Steven Dimitri HendersonMaster's of Geographic Information Systems Program |
My Job...I am the GIS Coordinator for the Information Systems Division of the City of Gulf Shores, Alabama. I started working for the City in the Public Works Department as a civil engineer doing small project design, repair and maintenance contracts, and reviewing drainage and construction plans for new subdivisions and commercial sites. As the City's use of technology grew I became the City's "computer guy", purchasing computers, expanding and managing our networks, email, and even created the City's original six page web site (1998). I managed the City's computer support contract and eventually supervised the City's first part-time Information Systems employee until the City finally created an Information Systems Division. I now work in the Information Systems Division and focus on the development and implementation of the City's GIS for City operations and to provide maps and other information to it's citizens.The link below will take you to our web site, www.GulfShoresAL.gov.
My GIS Experience...My first experience with GIS was an early experimental Intergraph (Microstation) based GIS created for the Army at Fort Benning, GA in the late 80's.& While I was a student co-op, I imported the GIS's topographic and utility data to help create site plans for projects under design and helped engineers by drawing construction details. After graduation working there as an engineer, I used both the maps and the associated database for the design of repairs for a sewer line project, the site plans for a large concrete utility trench, and even played with the early 3D capabilities for a truck ramp and scale installation. After I came to the City of Gulf Shores, we utilized GIS data created by the Baldwin County Tax Assessor's office. We have used GIS data for a variety of City projects including beach renourishment, traffic planning, hurricane preparation, and maintenance and repair contracts.The picture below was generated from the City's geodatabase, showing an area around Little Lagoon Pass with FEMA flood zones, beach regulatory lines, and associated monuments overlaid onto our most recent aerial photography.
About me...I grew up on the Gulf Coast in Pensacola and Gulf Breeze, Florida. I went to Auburn University for my bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and worked for some time as an engineer at Fort Benning, Georgia. Now I live and work in Gulf Shores, Alabama. I completed Penn State's GIS Certificate Program in 2001 and am now enrolled and working on my Master's Degree in GIS. In my spare time, I enjoy kayaking on Little Lagoon and I am a fan of college football (Auburn Tigers, and now, Penn State Nittany Lions).
|
Master's Program Courses
Geography 596A - Individual Studies Capstone
Project Peer Review
|
Geography 497J - GIS Mashups for Geospatial Professionals (3 Credit Course)This
course is an expansion of Geography 863 into a three credit course. It
expanded the primarily Google Maps API JavaScript programming course to
cover HTML,
Hypertext Markup Language, and its extension into XHTML and CSS,
Cascading Style Sheets, in much more detail than the original course.
The final project also covered using server side scripting languages
such as PHP and SQL to extract data from a database to improve
performance over text based XML files.
Web Publishing Technologies: HTML/XHTML/CSSIntroduction to GIS MashupsAdding Basic Functionality to a GIS MashupsReading Data from an XML FileReading Data from a Database |
Geography 863 - GIS Mashups for Geospatial Professionals - (1 Credit Course)This
course develops a
working knowledge of how geospatial professionals can develop web
mapping applications that bring together data from multiple sources.
In the context of information technology, the term
“mashup” refers to a web application that combines
content
from multiple sources into a whole that is greater than its parts. A
GIS mashup is one in which at least a portion of the content is
geographic in nature and in which information is typically conveyed
through a map. Companies like Google Earth and Yahoo! now
offer
free application programming interfaces (APIs) which make it easier and
more affordable to publish online maps. These APIs provide a set of
base layers upon which the map developer can overlay his/her own
geocoded data. These data may be stored in files on the
developer’s own server or they may be obtained dynamically
through public web services or by parsing data embedded within other
web pages. This course demonstrates how GIS mashups can be
created using the Google Maps API.
Lesson 1 - Introduction to GIS MashupsLesson 2 - Adding Basic Functionality to a GIS MashupsLesson 3 - Reading Data from an XML File |
Geography 585 - Open Web MappingThe
course prepares students to design, develop,
and implement custom web mapping applications using open standards and
open
source software. On completion of the course, students will be able to
build
and deploy a complete web mapping solution including selecting the
spatial
data, the server and client software. Students will be able to
determine which
type of mapping server is required for their needs and to explain why
choosing
an open standard based solution is better than a proprietary solution.
The
course will cover a variety of open source software packages for web
mapping
and will provide pointers to commercial solutions where appropriate.
Online Zoning Map Demonstration ProposalOnline Zoning Map Demonstration Installation and Instructions |
Geography 486 - Cartography and VisualizationCartographic Division & Initial Capstone Project ProposalsEmergency Management Reference Map - Week 1Emergency Management Reference Map - Week 2Representing Volumes and SurfacesMultiple Classifications and Multiple Representations of Crime - Week 1Multiple Classifications and Multiple Representations of Crime - Week 2 |
Geography 586 - Geographic Information AnalysisChoosing and applying analytical methods for geospatial data, including point pattern analysis, interpolation, surface analysis, overlay analysis, and spatial autocorrelation. Analytical methods for handling specifically spatial data, that is, data where the arrangement of observations in space is thought to be of significance. The techniques introduced are often mathematically complex, but while these aspects are covered in the course, the emphasis is on the choice and application of appropriate methods for the analysis of the spatial data often encountered in applied geography.Project 1 - Texas Redistricting Spatial AnalysisProject 3 - Understanding Random Spatial ProcessesProject 4 - Point Pattern AnalysisProject 5 - Interpolation MethodsProject 6 - Raster Map AnalysisProject 8 - Spatial AutocorrelationQuarter Long Project - Identifying Flood Prone Areas |
Geography 584 - Geospatial Technology Project ManagementProject
management is a
broad discipline that encompasses both technical methodologies such as
system
design and analysis, and interpersonal factors that affect professional
relationships. Project management is also a discipline that has matured
outside
of, but can be incorporated into, geospatial technology. By
the end of this course, you will have devised
a project plan from a scenario built upon the Assignment 1 - Geospatial Project ReviewPeer Review - Assignment 1Assignment 2 - Project CharterPeer Review - Assignment 2Assignment 3 - Position DescriptionPeer Review - Assignment 3Assignment 4
– Gantt Chart and Network Diagram
|
Geography 583 - Geospatial Systems Analysis and DesignThe course provides
the geospatial
information system professional an overview of systems analysis and
design with emphasis the concepts behind the design process including:
business use case modeling, business object modeling, requirements
definition, analysis and preliminary design, and, finally, detailed
design and deployment. The concepts of the geospatial software and
database development process are introduced and the limitations of
current modeling techniques are addressed within the spatial systems
development paradigm. In a series of related activities the student
applies the methods, tools and the concepts of the systems development
process to document a portion of a geospatial system with Unified
Modeling Language (UML), the standard graphical notation for modeling
application needs. UML affords a common unifying framework that
integrates database models with the rest of a system design.
Why Design AssignmentTomlinson vs Rational Unified ProcessUse CasesFinal Assignment Executive Summary |
Certificate Program 2000-2001
|
