Irvine-based UMass Global, an online university previously known as Brandman University, will establish the Institute of Geospatial Education to offer online training and classes on how to use data related to a specific location, or geospatial technology.
The university is also collaborating with tech firm Esri, which focuses on geographic information systems and analysis platforms, to open the institute.
“Geospatial technology can accelerate problem-solving, enabling those who use it to rise more quickly to address the challenges of the day, regardless of if these challenges surface from circumstances internal or external to the organization,” UMass Global Chancellor David Andrews said in a statement.
These programs will focus on geospatial skills such as data-driven decision making and analysis.
UMass Global also aims to use its fully online capability to partner with international organizations for employee development.
Dr. Sheila Lakshmi Steinberg will be the institute’s inaugural director. Steinburg is currently the faculty assembly president at the school and is also president of the California chapter of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association.
UMass Global, which was acquired by the University of Massachusetts from Chapman University in 2021, has around 19,000 students total with 14,000 enrolled in academic credit programs.
