PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
May 2018
229
INDUSTRY
NEWS
To have your press release published in
PE&RS
, contact Rae Kelley,
.
ANNOUNCEMENT
The Polis Center
at IUPUI announced today
the appointment of James I. Sparks as Director
of Geoinformatics. A highly-experienced geo-
spatial information professional, Sparks has
spent the majority of his career working with
geospatial information. He comes to Polis after
serving as Indiana’s first Geographic Informa-
tion Officer which entailed coordinating the
statewide geospatial efforts and integrating, creating, and dis-
tributing geospatial data. Previously, Sparks was integral to
the development of the Indianapolis Mapping and Geographic
Infrastructure System (IMAGIS), serving as project manager
for the data conversion component. This substantial effort con-
verted paper and digital data into GIS layers to create a geo-
graphic information system for Marion County, Indiana. Upon
completion, IMAGIS was recognized as noteworthy for its size,
complexity, and the level of benefit that it delivered.
“This is not my first time to be involved with The Polis Cen-
ter,” Sparks said. “I worked closely with Dr. Bodenhamer and
others at the Center in the early 2000s developing geospatial
projects characterized by having both a practical and applied
orientation -- the same project model still used by The Polis
Center today. I am excited about a return to an academic set-
ting while reuniting with great friends and colleagues to help
create a spatially-enabled Indiana that is well-positioned to
support emerging efforts like ‘smart cities’ and the Internet
of Things.”
David Bodenhamer, Executive Director of The Polis Center,
said “We are delighted to have Jim Sparks as a key member
of our team. He has led Indiana’s efforts to become a spatial-
ly-enabled state, for which he has received national recogni-
tion. With his help, we look forward to developing even more
opportunities for effective university-government-community
partnerships to use spatial information to improve the stan-
dard-of-living and enhance the quality of life for Hoosiers.”
Jim’s professional affiliations include serving as state rep-
resentative of the National States Geographic Information
Council and is a founding member of the Indiana Geograph-
ic Information Council (IGIC). Jim earned both a M.S. degree
in management and a B.S. degree in business administration
from Indiana Wesleyan University. He is certified in geograph-
ic information systems by the American Society for Photo-
grammetry and Remote Sensing.
As a self-funded research unit of the IU School of Liberal Arts
at IUPUI, the Polis Center collaborates to create innovative
place-based solutions that lead to healthier and more resilient
communities. It does that by creating actionable information,
developing creative collaborations, doing place-based research,
and employing technology effectively to enhance the capacity
of communities to respond meaningfully to change. The ap-
proach of The Polis Center is practical, applied, and entrepre-
neurial. It works collaboratively and often serves as the nexus
among diverse community-based organizations, government
agencies, educational institutions, arts and cultural organi-
zations, businesses, charitable endowments, and faith-based
organizations. The Center is committed to linking university
and community expertise and to the smart use of advanced
technologies to help solve problems and help communities take
advantage of opportunities. Geospatial technologies, especially
GIS, are its preferred technical tools because of their unique
ability to integrate and visualize information by location. The
Center uses these tools to develop and analyze data for com-
munities and then involves local experts in helping to under-
stand what the results mean. In doing so, The Polis Center
helps communities for more productive decision-making. In
all of the sectors in which it works, it has earned a national
reputation as a dynamic urban-centered, learning environ-
ment with highly professional staff who excel in local experts
in helping to understand what the results mean. In doing so,
The Polis Center helps communities for more productive de-
cision-making. In all of the sectors in which it works, it has
earned a national reputation as a dynamic urban-centered,
learning environment with highly professional staff who excel
in partnerships, real-world application, and winning solutions
for the communities.
PRODUCTS
Spectral Evolution
introduces the newly designed PSR-2500
– a full range field spectroradiometer de-
signed to meet research needs and budgets.
The PSR-2500 picks up its new design and
construction from Spectral Evolution’s
leading remote sensing spectroradiome-
ter, the PSR+. This includes an anodized
aluminum unibody chassis with integrated
heat dispersion channels that’s good looking and rugged. With
no moving parts, the PSR-2500 is ideal for field research ap-
plications. In addition, the instrument has been upgraded to
provide improved spectral resolution; 3.5nm @ 700nm, 20nm
@ 1500nm, and 18nm @ 2100nm
In addition to improved resolution, the new updated PSR-
2500 delivers high sensitivity for better field measurements;
≤0.8x10-9 W/cm2/nm/sr @400nm, ≤1.5x10-9 W/cm2/nm/sr
@1500nm, and ≤1.8x10-9 W/cm2/nm/sr @2100nm
The PSR-2500 is field ready, weighing in at 7.3 lbs (3.3 kg),
powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery (two are includ-
ed with the instrument) and a backpack or shoulder strap for
easy field mobility. The PSR-2500 can be used with a range
of direct attach lenses or a fiberoptic cable with field-of-view
(FOV) lenses: 4°, 8° or 14°, a 25° fiber optic diffuser or integrat-
ing sphere. Other accessories include our pistol grip, choice of
