Maine GIS User Group

05/11/2026

Join us for the next MEGUG Lunch & Learn: Data Privacy and Security

When: Wednesday, 20 May 2026 12:00 PM
Registration required:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ggYl7rWHT9uVKy5m82LwAw #/registration

Presenter: Lauren Mayhew, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems, UMA

Abstract: As organizations collect, analyze, and share unprecedented volumes of data, protecting sensitive information has become both a technical and ethical imperative. This talk explores the changing landscape of data security and privacy, highlighting the risks posed by modern threats, including large-scale breaches, insider misuse, and poorly governed data practices.
The examination of core principles of data protection—confidentiality, integrity, minimization, and transparency—is a topic that warrants further discussion. Additionally, there needs to be an examination of how regulatory frameworks such as GDPR and emerging U.S. privacy laws currently shape organizational responsibilities. Through real-world examples, this session connects policy, technology, and human behavior to demonstrate how privacy can be embedded into system design rather than treated as an afterthought.
Attendees will leave with a practical understanding of key challenges, common pitfalls, and actionable strategies for building trust, reducing risk, and responsibly managing data in an increasingly interconnected world.

Presenter: Lauren Mayhew, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems, University of Maine at Augusta Abstract: As organizations collect, analyze, and share unprecedented volumes of data, protecting sensitive information has become both a technical and ethical imperative. This talk exp...

03/17/2026

Join us for the next MEGUG Lunch & Learn:
Spatial Representation Learning (SRL), a modern GeoAI technology (Virtual Lunch & Learn)

When: Wednesday, 25 Mar 2026 12:00 PM

Register here: Zoom

Presenter: Zhangyu Wang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Spatial and Information Science, University of Maine.

Abstract: Spatial Representation Learning (SRL) is a modern GeoAI technology that allows neural networks to appropriately process and understand spatial objects such as locations, trajectories, polygons and networks. I will briefly introduce the most recent advance in location encoding, the method that represents places on Earth and enables the modeling of complex geographical phenomena such as wildlife distributions, geotagged tweets and street view images.

Recordings of our previous Lunch & Learn events are available on our MEGUG YouTube Channel.

Stay tuned for future events!

Sincerely,
Maine GIS User Environmental Working Group

Presenter: Zhangyu Wang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Spatial and Information Science, University of Maine. Abstract: Spatial Representation Learning (SRL) is a modern GeoAI technology that allows neural networks to appropriately process and understand spatial objects such as locations, trajectories,...

12/19/2025

Announcing the next MEGUG Lunch & Learn: Bridging the Gap: SQL and ArcGIS Querying (Virtual Lunch & Learn)
When: Wednesday, 14 Jan 2026 12:00 PM

Registration:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iXXIpyE-SSWU4FsBswPXzg #/registration

Presenter: Matt Dube, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Data Science, University of Maine at Augusta

GIS shapefiles and standalone tables are fundamentally built on the premise of relational databases. As such, the query mechanisms in GIS are built around the language of relational databases, namely SQL. In this Lunch and Learn, we will talk about the crosswalk between these two approaches to querying and the underlying mathematical operations at play (don't worry; it won't be mathy).
The talk is designed for someone from either perspective to gain knowledge of the other and to encourage geospatial professionals to think through their queries as an exercise in tabular thinking, enhancing their problem solving skills in selection tasks. This is effectively a streamlining of a lecture that I would give (or advocate for giving) in an introductory GIS course in a university setting. It is quite likely that if you did not learn GIS from a computing-oriented professor that you will learn a lot about what's going on with your query system by attending this talk. If you are a computing professional that has never seen a GIS, this will serve as an introduction about how to leverage your knowledge of SQL to query features within a GIS environment.

Please visit https://megug.org/ for more information.

Presenter: Matt Dube, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Data Science, University of Maine at Augusta GIS shapefiles and standalone tables are fundamentally built on the premise of relational databases. As such, the query mechanisms in GIS are built around the language of relational databases, namely SQL....

12/05/2025

We had a great MEGUG Fall Conference at the University of Maine at Farmington on November 14th. Jesse Minor from the Maine Department of Marine Resources was the Keynote Speaker. The conference included 10 technical sessions, a poster session and several exhibitors. Keep in touch to find out about upcoming virtual lunch & learns and the 2026 Spring and Fall Conferences!

08/20/2024

MEGUG is pleased to announce our 2024 Fall Conference. Open to both members and non-members, this will be a full day event featuring presentations, posters and our annual meeting. The conference will be held at the McGoldrick Center at USM on Friday, November 22. We plan to have two concurrent tracks and are seeking presentations. Please see the Call for Papers at the link below for more information and to submit a presentation or poster.

As always current members receive discounted registration for our conferences. If your membership has expired, there is plenty of time to renew before the conference.

We are also looking for sponsors and exhibitors! If you would like to exhibit, please contact us by email: [email protected].

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfg3h1DZRtHty3po84E-fDrDAJdJh1I2Pn7sRymgwCwkouo6Q/viewform

12/13/2023

Looking back on the fabulous, fun and educational Fall GIS Conference at the beautiful Smith Center at Wolfe's Neck Farm in November. We loved seeing so many GIS Professionals together in one room. Thanks so much to all the presenters who helped us put together a great program.

05/26/2023