Michael DeMers

Michael N. DeMers
Born (1951-08-31) 31 August 1951 (age 73)
East Grand Forks, Minnesota
OccupationGeographer
Academic background
Alma materUniversity of Kansas
Thesis (1985)
Academic work
DisciplineGeography
Sub-disciplinegeographic information science
InstitutionsNew Mexico State University
Websitehttps://geography.nmsu.edu/about-us/Faculty_Bios/MikeDeMers/demersbio.html

Michael N. DeMers is a geographer and professor emeritus of geography at New Mexico State University.[1][2]

Education and field

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DeMers obtained a B.S.Ed. in Earth science in 1974 and an M.S. in geography in 1980, both from the University of North Dakota.[3] He earned an M.Phil. in geography in 1983, and a Ph.D. in geography in 1985, both from the University of Kansas.[4][5][6] He has taught geography and courses related to geographic information systems (GIS) since 1983, and obtained a GCERT in Online Teaching and Learning from New Mexico State University in 2007.[3]

DeMers specializes in geographic information science (GIScience), including applying it to research in real-world problems in fields such as landscape ecology, researching its theoretical implications, and teaching it to students.[6] He advocates for geographic education in public schools and has researched employing novel technologies.[7]

Career

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DeMers became a faculty member in the geography department at New Mexico State University in 1992, and served as department head between 2000 and 2004.[8][6] He served as president of the National Council for Geographic Education in 2014.[2]

DeMers' research focuses on applying GIS to problems including water resources, big data, and species range expansion. He has contributed significantly to literature involving geographic information science and teaching geospatial concepts with novel technologies.[4][9][10] He advocates teaching geography in public schools using geographic information systems and has worked to increase public awareness of GIScience.[9][7]

Publications

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DeMers has published over seventy-five research articles on geographic topics, authored the Encyclopædia Britannica entry on GIS, and served as an editor, and contributed to, the Geographic Information Science and Technology Body of Knowledge.[3][11][12] His works have been cited over 3600 times, giving him an h-index of 21.[13] In addition, he has authored or edited the following books:

  • DeMers, Michael (2017). Geographic Information Systems in Action. Wiley. ISBN 978-1119238867.
  • DeMers, Michael (2009). GIS for Dummies. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons Inc. ISBN 978-0-470-23682-6.
  • DiBiase, David; DeMers, Michael; Johnson, Ann; Kemp, Karen; Luck, Ann Taylor; Plewe, Brandon; Wentz, Elizabeth (2006). Geographic Information Science and Technology Body of Knowledge. Association of American Geographers. ISBN 978-0-89291-267-4.
  • DeMers, Michael (2002). GIS Modeling in Raster. John Wiley and Sons Inc. ISBN 0-471-31965-1. (Translated into Arabic)[14]
  • DeMers, Michael (2009). Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, inc. ISBN 978-0-470-12906-7. (translated into Russian and Chinese)[15]

Awards

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Over the course of his career, DeMers has received the following awards:

Philanthropy

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Demers established the "Duane Marble Award for GIS Design and Education Research" at NMSU in 2010 to recognize the work and contributions of his friend and fellow GIScientist Duane Marble.[20] It was awarded to NMSU graduate students whose thesis focused on novel applications to GIS, or to GIS education.[20]

Personal life

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DeMers grew up in East Grand Forks, Minnesota.[21] After retiring, he began writing fantasy novels.[21] The first of these to be published is the book Young Vandar.[21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ DeMers, Michael (20 Dec 2014). "President's Column: There's Geography in My Science". The Geography Teacher. 11 (1): 41–42. Bibcode:2014GeTea..11...41D. doi:10.1080/19338341.2013.854266. S2CID 140591678.
  2. ^ a b "Dr. Michael N. DeMers Bio". New Mexico State University Department of Geography. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e DeMers, Michael. "Dr. Michael DeMers Vita" (PDF). New Mexico State University Department of Geography. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "MICHAEL DEMERS (2010 WINNER)" (PDF). American Association of Geographers. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  5. ^ DeMers, Michael (2009). GIS for Dummies. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons Inc. ISBN 978-0-470-23682-6.
  6. ^ a b c Campbell, Carol L. (2009). "Circle of Geographers: A History of the Geography Department at New Mexico State University". Southwestern Geographer. 13: 89–101. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  7. ^ a b KRWG (February 29, 2012). "NMSU Geographer Works To Improve Geography Instruction In New Mexico Schools". Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  8. ^ DeMers, Michael (2009). Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, inc. ISBN 978-0-470-12906-7.
  9. ^ a b c "Michael DeMers". University Consortium for Geographic Information Science. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  10. ^ Sparks, Jason (March 4, 2009). "Scott Simon Looks for Coffee in Second Life". NPR. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  11. ^ "Michael N. DeMers". Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  12. ^ DiBiase, David; DeMers, Michael; Johnson, Ann; Kemp, Karen; Luck, Ann Taylor; Plewe, Brandon; Wentz, Elizabeth (2006). Geographic Information Science and Technology Body of Knowledge. Association of American Geographers. ISBN 978-0-89291-267-4.
  13. ^ Michael DeMers publications indexed by Google Scholar
  14. ^ Fisher, Peter (2003). "Book Review: GIS Modeling in Raster". International Journal of Geographical Information Science. 17 (2): 200–201. doi:10.1080/713811746.
  15. ^ Mesev, V (1999). "Reviews: Fundamentals of geographic information systems". Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design. 26 (2): 313–316. doi:10.1068/b260313.
  16. ^ Sun-News Reports (11 May 2018). "NMSU professor receives lifetime achievement award". Las Cruces Sun-News. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  17. ^ Rundquist, Brad. "Dr. Michael DeMers to Receive Distinguished Alumnus". Department of Geography Alumni Newsletter Chair’s Corner. UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  18. ^ "AAG Anderson Medal Recipients". American Association of Geographers. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  19. ^ "Previous Anderson Medal of Honor Recipients". American Association of Geographers. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  20. ^ a b "Awards and Scholarships". Department of Geography. New Mexico State University. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  21. ^ a b c "Young Vandar". Atmosphere Press. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
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