GLENVILLE, W.Va. — Glenville State College has received an instrumentation grant from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Division of Science and Research. The Division of Science and Research grants monies to institutions for the improvement of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education in West Virginia.

Funding from the grant will be used by the Department of Land Resources to integrate mobile geographic information system (GIS) technology in forestry, land surveying, and natural resource management programs at GSC.

The equipment, drones and hand-held data collectors with GPS, will be used within the department to improve the hands-on learning experiences of students, enhance learning with internet-based mapping, and aid with the visualization of geospatial data through the application of mobile GIS technology.

Foresters, land surveyors and others in natural resource management occupations have historically used conventional mapping methods.

With the advent and popularization of drones, we can now benefit from automated mapping, easier identification of boundaries, increased accuracy, and safer data collection.

“The Department of Land Resources at Glenville State College is fortunate to be awarded this grant from WV HEPC Division of Science and Research. We will be enhancing student knowledge in visualization and processing of geospatial data through the use of drone and GPS technology that allows teaching and learning to extend beyond the traditional classroom and field settings,” said Grant PI and Professor of Forestry Dr. Rico Gazal.

“Currently Dr. Gazal is Glenville State College’s most prolific grant writer and deserves recognition for his consistent success at receiving grants that support both his research and the education of our students. This grant is yet another example of Dr. Gazal’s commitment to keeping Glenville State College relevant in the field of Natural Resource Management, and for this we praise him,” read a statement from GSC’s Office of Academic Affairs.

Students enrolled in the Glenville State College Land Resources program may choose from concentrations in criminal justice, energy and land management, environmental science, forest technology, and land surveying technology.

For more information about the grant and the program, contact Gazal at Rico.Gazal@glenville.edu or (304) 462-6372.