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UNC DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENT
GIS@UNC
November 2026: GIS Day is here!
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Nov 14 GIS Day maps due | Nov 17 GeoGuessr tournament | Nov 18 GIS Day @ Davis Library | Dec 13 Innovative GIS due | Feb 3-5 NC GIS Conference (Winston-Salem)
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Celebrate GIS Day at Davis Library
Wednesday, November 18 | 3:00 to 4:00 PM | Davis Library, 2nd floor, Room 247
Join University Libraries and the Department of Geography and Environment for UNC’s GIS Day Celebration and Map Competition. Look through a display of student maps, enjoy light snacks, and vote for your favorite map.
This year’s theme is Connecting NC: Transit, Active Transportation, and Safety. Winners are chosen half by the judges and half by popular vote, so your vote counts. Read more about the 2026 GIS Day Map Contest.
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Cash prizes for the top three maps
| $500 1st place | First place
Top map by combined judges’ score and popular vote. |
| $300 2nd place | Second place
Cash prize for the runner-up map. |
| $200 3rd place | Third place
Cash prize for the third-place map. |
One map per person, using the provided NC GIS data package plus any extra data you choose. Maps are due November 14, before the event. Submissions are not taken at GIS Day.
Questions about the event? Email Library Data Services.
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ALUMNI PANEL | RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE
What is a career in GIS like?
Recorded Wednesday, November 4
On November 4th, UNC alumni spoke about their careers in GIS. If you missed it, the recorded Zoom session is now online.
Panelists: Sidney Hipp (Esri), Mark Chilton (former Orange County Register of Deeds), Will Corbett (Wilson County), and Lisa Ushakova (Town of Kernersville).
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Around the department
 GeoGuessr Club at Carolina tournament flyer. |
GEOGUESSR CLUB AT CAROLINA
GeoGuessr Tournament
Tuesday, November 17 | 7:00 PM | Carolina Hall 220
Join GeoGuessr Club at Carolina for a GeoGuessr tournament. All levels are welcome and encouraged to come! There will be leveled brackets.
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NEW STUDENT ORGANIZATION
GIS Club at UNC-Chapel Hill
Beginning in Spring 2027, there will be a GIS club on campus! The club will host events, bring in speakers, and do GIS-y things. You can learn more and request to join the GIS club on Heel Life.
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Coffee with the GDS Advisor
Have questions about careers in GIS? What classes to take? How to get internships? What can you do with GIS? On select Fridays, you can get coffee with Dr. Parr. Meet at Carolina 317B and ask your questions!
Friday, November 13 @ 10am
Friday, November 20 @ 10am
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 Dr. David Parr, Geospatial Data Science BS advisor |
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Map competitions: deadlines approaching
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Nov 14
2026 UNC GIS Day Map Competition
Theme: Connecting NC. One map per person, made with the provided NC data package.
1st Place: $500; 2nd Place: $300; 3rd Place: $200
Maps will be displayed in Davis Library on November 18!
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Dec 13
2026 UNC Innovative Use of GIS
First-place undergraduate and graduate winners get the G. Herbert Stout Award ($50 and free registration) and an invitation to present at the NC GIS Conference in Winston-Salem, Feb 3-5, 2027.
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Career toolkit
The EarthStuff blog by Greg Cocks posts a weekly summary of GIS jobs around the world, including links to job boards and internships. Check out earthstuff.substack.com for the free spatial job roundups on the EarthStuff Substack and LinkedIn newsletter.
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Conferences to know
NC GIS Conference, Feb 3-5, 2027, Winston-Salem
ncgisconference.com |
SEDAAG 2026, Southeastern Division of the AAG: November 22, 2026, Tuscaloosa, AL
sedaag.org/2026-meeting-information |
NACIS Annual Meeting, North American Cartographic Information Society: October 21-24, Milwaukee, WI
nacis.org/annual-meeting/current-meeting |
Esri User Conference, July 12-16, 2027, San Diego, CA
esri.com/uc |
AAG 2027 Annual Meeting, American Association of Geographers: February 8-12, 2027, New York, NY
aag.org/events/aag2027 |
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GIS@UNC
Department of Geography and Environment
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
daveparr@unc.edu
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