Online geodesign program adds geographic information systems expert to faculty

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Robert Stauder, a geographic information systems (GIS) professional with more than 20 years of experience in geodesign, GIS analysis and GIS in planning, is joining Penn State’s online geodesign graduate program. He is teaching Geodesign History, Theory and Principles, which is the program’s longest standing course and also the first step toward both the graduate certificate and the master of professional studies, which are offered entirely online through the Penn State World Campus. Stauder joined Esri, the world’s leading GIS software developer, in 1996 as a technical support analyst and moved on to roles as application developer, project manager and product manager over the next 22 years. He has worked on and supported numerous projects in the United States, Europe, Africa and Asia. Projects included solar installation site selection, vote center site selection, growth plan analyses, visualizing farm energy production potential, wildfire disaster mitigation modeling and a transit planning prototype. Stauder has experience in using GIS for public engagement, planning, conservation, public safety and workflow optimization. He also taught relational database management concepts and SQL and .NET programming as an adjunct professor at the University of California, Riverside for nine years. “Rob is very well known in the geospatial and geodesign community. He has been an avid supporter and frequent participant in our online geodesign classes so it is a pleasure to welcome him as the newest member of our geodesign faculty team,” said Kelleann Foster, director of the geodesign graduate program and professor of landscape architecture. Stauder holds a professional master of community planning degree from the University of Cincinnati and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Colorado State University.