The 23rd Annual MAGIC Conference celebrated creativity and technical expertise in cartography during its highly anticipated Map Gallery Competition. This year’s winners, Shawn Anderson of Tipton County GIS and Ilayda Hacioglu of Delta State University, were recognized for their exceptional work in the professional and student categories, respectively. Each winner received a $150 prize. The Map Gallery Competition is one of the highlights of the MAGIC Conference, offering participants a platform to share their skills and inspire others in the geospatial community.

More than 100 geospatial professionals and students convened on November 21-22 for the 23rd Annual MAGIC Conference, a premier gathering focused on advancing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and related technologies. Held at Reign Event Venue in Memphis, the event showcased the transformative power of GIS in managing resources, conducting critical spatial analyses, and pushing the boundaries of data visualization.

It was our great pleasure to award $2,500 in scholarships and awards at the inaugural Memphis Area Collegiate Geospatial Showcase, which took place last Friday, April 15, at University of Memphis Johnson Hall. Nearly a dozen Memphis area students had submitted presentation abstracts on GIS-related school projects to compete for the awards, and four finalists gave 15-minute presentations at the Showcase event. The first place finishers in each category (undergrad and graduate) won $1,000, and the runners-up each won $250.

First Place:

• Parth Sinojia (Undergraduate, Rhodes College) - Equitable Access Mapping: Bridging Resource Gaps in Memphis Through GIS Analysis

• Heather Clendenin (Graduate, University of Memphis) - Assessing landscape factors in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley affecting geneflow of Ursus americanus

Runners-Up:

• Jacob Ackerman (Undergraduate, Rhodes College) - Finding Breaches: Gaps in Data and the Memphis Aquifer

• Leta Rowan (Graduate, University of Memphis) - Green Infrastructure and Urban Heat Islands: A Nature-Based Solution for Memphis

The event also featured a panel discussion focused on GIS skills and careers. A panel of GIS professionals from both the public and private sectors fielded questions and shared their advice and experiences with the student audience.

Panelists:

• Arnisa Davis, PMP, GISP - Manager of Enterprise Resource Planning, Memphis Light, Gas, & Water (MLGW)

• Megan Farrell - Planner, Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development

• Terek Gatewood - GIS Analyst/Assistant Project Manager, Allworld Project Management

• JT Malasri, PE - Founder and Principal EngineerFounder and Principal Engineer, Malasri Engineering, PLLC

• Dr. Kate Shields - Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Rhodes College

• Scott Trapolino, GISP - Project Manager, Canopy Spatial

We are grateful to our panelists for generously donating their time, and to University of Memphis for hosting the event. We look forward to the Memphis Area Collegiate Geospatial Showcase becoming an annual event as we fulfill our mission of promoting the profession and education of GIS in the Memphis Area.

Photo Gallery

Rhodes College News Release

We are pleased to welcome all geospatially-inclined students and faculty in the greater Memphis area to participate in the inaugural Memphis Area Collegiate Geospatial Showcase!

When: Friday, April 12 from 2:30 - 5:00 PM
Where: University of Memphis - Johnson Hall

This showcase event offers an opportunity for college undergraduate and graduate students to demonstrate their GIS proficiency to an audience of GIS professionals in order to earn financial assistance towards their education and/or research, thanks to our generous members and sponsors. In this year’s event, MAGIC will grant $2,000 in scholarships and/or awards (depending on the student’s eligibility) in a competition open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Students from any college or university in the greater Memphis area will be welcome to participate, and participants will give a 15-minute presentation on a GIS-related project they’re working on. 

Please save your edits and have a look at what’s coming to the 21st Annual MAGIC Geospatial Conference! We are excited and honored to announce a tremendous lineup of speakers and presentations for y’all this year. Here are just a few highlights:

• Disaster response (Esri)

• Augmented Reality solutions (Bad Elf)

• Advances in aerial imagery (Nearmap)

• Cartography tips & tricks (Esri)

• Mobile information management (MLGW)

• GIS Integration (Allworld)

• UAS/Drone Applications (University of Memphis)

• Streamlining GIS workflows (True North)

• Search & Rescue mapping (DeSoto County Emergency Services)

• GISP Certification (GISCI)

All this is in addition to the Scholarship and Map Gallery Competitions, "Where In the Midsouth?" contest, door prizes, lunch, professional networking, and camaraderie that are staples of the MAGIC Conference.