Cal State San Bernardino’s Department of Geography & Environmental Studies began a partnership with ESRI – the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence and mapping, located in Redlands, Calif. – to provide students with exceptional opportunities for future employment and training. The first event of this blossoming collaboration brought a tour of around 100 CSUSB students to the ESRI campus for workshops, networking and career connections with GIS professionals and technicians.

Yolonda Youngs, associate professor of geography at Cal State San Bernardino, arranged the trip with assistance from two faculty colleagues: Bo Xu, associate professor of geography, and Jennifer Alford, interim department chair. Student leaders from SAGES (Student Association for Geography and Environmental Studies) and the CSE (Computer Science & Engineering) club also helped organize the event.

The tour, held last spring semester, brought undergraduate and graduate students majoring in geography, environmental studies, computer science, biology and engineering to the ESRI campus, offering them knowledge and networking opportunities within the many subfields of geography. As part of a new initiative in the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies, this trip is one of the first activities in a series of tours, workshops and events in discussion with ESRI. The plan is to offer the ESRI campus tour annually to CSUSB students.

About the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies

CSUSB’s Department of Geography & Environmental Studies is the leading location for teaching GIS, remote sensing and geospatial techniques. The department offers students unique and engaging learning experiences that prepare them for an array of careers and advanced degree opportunities.

Discover degrees, programs and more on the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies website.

About ESRI

ESRI is the global market leader of GIS software, location intelligence and mapping. They have over 300,000 organizations around the world using their services, including 90% of Fortune 100 companies, national and local governments and 12,000 universities. CSUSB’s proximity to ESRI’s world headquarters in Redlands, Calif. provides students with accessible employment opportunities upon graduation.

For more information, visit the ESRI website.