AAG Appoints New Director to GISCI Board

In August, AAG member Darcy Boellstorff, Ph.D., GISP stepped onto the GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) Board of Directors. She replaces Michael Scott, GISP, geography faculty and Dean of the Henson School of Science and Technology at Salisbury University. Scott previously served for ten years as one of AAG’s two representatives. 

Boellstorff currently is both a professor and Chair of the Department of Geography at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Now in her third term as department chair, she has had a focus on guiding the department through undergraduate program curriculum changes, with the goal of making geography more accessible to students by highlighting the concepts of sustainability, climate resilience, conservation, and global systems.  

Boellstorff’s work has focused on increasing the visibility of geospatial tools and applications across disciplines and university administration. In summer 2024, her department will offer a new GIS graduate certificate program through the university’s College of Continuing Studies. The development of this program is focused on aligning learning outcomes with regional employment outlook and skills needs, and outside professional GIS certification pathways for new GIS professionals to pursue.  

The GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) is a non-profit organization that promotes the advancement of proficient GIS professionals through its international GISP® (Certified GIS Professional) certification program. The Institute fosters rigorous professional and ethical standards, community engagement, and professional mentoring within the GIS industry. GISCI’s member organizations include the American Association of Geographers (AAG), National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC), University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS), and the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA). More information about the GISCI is available at www.gisci.org