Established in 2023, Clark CGA marks a significant milestone in Clark University’s distinguished legacy in advancing Geographic Information Science (GIS) for sustainable environmental stewardship. With roots tracing back to the birth of GIS in the late 1980s, Clark has been a pioneer in remote sensing and geospatial analytics, leading the way through cutting-edge research and software development at Clark Labs and the Graduate School of Geography.
Overview
Clark CGA stands as a unique interdisciplinary research center within academia pioneering geospatial software and technology. We collaborate with top researchers, policy experts, and industry leaders to address a diverse range of challenges in conservation, climate change impacts, and environmental sustainability. Building on the success of Clark Labs, Clark CGA is pioneering integration of innovative technologies such as AI with geospatial analytics to address societal problems of the 21st century.
The Evolving Landscape of Geospatial Analytics
Recognizing the profound impacts of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem services, Clark CGA is committed to providing timely information for effective policy formulation. Earth-orbiting satellites play a pivotal role, offering valuable data about our planet’s surface, atmosphere, and oceans with high detail and accuracy. These data enable monitoring of environmental phenomena, detection of greenhouse gases, mapping ice sheets, and monitoring wetlands, among other applications.
Over the last two decades, advancements in satellite technology, cloud computing, and AI have reshaped the geospatial analytics field. The rise in data volume and modality, accompanied by improvements in cloud computing and storage, has given rise to a rapidly evolving set of tools, software, and standards, allowing the broader community of geospatial users to derive insights from the data.
A New Era at Clark
In response to these changes, Clark University established Clark CGA to work at the forefront of geospatial data, AI, and geography. Leveraging its academic base, Clark CGA aims to develop innovative research tools and apply geospatial expertise to real-world problems.
Embracing open and reproducible science, Clark CGA expands Clark Labs’ mission to develop open-source tools and solutions. Working with stakeholders worldwide, the center leverages advancements in AI to derive value from geospatial data, contributing to impactful projects for the benefit of society.
At Clark CGA, we emphasize the mission of transformative research to address urgent challenges of global environmental change. We envision expanding partnerships with academic, non-profit, government, and commercial sectors, making lasting contributions toward a sustainable and resilient future.
Building on previous excellence, we are committed to the continuous evolution of geospatial data and analytics, an evolution that necessitates the development of new skills. Clark CGA is dedicated to contributing to the advancement of geospatial analytics and remote sensing capabilities at Clark and beyond.
Merging Expertise
As of March 2024, Clark CGA has merged with Clark Labs, combining forces to continue ongoing projects and develop established tools like the TerrSet software. Prof. Emeritus J. Ron Eastman, founder and former Director of Clark Labs, remains at Clark CGA as a Principal Investigator and Senior Research Scientist.