University News

Chad Sperry Named WIU's GIS Director

December 17, 2009

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MACOMB, IL - - Chad Sperry, who has served as manager of Western Illinois University's Geographic Information System (GIS) Center since 2004, has been named GIS Center director. The title change from GIS manager to director was effective July 1.

Western's GIS Center, which is part of the geography department and located in Tillman Hall, serves the McDonough County GIS Consortium: a partnership involving the City of Macomb, McDonough County and Western Illinois University.

The Center compiles, manages and stores GIS data layers for the Consortium and regularly provides technical, analytical and map-making support for Consortium clients.

Under Sperry's leadership as manager and director, the Center has completed GIS and GPS projects for federal agencies, state and local entities, partnered with WIU faculty members on research projects and provided hands-on GIS and GPS training for Western's students, according to Samuel Thompson, chair of the department of geography.

"It is a privilege to serve the GIS Center as director and to lead such a remarkable group of professionals and students. I am certain we can meet new challenges with continued success," Sperry said.

Sperry has focused on multiple applications of GIS, planning, data collection and analysis. He has been the principal investigator for both large and small projects involving local government agencies, drainage districts, federal government and private entities.

"I am pleased to have Chad Sperry as director of the Center. He is constantly pursuing internal and external projects for the GIS Center, and involving both undergraduate and graduate students in the respective projects," Thompson added. "I look forward to further expansion of the Center's activities, both internally and externally."

Prior to coming to Western, Sperry worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District (2002-2004) and was a GIS specialist with Klingner & Associates, P.C. in Quincy, IL, (1999-2002). He earned his master's degree from Purdue University (1999) and his bachelor's degree from Western (1995).

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