Fall GIS workshops and events in the Catalyst

Digital Scholarship and Initiatives and the ISU GIS Facility invite you to discover powerful GIS tools and resources through hands-on workshops, enhance online maps of local communities during the Earth Observation Day Map-a-thon, and learn from experts across campus at GIS Day. 

Workshops

Introduction to QGIS, 1-2:30 p.m., Wednesday, September 23, 2026, The Catalyst, Room 199 Parks Library

Have you ever wanted to make a map to add context to your project, but didn’t know where to start?  Introduction to QGIS (a free and open source mapping software) will give participants skills to begin their map-making journey.  This workshop will introduce participants to the QGIS interface, show them how to create and edit a basic data layer, and make a quick map.

ArcGIS AI Assistants, 1-2 p.m., Wednesday, November 4, 2026, The Catalyst, Room 199 Parks Library

AI assistants in ArcGIS use the power of generative AI to streamline everyday workflows. This workshop will show how to access, utilize, and maximize the potential of the AI assistants within the Esri product line.

Events: 

Earth Observation Day, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Tuesday, October 13, 2026, The Catalyst, Room 199 Parks Library

The ISU GIS Facility and IowaView are collaborating with Digital Scholarship and Initiatives to celebrate Earth Observation Day as part of Earth Science Week 2026. 

To start out our day at 11 am, we will have a speaker (TBA) share about how they are using remote sensing in their research. Then we will have an Open Street Map Mapathon 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. No experience is needed. There will be a training session from 11:30 to 12 pm, and then we will continue mapping. Please stop by, contribute to the mapathon, and try one of our Iowa landform puzzles. We will have pizza for those who register in advance.  Register today.

GIS Day, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Wednesday, November 18, 2026, The Catalyst, Room 199 Parks Library

University Library and ISU GIS Facility welcome students, staff and faculty to The Catalyst to celebrate GIS Day 2026. The day features professional speakers from diverse fields, speaking on topics related to GIS (geographic information systems) and geospatial sciences. Full schedule to be announced.