The Spatial Institute is an interdisciplinary center for spatial research in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Studies, Geography, Resilience, and related fields. Housed within Huxley College of the Environment, the Institute provides opportunities for collaboration within Huxley College, across Western Washington University, and with the broader community.
The Spatial Institute supports both undergraduate and graduate level research and instruction. Recent and current research projects include GIS, Remote Sensing, GPS, Cartography, Interactive Mapping, and Disaster Response.
In addition to affiliated faculty and research projects, the Spatial Institute maintains spatial data servers providing data both on campus and online as well as the Spatial Analysis Lab and related web site which provide students, faculty and the larger academic community with information regarding spatial data resources, tools and other assistance. A GIS minor, GIS certificate and suite of courses are available through Huxley College of the Environment. The WWU Map Collection (a National Map Repository) is considered a major collection in the United States and houses over 250,000 maps and 1,000 atlases.
Mission
The Spatial Institute's mission is to provide leadership in dissemination of spatial information on campus; to promote the use of this information for education and research; and to provide a venue for collaborative research and exchange of spatial information and analysis among Huxley College and Western Washington University faculty and staff in this field.
