Joseph Kerski

Place. Space. Population. Energy. Water. Natural hazards. Education. Mapping. Geotechnologies. Fieldwork. Analysis. Spatial Thinking. Joseph Kerski is a geographer who focuses on these themes. He believes that spatial analysis with GIS technology can transform education and society through better decision-making using the geographic perspective.

For 22 years, he served as geographer and cartographer at three US Federal Agencies, including NOAA, the US Census Bureau, and the US Geological Survey. He has taught online and face-to-face courses at primary and secondary schools, in community colleges, and in universities such as the University of Denver and Sinte Gleska University on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

Since 2006, he has served as Education Manager for Esri, focusing on thought leadership in geospatial technologies and education. This includes GIS-based curriculum development, research in the implementation and effectiveness of GIS in education, teaching professional development institutes for educators, and fostering partnerships and communication to promote and support GIS in formal and informal education at all levels, internationally. He has written books such as "The Essentials of the Environment", "The GIS Guide to Public Domain Data" and others. Joseph is based in Denver but travels frequently to "spread the good word about GIS in education." When not engaged in these things, Joseph can be found playing the guitar or drums, or out in the field geocaching.