Professor to host seminar on Ebola mapping project

“Helping with the Ebola crisis in West Africa: A Humanitarian, OpenStreetMap Team” seminar, led by geography Professor Lawrence McGlinn, will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, at Sojourner Truth Library, Room 18. No mapping experience is necessary to attend.

McGlinn said doctors and nurses working for the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders to fight Ebola in West Africa do not know where many potential victims are, nor how to get to them. Infrastructure and detailed maps do not exist for much of the region, he said, and many weeks and lives can be wasted missing significant, infected populations.

The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team is helping the situation by examining high-resolution satellite imagery and marking minor roads, paths, and villages using OpenStreetMap, a user-friendly mapping web site. These maps are verified by experts and then published for use by medical personnel in the field for a more efficient effort to fight the disease.

In the seminar, McGlinn will walk participants through the simple process of registration for OpenStreetMap, identifying a project, and mapping out paths and residential areas.

“Making a difference in this fight is simply a matter of putting some free time to work mapping critical information healthcare workers need,” said McGlinn.

Seating is limited. Please contact McGlinn at mcglinnl@newpaltz.edu to RSVP.