Joseph Kerski

Joseph Kerski serves as Education Manager at Esri and instructor at the University of Denver, establishing himself as a leading authority in geographic information systems (GIS) education. His academic credentials include BA, MA, and PhD in Geography from the University of Colorado, complemented by extensive experience across government, academia, private industry, and nonprofit sectors. Throughout his career, he has served in key roles at NOAA, the US Census Bureau, USGS, and as president of the National Council for Geographic Education. His scholarly contributions include 12 books, over 100 academic articles and chapters, 6,000 educational videos, and 1,000 curriculum resources focused on GIS and spatial thinking. His research has significantly impacted GIS education, with his work on GIS implementation in secondary education being cited over 700 times. Kerski has received multiple lifetime achievement awards, including the 2021 UCGIS University Consortium for GIScience Lifetime Achievement Award. His commitment to geographic education extends globally, visiting over 350 schools and 400 universities worldwide to promote spatial thinking and geotechnologies. Through his two TED talks on the "Whys of Where" and extensive educational resources, he continues to advocate for the essential role of spatial thinking in addressing 21st-century challenges