Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology traces its origins to the 1960s, but the field truly matured with the development of inexpensive computer graphics hardware and scalable relational database systems that allow the processing of millions of data records accessed via client-server databases, or even as services in the cloud. GIS can be used to rapidly develop measurements of landscape variables (for example, land cover type, slope, elevation) needed for both process-based and statistical models describing hydrology and water quality. Geographic representations of fluvial systems (hydrography) and digital elevation can be combined using GIS methods to create derived datasets that represent fluvial processes in 2-D and 3-D, including stream profiles. These derived datasets can provide information about erosion potential, fluvial processes, and landform history, including clues to tectonic events (e.g. geological uplift and subsidence).
Price earned his M.S. in Geology from Dartmouth College and, after a few years with NASA, joined the U.S. Geological Survey. During his USGS career, he provided GIS technical support and training, and applied GIS to projects ranging in scale from local water-quality studies, to nationwide tools for landscape characterization, and development of Python raster tools used to build the National Hydrography Dataset-Plus. He is an at-large board member with the Black Hills Digital Mapping Association and has been recognized as an Esri ArcGIS Certified Desktop Professional and an Esri Community MVP.
Price teaches five courses in geospatial technology at the South Dakota Mines. All of these courses can be included in the undergraduate minor and undergraduate and graduate certificates in geospatial technology at South Dakota Mines.