What Is a Geospatial Extension Specialist (GES)?

A Geospatial Extension Specialist works to:

• Promote socioeconomic value and enable economic, environmental, and national security through the benefits of Earth science research results.
• Address virtually all of the national priority application areas of emphasis.
• Extend Earth science research results to local communities.
• Function as an interface between NASA, NOAA and USDA research & development and the Community of Practice, helping to meet the mandate of helping the public derive socioeconomic benefits from Earth science applications.
• Train field workers to use geospatial technology to gather specific local data necessary for NASA researchers to develop or ground truth Science-based applications for grass roots needs.
• Partner with government, academia, not-for-profit, and private-sector organizations to extend the benefits of Earth science research results.
• Promote improved Earth science data accessibility.
• Contribute to workforce development to meet federal agency and national needs.
• Focus on innovative approaches for using Earth science information to enable enhanced decision-support that can be adapted in applications worldwide

What Does a GES Do?

Methods range from a “space-down” approach to making information products operational to end users in need of decision support, to a “ground-up” approach of introducing turn-key field mapping systems that introduce Earth science data, models and decision support coupled with GPS and GIS. Empowering new users and obtaining feedback to improve the technology or direct the research happen simultaneously and on an iterative basis. Whether through web-based tutorials or hands-on workshops, users are trained on the latest applications even as they contribute to the specifications for the next round of innovation.

Program activities and areas of emphasis are tailored to the needs expressed in each state and further refined to address programmatic needs of educators (e.g. Extension agents, teachers, etc.) at the local level. In general, each GES works to:

1. Facilitate the use of Earth science technological capabilities, which include Earth observations from space, modeling and systems engineering, and other geospatial technology (e.g., GIS and GPS).
2. Define the market of potential users of geospatial technology by characterizing the needs of the different constituencies in a given state (e.g., extension agents, producers, government agency personnel, environmental educators, etc.).
3. Identify academic and commercial research groups throughout the state that are best positioned to meet those needs and facilitate partnerships with some combination of Space Grant, Land Grant (Cooperative Extension or a Tribal College network) and/or Sea Grant across the state.
4. Invest in efforts to make geospatial research and technology operational by promoting the development of new and implementation of existing geospatial applications and decision support tools.
5. Identify lead users (early adopters vs. later adopters) in each constituency and strategically involve them in education programs to help promote the diffusion of geospatial technology innovations to the broader community.
6. Tailor geospatial extension programming, educational materials, training programs and decision support tools to help established educational programs (e.g. within Cooperative Extension, Space Grant, Sea Grant or other partners) meet their own objectives through use of geospatial technology (i.e., rangeland monitoring, ecological forecasting, water quality education, wildfire management, invasive species management, precision agriculture, youth and community development, etc.).
7. Promote spatial literacy through a) “train the trainer” approach (i.e. within Extension), b) the promotion of appropriate certification programs in community colleges, and c) web-based educational materials, and d) collaborative workshops conducted in partnership with educators (e.g. teachers, Extension agents, etc.).
8. Promote the broader development of the workforce, and in particular, engage students and clientele traditionally underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
9. Promote the expansion of the Geospatial Extension Program to other states.