UCGIS Symposium 2026

UCGIS Symposium 2026

8:30am EDT

Advancing Social Media Analytics in Neo4j: Multimodal Embeddings and AI Agents with Knowledge Graphs

Monday June 15, 2026 8:30am - 12:00pm EDT

Workshop Registration

Half-day, hands-on workshop on AI-powered social media analytics using multimodal embeddings and knowledge graphs in Neo4j. Participants will use a curated Twitter/X-style dataset to build AI agents that utilize vector search and graph structures for in-depth analysis. Prior tutorial context: https://github.com/xbwei/data-analysis-with-generative-aiThis workshop requires registration - click here...
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Speakers

Xuebin Wei

Associate Professor, James Madison University

Xuebin Wei is an Associate Professor at James Madison University. He teaches geospatial data science, GeoAI, and cloud computing, and develops practical approaches for using generative AI in teaching. His recent work focuses on course-grounded AI assistants, AI-supported content creation... Read More →

Monday June 15, 2026 8:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Room A

Workshop

11:30am EDT

Lunch break (on your own)

Monday June 15, 2026 11:30am - 1:00pm EDT

Monday June 15, 2026 11:30am - 1:00pm EDT
Main

Meal

1:00pm EDT

From Prompts to Protocols: Governing Agentic AI for Reliable Geospatial Programming

Monday June 15, 2026 1:00pm - 4:30pm EDT

Workshop Registration

This workshop introduces AgentLoom, a dual-helix governance framework for reliable agentic AI in geospatial programming. Participants will leverage Persistent Knowledge and Enforceable Behavioral Constraints to stabilize LLM outputs, ensuring scientifically rigorous and reproducible software development across complex geospatial workflows. Prerequisite Knowledge & Materials:● Intermediate...
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Speakers

Dr. Boyuan Guan

Lead Developer, Florida International University

Dr. Levente Juhász

Assistant Professor of Geospatial Analytics, University of Florida

Levente Juhász is an Assistant Professor of Geospatial Analytics at the University of Florida. His research specializes in geospatial analytics, spatial data science, and OpenStreetMap, and GeoAI, focusing on geographic data quality and other pressing issues.

Dr. Wencong Cui

Florida International University

Monday June 15, 2026 1:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
Room B

Workshop

1:30pm EDT

How AI is Powering the Future of Geospatial

Monday June 15, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm EDT

Workshop Registration

This session introduces the foundations of AI within Esri’s ArcGIS platform. It explores how machine learning, deep learning, AI assistants, and large language models integrate with ArcGIS Pro , ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS apps. We will clarify key terminology, examine practical GIS-focused AI workflows, and distinguish between hype and classroom-ready capabilities. Attendees will see examples such...
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Speakers

Angela Lee

Director, Education, ESri

Angela Lee is the Director of Education Solutions at Esri. She leads outreach to educators, students, and administrators, and promotes a geographic approach to learning and problem solving. She also manages Esri’s product offerings for educational institutions. As a liaison between... Read More →

Canserina Kurnia

Esri

Monday June 15, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm EDT
Room A

Workshop

8:00am EDT

Continental Breakfast

Tuesday June 16, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am EDT

Tuesday June 16, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am EDT
Main

Meal

9:00am EDT

Opening Session & Welcome

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:00am - 9:30am EDT

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:00am - 9:30am EDT

Plenary

9:30am EDT

Plenary Session: The future of Spatial Intelligence - The opportunity for Leadership

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:30am - 10:20am EDT

The future of Spatial Intelligence - The opportunity for LeadershipIn the not-too-distant future, every decision - investment, infrastructure, climate adaptation, real estate, farming, banking - will start with a live conversation with the Earth. In our field, we have surely moved from looking at the Earth to asking it questions building on the maturity of geospatial technology and computing, the...
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Speakers

Marge Cole

LunateAI

Driven by a passion for innovation that empowers, I have spent over two decades at the intersection of aerospace, geospatial standards, and entrepreneurship. From my tenure at NASA, SGT and KBR to launching my own consulting firm and now LunateAI, I have a proven track record of championing... Read More →

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:30am - 10:20am EDT
Main

Plenary

10:20am EDT

Break

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:20am - 10:40am EDT

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:20am - 10:40am EDT
Main

Break

10:40am EDT

Student Lightning Talks: Emerging Directions in GeoAI

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:40am - 12:00pm EDT

Cluster 1: Urban Perception & Human-Centered AI Keenon Lindsey, Texas State Univ.: “Seeing” Gentrification: A Deep Learning Approach to Visual Change Perception Yingrui Zhao, Univ. of Maryland: An LLM-Guided Approach for Analyzing Public Sentiment associated with Transportation POI Visit Patterns Michaelmary Chukwu, Univ. of Maryland: From Gravity Models to Semantic Reasoning: Leveraging LLMs...
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Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:40am - 12:00pm EDT
Main

Lightning Talk

10:40am EDT

State of the Industry

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:40am - 12:00pm EDT

TBA

Moderated by Aaron Addison, WGIC Executive Director

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:40am - 12:00pm EDT
TBA

Panel

12:00pm EDT

Lunch

Tuesday June 16, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT

Tuesday June 16, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT
Main

Meal

1:30pm EDT

Student papers B: Environmental & Hazard Applications

Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm EDT

Omada Friday Ojonugwa, Beihang Univ.: Multi-Sensor Fusion for Soil Moisture Estimation in West Africa using Ensemble Learning Paul C. Dunn, Oregon State Univ.: Retrieval-Augmented 4D Visualization for a Digital Twin of the Ocean: Improving Multiscale Pattern–Process Analysis with Generative AI, Reinforcement Learning, and Heterogeneous I/O Youshuang Hu, Univ. of Connecticut: GISc for Social...
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Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm EDT
Room B

Research Paper

1:30pm EDT

Student Papers Session A: GeoAI Methods & Modeling

Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm EDT

Yue Liu, Auburn Univ.: A Graph Neural Network Approach for Spatial Prediction of Urban Heat Islands Hafiz Tayyab Khattak, Auburn Univ.: Integrating Deep Learning and GIS for High-Resolution Flood Susceptibility Mapping Zihan Chen, UC Santa Barbara: Spatiotemporal Modeling of Wildfire Risk Using GeoAI Techniques Rishabh Sachdeva, Univ. of Florida: A Hybrid Machine Learning Framework for Land Use...
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Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm EDT
Room A

Research Paper

3:00pm EDT

Break

Tuesday June 16, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Tuesday June 16, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Main

Break

3:30pm EDT

Student papers C: Urban Systems & Human-Centered GeoAI

Tuesday June 16, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT

Shirin Alsadat Mahmoudian, George Mason Univ.: Generative AI for Urban Infrastructure Auditing: A Micro-scale Evaluation of Multimodal Transit Environments
Isaac Quaye, Temple Univ.: Explainability of DL-based Gentrification Detection from Street View Imagery
Jon Nealon, SUNY Albany: Beyond the God's Eye View: The Hot Air Balloon Perspective in Geospatial Journalism

Tuesday June 16, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Room A

Research Paper

3:30pm EDT

Student papers D: Spatial Analysis and Emerging Applications in GIScience

Tuesday June 16, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT

Hailey Richardson, Univ. of Alabama: Understanding the Impact of Spatial Relationship Definitions on Crime Clustering Analysis: Implications for Urban Crime Patterns and Policing Strategies Youshuang Hu, Univ. of Connecticut: GIScience for Social Equity: Unpacking the Black Box of Spatial Inequality Yuán Niú, Texas A&M Univ.: A Spatial Decision-Support Tool to Enhance Participatory Planning for...
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Tuesday June 16, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Room B

Research Paper

6:30pm EDT

Poster Session + Opening Reception

Tuesday June 16, 2026 6:30pm - 8:30pm EDT

StudentsJayanta Biswas, UNC Charlotte: A Deep Learning Framework for Fusing Multi-Modal Environmental Data to Downscale Human Mobility for Precision Malaria Modeling in Zambia Arati Budhathoki, Clemson Univ.: Tracking Mountain Degradation for the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Using the State of Colorado (USA) as an Example Sofiia Drozd, NTUU KPI: Agentic AI Framework for...
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Tuesday June 16, 2026 6:30pm - 8:30pm EDT
Main

Poster Session, Social

8:00am EDT

Continental Breakfast

Wednesday June 17, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am EDT

Wednesday June 17, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am EDT
Main

Meal

9:20am EDT

Plenary Session: Scaling over Space: Advancing the Model and Data Foundations of GeoAI

Wednesday June 17, 2026 9:20am - 10:20am EDT

Scaling over Space: Advancing the Model and Data Foundations of GeoAIAdvances in deep learning and foundation models are raising expectations for general-purpose learning and creating new opportunities to harness the geospatial data revolution for Earth monitoring and scientific discovery, with broad benefits for agriculture, energy, water, transportation, smart cities, and disaster response. At...
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Speakers

Yiqun Xie

Wednesday June 17, 2026 9:20am - 10:20am EDT
Main

Plenary

10:10am EDT

Break

Wednesday June 17, 2026 10:10am - 10:30am EDT

Wednesday June 17, 2026 10:10am - 10:30am EDT
Main

Break

10:30am EDT

Developing Your GIS Professional Ecosystem: Associations, Networks, and Career Pathways

Wednesday June 17, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT

Join us for a session on growing your network and career!

Esri: Michelle Kinzer
GPN: Sid Pandey
ASPRS: Karen Schuckman
WiGIS: Eva Reid
GISCI: Jochen Albrecht

Wednesday June 17, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Room B

Panel

10:30am EDT

Research Highlights: Advances in GeoAI and Spatial Modeling

Wednesday June 17, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT

Sergii Skakun, Univ. of Maryland: ON THE INFERENCE FROM SATELLITE-BASED CLASSIFICATION MAPS FOR AREA ESTIMATION Luyu Liu, Texas A&M Univ.: Disentangling and Tackling the Spatiotemporal Biases in Social Sensing Data: A Cognitive-behavioral Approach Jielu Zhang, Harvard Univ.: SpatialCausal: a spatially-aware causal inference deep learning model for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival prediction...
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Wednesday June 17, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Room A

Research Paper

12:00pm EDT

Lunch

Wednesday June 17, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT

Wednesday June 17, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT
Main

Meal

1:30pm EDT

Humans in GeoAI

Wednesday June 17, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm EDT

This panel session aims to engage both panelists and the audience in a critical dialogue about the challenges, opportunities, and paths forward regarding the relationship between humans and GIS/GeoAI. We seek to explore how to develop a human-centered vision of GIScience and GeoAI that is both socially responsible and cognitively informed.

Moderators

Shih-Lung Shaw

Professor, University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Dr. Shih-Lung Shaw is Chancellor’s Professor and Alvin and Sally Beaman Professor in the Department of Geography and Sustainability at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His research interests cover GIS for transportation, space-time GIS, time geography, transportation geography... Read More →

Wednesday June 17, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm EDT
Room B

Panel

1:30pm EDT

Research Highlights and Lightning Talks: Emerging Methods and Applications in GeoAI

Wednesday June 17, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm EDT

Full Research Presentations Somayeh Dodge, UC Santa Barbara: What Mobile Location Data Can Tell Us About Nature Exposure? Isaac Rand, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia: Automated Digitization of the Censuses of Housing Block Statistics, 1940-1970 Lightning Talks Xuebin Wei, James Madison Univ.: Building an AI Teaching Stack for GeoAI Education Peter Kedron, UC Santa Barbara: Spatial Reasoning...
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Wednesday June 17, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm EDT
Room A

Research Paper, Lightning Talk

3:00pm EDT

Break

Wednesday June 17, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Wednesday June 17, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Main

Break

3:30pm EDT

Field Trip: Maryland Robotics Center

Wednesday June 17, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT

Wednesday June 17, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Offsite

Field Trip, Social

3:30pm EDT

CaGIS Student Paper Competition

Wednesday June 17, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT

Ju He, Florida State Univ.: Estimating the Continuous Causal Effect of Spatial Distance on Outcomes Chen Zhang, Univ. of Connecticut: CASTED: Calibrated Anomaly-based Spatial-Temporal Event Detection Framework for Anomaly Detection in Resilience Curves Farnoosh Roozkhosh, Univ. of Georgia: Context-Augmented GeoAI for Public EV Charging: Predicting When and Where Charging Occurs Tongwei Xu, Univ....
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Wednesday June 17, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Room A

Research Paper

6:30pm EDT

Board Dinner

Wednesday June 17, 2026 6:30pm - 8:30pm EDT

Wednesday June 17, 2026 6:30pm - 8:30pm EDT
Offsite

Social

8:00am EDT

Continental Breakfast

Thursday June 18, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am EDT

Thursday June 18, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am EDT
Main

Meal

9:00am EDT

Plenary Panel: AI in Geospatial Education

Thursday June 18, 2026 9:00am - 10:20am EDT

Thursday June 18, 2026 9:00am - 10:20am EDT
Main

Plenary, Panel

10:20am EDT

Break

Thursday June 18, 2026 10:20am - 10:40am EDT

Thursday June 18, 2026 10:20am - 10:40am EDT
Main

Break

10:40am EDT

Awards Ceremony

Thursday June 18, 2026 10:40am - 11:45am EDT

Thursday June 18, 2026 10:40am - 11:45am EDT
Main

Social

11:45am EDT

Council Lunch

Thursday June 18, 2026 11:45am - 1:30pm EDT

Thursday June 18, 2026 11:45am - 1:30pm EDT
Main

Meal

1:30pm EDT

Education Session

Thursday June 18, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm EDT

Thursday June 18, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm EDT
Room B

Panel

1:30pm EDT

Federal Agencies Panel

Thursday June 18, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm EDT

Thursday June 18, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm EDT
Room A

Panel

3:00pm EDT

Break

Thursday June 18, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Thursday June 18, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Main

Break

3:30pm EDT

Field Trip

Thursday June 18, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT

Thursday June 18, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Offsite

Field Trip, Social

3:30pm EDT

Golden Compass Session

Thursday June 18, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT

Thursday June 18, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Room A

Panel