. We are also a member of UCGIS.

poster and reproduction printing