2025 Speakers
Ali Bramson
Assistant Professor of Planetary Sciences, Purdue University
Dr. Bramson uses remote sensing observations, such as those acquired with radar and imaging systems onboard spacecraft, to understand the planets in our solar system. She often combines observational analyses with theoretical modeling, field work at terrestrial analog sites, and experimental studies. She works with spacecraft operations to target sites for new data acquisition and is also involved in projects to plan for the future of robotic spacecraft missions and human exploration to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Dr. Bramson joined the faculty in Purdue’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences in 2020. Prior to that, she was at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, where she received her M.S. and Ph. D. in planetary sciences with a minor in geosciences. She received her BS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, double-majoring in physics and astronomy and obtaining a certificate in computer science.
Gregory Brunner
Principal Data Scientist, Esri
Brunner is an experienced scientist, award-winning professor, and principal data scientist at Esri, the global leader in GIS software, location intelligence, and mapping. Through his vision and leadership, Brunner has helped organizations worldwide manage, disseminate, and analyze large volumes of imagery to support diverse missions and solve complex problems. His current work focuses on developing custom AI and computer vision-based spatial analysis tools to extract and attribute features from imagery, as well as exploring extended reality (XR) applications and integrating 3D GIS data into XR environments. A passionate educator, Brunner served as an adjunct professor at Saint Louis University from 2017 to 2022, earning the 2019 Excellence in Adjunct Teaching award. He has authored multiple lesson paths on Esri’s ArcGIS Learn platform to teach users how to apply the ArcGIS API for Python in data science.
Marianne Cardwell
Geographic Information Officer, State of Indiana
Cardwell is the geographic information officer for the State of Indiana. She holds a B.A. in Geography from Michigan State University and an M.S. in Geographic and Cartographic Sciences from George Mason University. She has been a GIS Analyst, Developer, Manager, and Director throughout her 25 years as a GIS consultant prior to joining the Indiana Geographic Information Office.
Luke Coady
Solutions Architect, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Coady is a solutions architect at AWS with over 23 years of combined experience in technology. His experience spans both traditional on-premises infrastructure and modern cloud architectures, making him particularly adept at guiding educational institutions through their digital transformation journeys.
David Conklin
Solutions Architect, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Conklin is a solutions architect who joined Amazon Web Services (AWS) in 2022. He is passionate about Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Cloud Geospatial, and Big Data. Outside of work, Conklin enjoys traveling, playing soccer, and learning about the latest trends and applications in geospatial and AI.
Daniel Council
Geographic Information Outreach Coordinator, Indiana Geographic Information Office (IGIO)
Council is the newest geographic information outreach coordinator for the Indiana Geographic Information Office (IGIO), working closely across the northern region of Indiana to foster relationships in the GIS community. He received his Bachelor’s in Geography from Ball State University and his Master’s in Spatial Analysis from Toronto Metropolitan University. Council has a diverse GIS background spanning multiple positions, including research on crowdsourced mapping, county government, and geodemographic analysis for marketing purposes.
Brian DeKemper
Enterprise Account Executive, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
DeKemper is an enterprise account executive at AWS, supporting research university customers in the Great Lakes region. He’s spent over two decades working in technology and services companies that focus on the higher education market. Outside of work, he enjoys skiing and traveling with his family.
Songlin Fei
Professor and iDiF Director for Forestry & Natural Resources | Purdue University
Dr. Fei is the chair of remote sensing and director of the Institute for Digital Forestry, and is a quantitative ecologist specializing in forest ecology, invasion ecology, and geospatial analytics, and joined Purdue faculty in 2011. He received his Ph. D. from Penn State University.
Jinha Jung
Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, Geomatics, Purdue University
Dr. Jung is an associate professor in the School of Civil Engineering at Purdue University. He received his Ph.D. degree in Geomatics – Civil Engineering, specializing in Computational Science & Engineering at Purdue University in 2011. He worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Illinois at Chicago & Purdue University and worked as a faculty at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi from 2014 until he joined Purdue University in 2019. Dr. Jung is noted for his work in 1) the development of UAS based High Throughput Phenotyping system for agriculture applications, 2) developing algorithms to process UAS data for feature extraction, 3) data fusion of hyperspectral and full-waveform LiDAR data, 4) vegetation structural analysis using LiDAR data, 5) high-performance computing for advanced remote sensing algorithm development, and 6) WebGIS software development using Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).
Joan Keene
GIS Director, Hamilton County, Indiana Government
Keene is the GIS Director for Hamilton County, Indiana, whose responsibilities include ensuring the availability and accessibility of geospatial services and data for end users, managing the annual acquisition of the county’s orthoimagery program, and collaborating with the state, Hamilton County municipalities, and regional agencies on various initiatives. Keene served as the Indiana Geographic Information Council (IGIC) President during 2022–2023 and represented the Large County Government on the IGIC Board of Directors during 2018–2024.
Nicole Kong
Professor of GIS and Associate Dean for Research for Libraries and School of Information Studies, Purdue University
Dr. Kong is associate dean for research and professor of GIS at Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies, where she leads research on geospatial data discovery, integration, and visualization. She has published extensively on GIS applications in environmental monitoring, digital humanities, and spatial analysis, and has received awards including the Map and Geospatial Information Round Table (MAGIRT) Honors Award and Esri Special Achievement in GIS Award.
Ian Lindsay
Associate Professor of Anthropology, Purdue University
Dr. Lindsay is an anthropological archaeologist studying the origins of complex societies in the South Caucasus. He co-directs an international collaborative expedition called Project ArAGATS, together with scholars and co-directors from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Republic of Armenia, Cornell University, NYU/Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His interests also extend to the use of remote sensing, GIS, and photogrammetric techniques and a critical engagement with how these new digital data collections methods are impacting archaeological practice, particularly in post-colonial contexts. Many of the data sets and methods we employ provide excellent opportunities for student participation in the field and laboratory.
Xiao Liu
Senior Research Software Engineer, Rosen Center for Advanced Computing, Purdue University
Liu is a senior research software engineer at the Rosen Center for Advanced Computing, Purdue University. With a strong foundation in Computational Geosciences, Xiao brings broad expertise in remote sensing, GIS, ML/AI, HPC, and hydrologic modeling.
Thomas Peck
Senior Associate, Ecopia AI
Peck serves as a senior associate at Ecopia AI, leading Ecopia’s U.S. state land cover and environmental programs. In this role, he oversees large-scale geospatial data initiatives across all 50 states, ensuring the integration of high-resolution land cover data into critical environmental and governmental applications. Peck holds an Honor’s of Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business and a Bachelor’s of Urban Development and Geography from the University of Western Ontario.
Shaun Scholer
GIS Program Director, State of Indiana
Scholer leads the imagery and elevation programs for the Indiana Geographic Information Office (IGIO). He received his bachelor’s degree in aviation from ISU in 1993 and a master’s degree in Geography with an emphasis on GIS and Remote sensing from ISU in 1995. During his 28-year career in GIS, he worked to foster partnerships to identify needs, determine effective GIS policy-level decisions, and implement practical, effective GIS initiatives. Shaun has also served in multiple leadership roles within IGIC.