Latest Contributions by KarenRichardson

Book Signing at EsriUC There will be a book signing by Gary Knell, president and CEO of the National Geographic Society at the Map Gallery Reception. The signing will take place from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. in the National Geographic Society’s special display area, where they are celebrating 100 Years of National Geographic Maps: The Art and Science of Place. More about Gary E. Knell First, don’t miss Gary E.  Knell in the Esri UC plenary after lunch. He will be talking more about understanding geography, and joins Dr. Bruce Aylward, World Health Organization, and the Molokai High School STEMWorks staff and students. Gary E. Knell Gary E. Knell joined the National Geographic Society as president and CEO in January 2014. He has been a member of the Society’s board of trustees since April 2013 and has served on the board of governors of the National Geographic Education Foundation since November 2003. The 127-year-old National Geographic Society, one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations, believes in the power of science, exploration and storytelling to change the world. Working to inspire, illuminate and teach, the member-supported Society reaches more than 700 million people worldwide each month through its media platforms, products and events. National Geographic has funded more than 11,000 research, conservation and exploration projects, and its education programs promote geographic literacy. From 2011 to 2013 Knell was president and CEO of National Public Radio. Under his leadership, the organization solidified its position in a rapidly changing media environment due to Knell’s ability to leverage NPR’s network of member stations, drive cross-platform journalism and cultural programming, and grow philanthropic and corporate underwriting support. He was also a strong advocate of innovation and technologies to draw new audiences to public media. Knell’s media career spans nearly three decades, including 22 years at Sesame Workshop, where he was COO for two years before assuming the role of CEO in 2000. During his 12-year tenure as CEO, Sesame expanded its revenue base, worldwide audience and global recognition. Knell was instrumental in focusing the organization on Sesame Street’s worldwide mission, including the creation of groundbreaking co-productions in South Africa, India, Northern Ireland and Egypt. He also oversaw the creation and launch of two cable networks, Noggin and Sprout. Prior to joining Sesame Workshop, Knell was managing director of Manager Media International, a multimedia publishing company based in Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore. He also served as senior vice president and general counsel at WNET/Channel 13 in New York, was counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary and Governmental Affairs Committees in Washington, D.C., and worked in the California State Legislature and Governor’s Office. Knell is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He serves on the boards of Heidrick & Struggles and Common Sense Media as well as the advisory boards of the Military Child Education Coalition and the Pentagon Memorial Fund. He is an adviser to the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California. A Gordon Grand Fellow at Yale University, Knell was a guest lecturer at Harvard University, Duke University, Southern Methodist University, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Puerto Rico. He has received honorary doctorates from Mercy College in New York and Kenyon College in Ohio and has served as the commencement speaker at Johns Hopkins University, UCLA and the University of Texas at Austin. Knell has a J.D. from Loyola University School of Law in Los Angeles and a B.A. in political science from UCLA, where he also served as editorial director of the UCLA Daily Bruin and was a stringer for the Associated Press. Books offered for signing National Geographic Concise Atlas of the World, Third Edition The complex political, cultural, and environmental issues that we face daily, make it increasingly important for us to have a clear vision of the world in which we live. With more than 300 updated, authoritative maps, charts, graphs, tables, and country flags, the Concise Atlas of the World, Third Edition offers a succinct, easy-to-use, and yet comprehensive view of our world, today. The atlas opens with beautifully rendered political and physical maps of the world. Satellite mosaic imagery shows the world from hundreds of miles above. Core world geographic themes such as climate, population, religion, economy, and the structure of the Earth follow. New world thematic topics include landforms, climate and weather, natural disasters, energy, health and education, and conflict and terror. "Geographic Comparisons" covers the Earth and its extremes, including humankinds' engineering wonders. Content includes such phenomena as the hottest and the coldest places, the highest point on each continent, the largest islands, the largest drainage basins, the longest rivers, the deepest point in each ocean, the largest and smallest countries, the tallest human made structures, the longest road, the longest railroad, etc. Following the thematic coverage, the atlas focuses on each of the seven continents. All of the world's lands and seas and countries with their major cities and towns are accurately compiled and plotted and delineated by various typographical sizes that correlate to population data. Each continental map is accompanied by textual fact tables that speak to the highest and lowest elevation points, recorded temperatures, the largest and least populated countries, and countries with the highest and lowest GDP. Each of the 195 independent countries in the world is represented and described with its national flag and fact box. Whether it's Bahrain in the Middle East or P'yonyang in North Korea, a convenient, intuitive place-name index provides an easy-to-use, access guide to finding locations around the globe. The variety and expression of traditional and new, expanded content, the invaluable reference, the captivating layouts, the visually engaging, world-renown cartography, the logical, user-friendly design and its very competitive price all make this publication stand out as a great value. National Geographic Kids Beginner’s World Atlas Jam packed with the latest data, bright, bold images, large maps, a brand-new design, and lively information about the world’s land, people, and animals, the third edition Beginner’s World Atlas will be the most up-to-date world reference for kids ages 5–8. True to National Geographic’s reputation and legacy, we’ve created this atlas with the same care and attention to detail as our renowned adult atlases. “No one does maps or atlases with as much panache and knowledge as National Geographic,” said the Washington Post. With completely up-to-date facts-at-a-glance, a glossary, pronunciation guide, and comprehensive index, this completely revised atlas takes young readers on a high-energy tour of the world and will be a must-have in every home and school. Vibrant color, fresh design, amazing photography, and new icons will help kids quickly identify information related to land, plants, animals, languages and culture, and all aspects of the physical and political world. Parents and teachers will appreciate the front matter with information for children about maps and how to use the atlas. ... View more

Snapchat users at Esri UC can add a little extra geogeek “flair” to their photos around San Diego. Ted Burns, the moderator of Esrichat and Esrigram, thought it would be nice for attendees to have their very own geofilter for the Esri UC. Tell us your story and follow EsriChat on SnapChat while you are at EsriUC. Geofilters are a special feature in Snapchat allowing users to add location-specific stamps to their photos. The Esri UC geofilter will be active around the San Diego Convention Center, and along the harbor from the Hilton San Diego Bayfront to the Waterfront Park where this year’s Thursday Night Party will be hosted. The Esri UC geofilter was designed by Esri graphic design intern, Alexander Ponce using key art developed by Esri graphic designer Candice Lawson. Snapchat users can add Esrichat by username, or take a photo of the ghost icon below with the Snapchat app. Follow Esrichat to view daily stories, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes tours of Esri Headquarters. If you don’t have Snapchat, you can download from the App Store or Google Play. Note: location services need to be turned on in order to access geofilters. ... View more

Are you attending the User Conference for the First Time? If so, then we have a 1-hour session on Sunday that will be perfect for you. First time at EsriUC? Join us for a special session on Sunday that will get you prepped for an awesome week! Heading into San Diego you are probably wondering what to do throughout the entire week.  If have you taken a look at the User Conference Website you will notice that it is full of great information and activities taking place through the week.  In fact, you may even be thinking to yourself, there are over 5 days and many different types of activities … where should I even begin?  If any of these thoughts are coming to mind, come join Monte and Patty on Sunday from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm in Ballroom 20 B/C in the Convention Center. We will cover the most important facets of the User Conference including: Conference highlights and not to miss activities Key elements of the User Conference How to make the most of your time Fun activities throughout the week If this sounds interesting to you, please come join us. Your questions are welcome and encouraged! ... View more

You know the drill - you  pack your most broken-in shoes from your closet, band-aids are stuffed into your pocket, and you hit the Esri UC with confidence. This is the week that your mind and your hamstrings are stretched to their limits. What is the one most important tip people offer to new attendees coming to the conference? "Wear comfortable shoes!" Are you wearing your comfy shoes? Then you are ready for the Esri StepUP Challenge! Take advantage of all the walking you will be doing between sessions, to booths in the GIS Expo, and out to activities by joining the Esri StepUP Challenge! Esri® StepUP is an app to promote an active lifestyle while enjoying the UC in beautiful San Diego. Use the StepUP app to track your steps throughout the UC and follow your competition on the leaderboard.  Step counts will be tracked during the hours of the UC (8 AM – 6 PM PST). One prize will be given to each daily Step Leader, and one prize will be given for the overall UC Step Leader. Use the StepUP app often to get exciting badges and try to beat the competition. NO PURCHASE REQUIRED TO ENTER OR WIN. PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. This Challenge is a trade promotion and open to Esri's user community. This Challenge is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with Apple, Inc. or Google Inc. Neither company  is a sponsor or involved in this activity in any manner. Eligibility Participants must be a registered attendee for Esri 2015 User Conference San Diego to be eligible to participate in the Challenge and win prizes. Esri employees are encouraged to participate in the Challenge, but will not be eligible for prizes. Participation •Use the StepUP app on any supported device with step counter to track Your step counts at the UC. •Walk around the UC and be active during your break times. •Open the StepUP app often to update Your step counts and check the leaderboard. •You must register with valid email address and verify the link to be part of leaderboard. •The StepUP app will monitor your step counts in the background. •You and others will be able to see the step counts and standings on leaderboard. •No personal information will be shared with others. Learn more about our Privacy Policy. •You can opt-in to provide location data which will help us aggregate the foot traffic and visualize trends. Prizes There will be a Challenge winner for most step counts tracked on a daily basis and announced at the end of each day (Monday through Thursday) will receive an Esri T-shirt. An overall Challenge winner for the most cumulative step counts tracked over the UC week (Monday through Thursday) will be announced on Thursday and will receive an Esri Sweatshirt. Challenge winners will be contacted via the email address you register with. We will use this information to send the Challenge winners a note with instructions on how to claim their prize.Supported Devices•iOS - iPhone5s, iPhone6, iPhone6 Plus•Android - Kitkat (4.4) and above with Step counter sensorChallenge Period The Challenge will run during the Main Conference Hours Monday through Thursday. Monday through Wednesday 8 AM – 6 PM PST and Thursday 8 AM to 1 PM PST, respectively. Disclaimers, Release and Waiver You shall assume all responsibility for Your participation in this Challenge. No liability or responsibility is assumed by Esri resulting from Your participation in or attempt to participate in this Challenge. This app is not intended to replace your existing fitness application nor be used for health advice. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable California law, You hereby release and waive all claims against Esri, and its subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, agents, licensors, co-branders or other partners, and employees from any and all liability for claims, damages (actual and/or consequential), costs and expenses (including litigation costs and attorneys' fees) of every kind and nature, arising from or in any way related to Your use of the StepUP app and this Challenge. In addition, You expressly waive and relinquish any and all rights and benefits which You may have under any other state or federal statute or common law principle of similar effect, to the fullest extent permitted by law. Publicity Except where prohibited, participation in this Challenge constitutes consent for Esri to use the name, likeness, voice, opinions, and country of residence of participant for promotional purposes in any media without payment or consideration. As a condition of prize acceptance, Challenge winners agree to allow Esri to publish their name and their organization's name in all media of communication now known or later developed. Challenge winners agree to execute an Affidavit of Eligibility and Waiver/Taxes/Release of Liability and Publicity. Governing Law This Challenge is governed by the laws of the state of California, United States, with venue in San Bernardino County, California, United States, and all claims must be resolved in the federal or state courts of San Bernardino County, California, United States. About the App This StepUP app was built by Esri Labs. Esri Labs apps are developed by Esri employees and are inspired by our direct interactions with you - our customers. Esri Labs apps are free to use, but are not official Esri products, so they are not holistically tested, documented or supported by Esri technical support. Learn more, sign up and watch the leaderboard to see where you rank! ... View more

True Understanding Requires Breaking Complex Problems into Simple Solutions By Bill Meehan, Esri Utilities Solution Director Years ago, I taught a graduate night course in electric power engineering. Most of the students had good working knowledge of linear circuit theory (simplified direct current circuits). This was easy to learn, simple “battery connects to light bulb” stuff. To solve the light bulb circuit, the most math you need was ninth grade algebra. But electric power circuits were harder. They weren’t linear, and they were extensive. To figure out heavily loaded power lines, you had to do math problems more complex than those Will Hunting faced on Robin Williams’ chalkboard. How do you do it? You solve thousands, perhaps millions of simultaneous, non-linear, differential equations. Hardly ninth grade algebra. "Simple Scales, Complex Fails" - find out how simplicity and scalability can help you overcome utility issues at the Electric and Gas Kickoff Session on Tuesday morning. When you’re a weary, sleepy, night school student who just spent all day working your day job, how do you calculate the power flow of an electrical grid? You don’t. So rather than slog through differential equation theory, I opted to have the students relate their understanding of how the grid actually works. I chose to simplify the conversation to match their understanding. Then once they got that, the math would follow. I choose simplicity over complexity. Because complexity masks our ability to understand. Simple Scales The former director of software development and now chief architect at Esri, Scott Morehouse’s favorite expression is “Simple Scales, Complex Fails.” He used this statement as his mantra for the development of software. Clearly, software development is complicated. In addition, many aspects of GIS are complicated. But Morehouse always drove his team to explain and build things as simply as possible. Then, once you get to your simple reference of understanding, you build it. Morehouse also knew software that works in the lab tends to become bogged down with the large data sets demanded in the real world. The ArcGIS platform demonstrates Morehouse’s solution to this. ArcGIS is a great example of simplicity and scalability. As more people outside the GIS department use GIS in their everyday work life, scalability becomes just as important as – if not more so than –functionality. Complex Fails In 2009, Esri asked utility GIS users, “After the completion of construction or maintenance, how long does it usually take before your GIS data reflects the new project information?” The majority of users said 30 to 90 days. The authoritative data takes too long to get to the right people! The GIS takes too long to reflect reality. It’s a complex problem. What would the simplest solution be? Well, what if authoritative information existed instantly on every employee’s device? As simple as that. That’s what the ArcGIS platform does. In fact, ArcGIS for Electric Utilities and ArcGIS for Gas Utilities are designed to help organizations share, communicate, and collaborate with the most recent information. Not 90 days from now. Just now. So the next time you have a complex problem, find out what the simplest solution would be. Then see if your ArcGIS platform can offer it. More often than not, there’s a simple solution to do just that. See all the great technology deployed in simple and impactful ways at Esri’s International User Conference. Be sure to attend the electric and gas kickoff session on Tuesday morning July 21 st at 8:30AM in the San Diego Conversion Center. ... View more

Next week, Esri is unveiling The ArcGIS Book—Ten Big Ideas about Applying Geography to Your World. It’s a hands-on website and a print book for seasoned GIS practitioners and newcomers to GIS. Consumer mapping has opened the eyes of the world, and especially decision makers, to the value of maps and geography and consequently increased the demand for the critical information and insights generated by GIS. This phenomenon is also transforming the role of GIS practitioners. Today, they need to better understand their organization’s business objectives so they can contribute in an even more meaningful way to its success. ArcGIS is now a complete system for discovering, creating, consuming, and sharing geographic data, maps, and apps. It is a true Web GIS. Web GIS is fundamentally changing how information about the world around us is applied and shared to enable all of us to make the best decisions possible. The ArcGIS Book explores Web GIS in ten chapters, each focused on one big idea. You will learn how to do new things with GIS and accomplish familiar tasks more quickly and easily. For inspiration on what you can do with Web GIS, the book includes links to hundreds of live examples of web maps and apps as well as videos of thought leaders sharing their vision for what you can accomplish by adopting the Web GIS concepts. In addition to inspiring you, The ArcGIS Book will give you hands-on practice with making a story map, conducting spatial analysis, editing geographic data, building a 3D model, and much more. Here are the ten big ideas explored in the book: Maps, the Web, and You: Power and possibility with Web GIS Cartography is for Everyone: New ways to make, see, and use maps Tell Your Story Using a Map: Inform, engage, and inspire people with story maps Great Maps Need Great Data: Creating and using authoritative geographic data The Importance of Where: How spatial analysis leads to insight Mapping the Third Dimension: A change in perspective The Power of Apps: Focused tools that get work done Your Mobile GIS: The GIS of the whole world plus a live data sensor in your pocket Real-Time Dashboards: Integrating live data feeds for managing operations GIS is Social: Web GIS is the GIS of the world In each chapter, Quickstarts tell you what you need to know about the software, data, and web resources that pertain to that aspect of the ArcGIS system. The Learn ArcGIS Lessons pages are your gateways to online, hands-on tutorials from the Learn ArcGIS website. The intended audience for The ArcGIS Book is diverse: from GIS professionals expanding into online mapping to information workers in every field who recognize the power of maps to communicate information clearly. No matter which group you identify with, we encourage you to share this book with your colleagues, decision makers in your organization and your community, and young people in your line of work and in your family. Introduce them to and help them explore the power of Web GIS for sound decision making. The ArcGIS Book is available in print, as a downloadable pdf, and as an interactive website. See it come alive at www.TheArcGISBook.com. You will receive your free copy of The ArcGIS Book when you pick up your registration packet. If you would like to purchase extra copies to take back to colleagues, friends, or family, the book is available at the Esri Store for a special UC price of $8 (a $20 value). ... View more

Transformational and inspirational – that’s you with GIS reimagined. Esri is offering two technology keynote presentations you don’t want to miss on this topic. There is a whole wide world out there waiting for you and your GIS-based solutions. Be transformative in your communities. Learn how at the Technology Keynotes. Ignite Your Revolution: Implementing the Platform 8:30 a.m. to 9: 45 a.m. on Wednesday, July 22, Ballroom 06 A Learn how different organizations, large and small, sparked a transformation in the way they do business. Esri experts will share insights into the business drivers, implementation approaches, and technical capabilities behind these accomplishments.  Examples will include a behind-the-scenes look into stories from the plenary. Whether you are just getting started or extending your existing capabilities, get inspired to ignite your own revolution. Presented by Brian Cross, Director of Professional Services, and Team and Mansour Raad, Senior Software Architect Reimagining GIS: Geographic Information Society at 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. on Thursday, July 23, Room 10 GIS is social. Web GIS is the GIS of the world. And it’s happening thanks to Cloud computing.  You can become a part of this comprehensive GIS of the world. Your work can be shared with anyone, anywhere through devices and apps. Learn how, including understanding special implementation challenges, implications, and opportunities, so you too can apply your GIS virtually everywhere. Presented by Clint Brown, Director, Product Engineering, Linda Beale, Product Engineer Geoprocessing and  Mark Harrower, Product Engineer and Designer We delved a little bit closer into the technical keynotes with Brian Cross, to get you some inside information on the topics being covered. Brian Cross, the director of professional services at Esri will join other Esri senior level staff to give users a look at the future of GIS on Wednesday and Thursday mornings during EsriUC The title of your team’s Technology Keynote talks about igniting a revolution with the platform. What does that mean? Sometimes, when GIS users get together, conversations tend to drift toward technology and technique. That’s great, but it’s important to keep the larger goals in mind as well. This session is intended to do that. We’ve seen users accomplish pretty amazing things in their organizations through the ArcGIS platform, things that made transformational differences in their business. A variety of Professional Services leaders and consultants will give examples of users from different markets, of different sizes, with different missions, from all over the world. We hope seeing examples of how these users leverage the platform will inspire others to recognize an opportunity to ignite a revolution in their business. Is it realistic to think that “transformational” change is possible for the majority of GIS users? It is definitely real. Any business can run faster, better, smarter. Any government can be more effective and deliver its mission better. The cases we’ll discuss come from large organizations and single-person shops with diverse levels of experience. We want to share both the technology approach as well as the human approach to delivering transformation. It can be pretty amazing to see the impact one or two foundational apps can have on an organization. Is there any common quality that these users share, something others can copy? They all use the ArcGIS platform with the same essential elements, but each one has its own flavor and approach. The Web GIS pattern is also one of the fundamental elements, although different users emphasize different parts. That’s one of the points we want to highlight in the keynote. Even though they each use some of the latest Esri technology, they didn’t merely pursue the new technology for its own sake. These users each based their approach on the key business drivers for their organizations and achieved something that was transformational. ... View more