Women in GIS News

The WiGIS Swag Shop is now open!

Jami Dennis — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 22:56:40 GMT

Today we unveiled the all new Women in GIS logo and swag shop! Honoring the original, classic logo, the new design updates and modernizes the logo while embracing our beginnings along with our community.

Women in GIS is about helping you network, grow, and succeed at every stage in your career. And, while women founded this organization, we are all inclusive. No matter how you identify yourself, you are welcome here.

So get your swag on to show your support of Women in GIS and who knows, you may find a fellow member or advocate wearing the swag in the wild!

Visit the Swag Shop

All Member Meeting: March 12, 2026

Jami Dennis — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:50:14 GMT

WiGIS Members! Join us on March 12, 2026 for the All Member Meeting - held virtually over Zoom.

WiGIS Awards and Scholarships 2026

Jami Dennis — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 14:39:25 GMT

Applications are being accepted for the 2026 WiGIS Awards & Scholarships program now through February 27, 2026.

Full details here

The 2026 WiGIS Member Map Contest is on!

Jami Dennis — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 20:49:53 GMT

Exercise your cartography skills and enter the 2nd annual Women in GIS Member Map Contest!

You could win prizes and recognition!

Get all the details here.

Map Contest

WiGIS Mentoring Virtual Office Hour - November 2025

Jami Dennis — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 14:11:36 GMT

Join WiGIS Mentor Kelly Wright for a session on Negotiation Know-How - Friday, November 14, 2025 at 12pm Pacific.

Free for WiGIS Members!

Details and registration here

QGIS Workshop Added

Jami Dennis — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 16:17:02 GMT

We're thrilled to announce the latest workshop to help you build your development skills - "Building Your First QGIS Plugin" with Ujaval Gandhi!

Open to anyone and WiGIS Members get a special registration discount!

Get the details here

Survey123 Beginner Academy

Jami Dennis — Sat, 24 May 2025 13:23:52 GMT

Learn from the best in this Survey123 workshop! Join Women in GIS and the Survey123 Jedi Master, Michelle Williams, for a workshop filled with tips, tricks, and practical guidance for harnessing the power of Survey123.

WiGIS Members get significantly reduced registration!

Full details and registration

Election Results are in!

Lucia Johnson — Mon, 19 May 2025 02:27:59 GMT

Election results are in!

Congratulations to your newly elected board members:

Internal Affairs Chair: Jennifer Zumbado-Hannibal
Vice President: Renee Orie
Professional Development Chair: Rupsa Roy
Treasurer: Elizabeth Houser

Additionally the following board members will be transitioning into their new roles:

President: Wanmei Liang
Past President: Samantha Dinning

The elected board members will officially start their positions on July 1st.

WiGIS Elections

Jami Dennis — Mon, 12 May 2025 13:38:30 GMT

It's election season - if you're a current, dues-paying member of Women in GIS, please take this opportunity to elect the next round of WiGIS Board members.

Full details, including candidate statements, can be found here:

2025 Elections

2025 Awards & Scholarships Announced!

Jami Dennis — Sun, 11 May 2025 21:40:09 GMT

We are thrilled to announce the winners of this year's Women in GIS 2025 Awards & Scholarships!

Join us in congratulating all the winners!

See the Winners

GISP Prep Workshop

Jami Dennis — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 16:41:12 GMT

We are thrilled to partner with the GIS Certification Institute to host a 2-half days workshop on preparing for GISP Certification. This workshop is open to anyone - regardless of gender or membership status! Members can join for free and non-members can register for the cost of a membership (you'll even get a one-year WiGIS membership along with this workshop).

Get the full details and register here:

GISP Prep Workshop

WiGIS Member Workshop with John Nelson!

Jami Dennis — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 15:46:44 GMT

We're excited to announce a special workshop with John Nelson, Esri Cartographer on the Living Atlas Team (more about John here: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/author/j_nelson/)

This workshop is exclusive for WiGIS Members - Not a member? Join us and not only get access to this workshop, but networking opportunities, discounts on training, and more! Become a Member

Workshop Details

Awards & Scholarships Winners Announced

Jami Dennis — Tue, 21 May 2024 13:42:52 GMT

We are thrilled to announce the recipients for this year's WiGIS Awards & Scholarships Program!

Congratulations to this year's winners!

The annual Awards & Scholarships program is a collaboration between Women in GIS and Esri.

Learn More

Call for WiGIS Board Member Nominations

Jami Dennis — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 21:04:47 GMT

In April, Women In GIS Members will elect new Board Members. We invite all current dues-paying WiGIS members to either self-nominate or nominate another member who can fill one of these leadership positions. See the complete list of open positions.

Curious what it's like to serve on in one of these leadership positions? Check out our YouTube channel to hear directly from WiGIS Board Members.

Nominations are due by 5:00pm Pacific March 29, 2024.

All current dues-paying member are eligible to vote during the election which will take place online from April 15 - April 21, 2024.

Nominees will be notified of the election results on April 24, 2024.

Full details and Nomination Form

Women in GIS joins with URISA's GISCorps

Jami Dennis — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 22:27:37 GMT

We are proud to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between URISA's GISCorps and Women in GIS, which formalizes our sharing of volunteers, time, and technical knowledge to achieve greater equity for individuals identifying as women working in the field of GIS.

We are excited for the opportunities and the resources that this partnership will open up for members of both GISCorps and Women in GIS!

Join Us for the First All-Member Meeting

Jami Dennis — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 20:44:15 GMT

The WiGIS Board of Directors invites all current WiGIS Members to the first ever all-member meeting! Come learn about WiGIS, your member benefits, and how you can connect with other members. You'll learn about the various WiGIS Committees and how you can get involved.

We'll also have networking break out rooms where you can network with other WiGIS members in your area.

You don't want to miss this!

If you're not already member, find out how easy it is to become one here.

Details and Registration

2024 Awards and Scholarships now open!

Jami Dennis — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 21:27:40 GMT

WiGIS, in collaboration with Esri, is pleased to announce the 2024 Awards and Scholarships applications are now open! This program recognizes 3 individuals with an award and provides 6 scholarships to women working in geospatial fields.

Applications are accepted from women in any country/region. Underrepresented women are particularly encouraged to apply. You may self-nominate or nominate someone else as well. Applicants and nominees can apply online for one award or scholarship only in any award cycle.

Along with recognition, each awardee and scholarship recipient will receive a complimentary one-year license for Esri ArcGIS for personal use and StoryMaps. In addition, all winners will receive a complimentary one-year membership to Women in GIS.

See the complete details on our website.

Communities of Practice

Jami Dennis — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 16:00:00 GMT

One of our many member benefits happens every Wednesday afternoon. Join us each Wednesday afternoon for one of 4 Communities of Practice. Come to one or all - these are a great place to connect with others who share a common industry interest.

More info

Join us at the 2023 Esri UC!

Jami Dennis — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 22:39:59 GMT

Meet up with Women in GIS at this year's Esri UC. Add these events to your agenda now so you don't miss out:

Tuesday, July 11 - 7:00am - 8:00am

Women in GIS Special Interest Group (SIG):
Perspectives on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Grand Ballroom 6 - Marriott, San Diego

Esri Agenda

Wednesday, July 12 - 5:30pm
WiGIS Social

Hotel Indigo - Gaslamp Quarter
Level 9 Rooftop Bar
509 Ninth Ave, San Diego

2023 Awards and Scholarship Winners Announced!

Jami Dennis — Thu, 04 May 2023 14:20:25 GMT

The Board of Women in GIS is pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural Awards and Scholarships Program. We received a large volume of applications and nominations with high merit and contributions to the GIS/Geospatial fields. We would like to thank all applicants for their time, and we encourage those who were not selected this year to apply in the next cycle.

Awards

Distinguished Contribution Award Plaque

The committee did not receive qualifying applications in the service award category, and thus the board decided to give two awards in the Distinguished Contribution category because of the merit of the nominations received by the Awards and Scholarships Committee. The two awardees are:

Nadika Senadheera (Works at the World Health Organization), from Sri Lanka.
Lucy Chepkochei (Works in the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development – RCMRD), from Kenya.

Young Professional Award Plaque

Marilyn Cepeda (Work in the Fire Department of Riobamba) from Ecuador.

Scholarships

Graduate Scholarships [$1,000 each]

Aymber McElroy (Studying at the University of Wyoming, USA).
Chayanika Devi (Studying at the University of Cincinnati, USA).

Undergraduate Scholarships [$500 each]

Tamrin Jahan (Studies at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University, Bangladesh).
Michaela Roberts (Studies at Arizona State University, USA).

Grants for Professional or Academic Geospatial Work [$2,000 each]

Ayushi Gupta (Works in The Institute of Environment & Sustainable Development at Banaras Hindu University, India).
Aqsa Qalb (Works in The University of Management and Technology, Pakistan).

To learn more about the Awards and Scholarships program, visit this page.

2023 Board of Directors Elections

Jami Dennis — Sat, 18 Mar 2023 00:11:19 GMT

In April WiGIS members will elect five key roles to our WiGIS Board of Directors. If you are interested in serving on the Board, please consider nominating yourself for one of these positions. All active (current, dues-paying) members are eligible for nomination and to vote.

Nominations are due ~~March 24, 2023.~~ Deadline extended to March 31, 2023.

To see the open positions and additional details about nominations, visit this page.

Details

Level Up Your Presentation Skills!

Jami Dennis — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 16:24:51 GMT

Women in GIS is pleased to announce the newest addition to our Professional Development series of workshops. On March 21 we bring you the first in a 4-part series of workshops on building your communication and presentation skills. Join two of our favorite presenters, Eva Reid and Jami Dennis, as they provide you lessons and hands-on experience where you will gain the skills to become a master presenter!

This is offered as a complete 4-part series. WiGIS members get the complete workshop series for $75! We also welcome non-members. And, should you choose to join WiGIS you'll get the member pricing along with all the goodness that comes with being a member.

Get the full details on the event page.

Workshop Details

Geographers without Borders

Jami Dennis — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 21:17:48 GMT

Women in GIS is excited to announce the launch of our new podcast, Geographers without Borders. Hosted by our own Shannon Foxx Day, the inaugural episode features WiGIS President Caitlin Hagar-Kuhn.

New episodes will be available monthly on the first Thursday of the month. This interview-style podcast brings you guests from around the world to share about their niche in geography. From GIS to Urban Planning to Marine Biology, scientists and professionals around the world use the science of geography to solve problems critical to humanity every day.

It's available on a variety of podcast outlets - iheartRadio, Apple, Amazon Music, and Spotify.

Listen Now

2023 Awards and Scholarships!

Jami Dennis — Mon, 26 Dec 2022 17:18:11 GMT

WiGIS is now accepting applications for our 2023 Recognition Awards and Scholarships. In collaboration with Esri, WiGIS will recognize 3 individuals and award 6 scholarships.

Recognition awards will be given for the following:

Distinguished Contribution to the Geospatial Field
WiGIS Young Professional Award
WiGIS Service Award

Two scholarships will be awarded in each of the following categories:

Undergraduate Scholarship - $500 each
Graduate Scholarship - $1000 each
Grant for Professional or Academic Geospatial Work - $2000 each

Applications must be received by midnight Pacific on January 31, 2023. For full details on these awards and scholarships including how to apply see the Awards & Scholarships page.

Details

New Job Board Unveiled

Jami Dennis — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 20:54:35 GMT

Women In GIS has a new Job Board where members and sponsors can post 30-day job announcements for free! Additional features are also available for free and reduced pricing as well.

Check out the benefits of being a member or sponsor and find a plan that's right for you!

Visit the Job Board

Member Benefits

Sponsor Benefits

New Sponsor Opportunities!

Jami Dennis — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 21:22:48 GMT

Over the past year Women In GIS has grown, adding both new members and organizational sponsors. As an all-volunteer run organization, the work we do would not be possible without the support of our sponsors.

Thank you to our current sponsors, Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center - Platinum Plus, WestLand Resources - Silver Plus, and Axim Geospatial - Silver Plus.

To learn more about the benefits of being a sponsor, visit our Sponsor Benefits page.

Resume Writing Workshop

Jami Dennis — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 14:38:11 GMT

Create a resume that gets noticed!

Women in GIS is hosting a hands-on resume writing workshop that will show you how to create a resume and cover letter that stands out from the crowd.

Landing that perfect job all starts with having an impactful resume that highlights your knowledge, skills, and abilities. To help you develop that resume, we are once again partnering with Laura Royal to bring you a half-day workshop where you will learn techniques and skills for creating a stand-out resume.

Get the full details here!

Connect with Women in GIS at the ESRI UC!

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 19:50:44 GMT

Women in GIS is excited to connect with our members in person at the ESRI UC, July 11-14th.

We will be co-hosting a Special Interest Group meeting with ESRI's group Women and GIS. Tuesday at 7am. Location TBA (Yes, there will be coffee!)
We will have a booth (no. 2309) in the Vendor Expo. Come say hi and learn about some of our newest initiatives!
Communities of Practice will be playing a fun networking game involving stickers, social media and some of your Board members. Stay tuned!

Election Results!

Jami Dennis — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 23:46:11 GMT

Thank you to everyone who voted in the Women In GIS annual election of officers.

Congratulations and welcome to our newly elected officers! We also wish to thank the outgoing officers for their dedication and work over the past year.

Newly elected (will take office on June 1, 2022):

Alia Roca-Lezra, Vice President
Azza Kamal, Awards & Scholarship Committee Chair
Eva Reid, Outreach Committee Chair
Irene Kaufman, Mentorship Committee Chair
Tia Morita, Secretary (re-elected)

Thank you to these outgoing leaders for the work you have done over the past year:

Ahna Miller, Vice President 2019-2020, President 2020-2021, Past President 2021-2022
Suzi Cameron, Treasurer
Susana Crespo, Outreach Committee Chair
Golnaz Badr, Mentorship Committee Chair
Sandra Chakra, Interview/Spotlight Committee Chair

WiGIS Leadership Elections

Jami Dennis — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 18:01:48 GMT

In April, WiGIS Members will elect key roles in WiGIS leadership.

We invite you to participate in the upcoming elections and to consider nominating a friend, colleague or yourself for one of these open positions.

All open positions serve a two-year term with the exception of Vice President, which is a three-year commitment, see details below.

All current dues-paying members will be able to vote in the election and qualify for nomination.

Vice President (VP): This is a three-year commitment. As an officer of the WiGIS Board of Directors, the Vice President will serve for one year as VP, and then move into the role of President in year two. The Vice President will work alongside the President for various projects and running of the organization. The Vice President also serves as an officer participant on the Internal Affairs Committee, and in year three will serve as Past President.
Secretary: Carries out key administrative functions for WiGIS, such as coordinating quarterly board and other meetings, keeping records and minutes of meetings, running and certifying WiGIS elections, as well as maintaining key documents, such as WiGIS ByLaws. The Secretary also assists with and serves as an officer participant on the Internal Affairs Committee.
Treasurer: Is vital to maintaining the financial viability and health of WiGIS. Duties include tracking and conducting accounting of WiGIS revenues and expenses, banking, tracking member dues, preparing budgets and quarterly financial reports for the Board of Directors, and tax preparation. The Treasurer also serves as an officer participant on the Internal Affairs Committee.
Outreach Committee Chair: Plays a critical role in WiGIS branding, PR, and communications. Engages current and potential members, manages online calendar, posts activities and events, coordinates conference presence, maintains social media sites and quarterly newsletters, coordinates local chapter efforts, etc. The Outreach Chair also serves as an officer participant on the Internal Affairs Committee. Coordinates spotlight interviews to highlight women in GIS.
Mentorship Committee Chair: Responsible for determining the mission, objectives and extent of mentorship effort as well as implementing a framework and mechanism for WiConnect mentorship program. Coordinates with the Map Development Committee as needed for purposes of leveraging mapping technology for communication and outreach.
Awards and Scholarship Committee Chair: Responsible for setting up guidelines and criteria for work and persons recognition; coordinate with outreach committee regarding the call for submission and nominations timelines and distribution; and coordinate with the Board and other committees during the review process and scoring of submitted work and nominated persons.

Nomination Form

Election Timeline:

March 10th (12pm PST): Informational Session - download and view the recording of this session here.
April 1: Nominations Due (extended!)
April 11th – April 17th: Voting Period
April 25th: Results Posted

Sign the AAG's Petition of Solidarity with the People of Ukraine

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 17:26:16 GMT

Sign the Petition Here!

New Member Benefit: Communities of Practice

Jami Dennis — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 21:24:12 GMT

Join us for our new Communities of Practice networking events! Each month meet up with other professionals that have a shared industry interest.

Get the details and register to attend these monthly meet ups.

Speakers Wanted for High School GIS Class

Jami Dennis — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 18:29:43 GMT

The Academy for the Arts, Science, and Technology in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is looking for guest speakers to talk to high school students about careers in GIS. Speakers will visit the class virtually between the hours of 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Eastern, so no need to be in South Carolina.

If you are interested in being a guest speaker, please complete this form.

Additional Details:

The school is interested in having guest speakers from a variety of industries talk about how they use GIS in their career. The school offers a variety of focus areas for students, referred to as "clusters." These clusters include:

Arts and Entertainment

Advanced Art
Entertainment Technology

Engineering

Aerospace Engineering
Environmental Engineering with Clean Energy
Innovations in STEM with Core Engineering

Health Science

Biomedical Science
Pre-Medicine

Information Technology

Computer Science - Programming
Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Informatics
Networking
Web and Digital Communication

If you are interested in being a guest speaker, please complete this form.

For additional information please contact Evan Sellers at jsellers@horrycountyschools.net

Women in GIS News

The WiGIS Swag Shop is now open!

All Member Meeting: March 12, 2026

WiGIS Awards and Scholarships 2026

The 2026 WiGIS Member Map Contest is on!

WiGIS Mentoring Virtual Office Hour - November 2025

QGIS Workshop Added

Survey123 Beginner Academy

Election Results are in!

Congratulations to your newly elected board members:

WiGIS Elections

2025 Awards & Scholarships Announced!

GISP Prep Workshop

WiGIS Member Workshop with John Nelson!

Awards & Scholarships Winners Announced

Call for WiGIS Board Member Nominations

Women in GIS joins with URISA's GISCorps

Join Us for the First All-Member Meeting

2024 Awards and Scholarships now open!

Communities of Practice

Join us at the 2023 Esri UC!

Tuesday, July 11 - 7:00am - 8:00am

Women in GIS Special Interest Group (SIG): Perspectives on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Wednesday, July 12 - 5:30pmWiGIS Social

2023 Awards and Scholarship Winners Announced!

2023 Board of Directors Elections

Level Up Your Presentation Skills!

Geographers without Borders

2023 Awards and Scholarships!

New Job Board Unveiled

New Sponsor Opportunities!

Resume Writing Workshop

Connect with Women in GIS at the ESRI UC!

Women in GIS is excited to connect with our members in person at the ESRI UC, July 11-14th.

Election Results!

WiGIS Leadership Elections

In April, WiGIS Members will elect key roles in WiGIS leadership.

Election Timeline:

Sign the AAG's Petition of Solidarity with the People of Ukraine

New Member Benefit: Communities of Practice

Speakers Wanted for High School GIS Class

Women in GIS Special Interest Group (SIG):
Perspectives on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Wednesday, July 12 - 5:30pm
WiGIS Social