We're excited to launch a new ILGISA Board Spotlight series, designed to introduce you to the dedicated members of our Board of Directors. Each installment will highlight a different board member, offering a glimpse into their professional background, current role, and passion for GIS. Through this series, we hope to foster stronger connections within our community and celebrate the individuals guiding our organization.
Dr. Rich Schultz, GISP, Past President, Governance Committee Chair
Can you tell us a little about your background and how you got started in GIS?
My background is in the geosciences with my Ph.D. in geochemistry from the University of Cincinnati. I worked for eight years in the hazardous waste industry serving as project geologist and project manager before transitioning to higher education in 1997.
I first served as an adjunct faculty at the College of DuPage, Oakton College, and Moraine Valley Community College before becoming a tenured professor at Elmhurst College where I created their GIS certificate program, undergrad degree in Geospatial Technologies, and the Masters Program in Applied Geospatial Technologies. Later, I developed the Location Intelligence Program at North Park University while serving as their Associate Dean. I worked as a Senior Administrator for the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy while teaching GIS and drone courses and have also served as the Chief Digital Learning Officer at Lindenwood University. Most recently, I served as the Map Standards Coordinator at the Prairie Research Institute.
What is your current role, and how does GIS play a part in your work?
Currently, I serve as an adjunct faculty teaching GIS at the Illinois Institute of Technology and Wheaton College as well as Harper College where I teach in the drones certificate program. I am scheduled to teach GIS at DePaul University in Fall 2025.
I teach undergraduate and graduate students about how to employ GIS as a tool to solve problems in a variety of disciplines. l concentrate my teaching on applications for geospatial thinking and spatial cognition. I also assist students to arrange for job shadowing and GIS internship opportunities. At Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, I teach students to succeed in passing the FAA Part 107 exam and teach the skills associated with flying drones professionally. I have been a Part 107 licensed remote pilot since 2018.
How long have you been involved with ILGISA?
My introduction to ILGISA was through Dr. Rich Greene from Northern Illinois University while reviewing his community GIS textbook in 2004. Since then, I have served three terms on the ILGISA Board of Directors and most recently served as President in 2024. I was fortunate enough to be the recipient of an ILGISA Service Award and was the inaugural recipient of the Richard Hilton Collaboration Award. In total, I have served on numerous ILGISA committees and have been involved with ILGISA since 2004.
What motivated you to join the ILGISA board?
In teaching GIS, I sought out an organization that could provide for my students and help them network to get their foot into the door of the professional geospatial community. Joining the ILGISA board in 2008 helped me to initially be involved in establishing the ILGISA Education Committee and providing for outreach to colleges and universities within Illinois. My goals have always been focused on the development of the industry pipeline for the next generation of geospatial workers.
What are some key initiatives or projects you've been involved in as a board member?
I was involved in creating the ILGISA Education Committee during my first term on the ILGISA Board in 2008 and have been involved with ILGISA webinars and the MOOC since that time. Over the years, my workshops and presentations at ILGISA conferences have concentrated on the applications of the Geospatial Technology Competency Model (GTCM), the use of drones in remote sensing, GIS curriculum, and using GIS software for various applications.
Spreading the word about the use of GIS in many fields has always been part of my focus as an educator as well as conducting outreach to Illinois colleges and universities concerning the use of GIS as a tool. Serving on the ILGISA Board of Directors has put me in touch with many GIS practitioners and has opened doors for me both in the geospatial industry and to advocate for my GIS students.
What’s one achievement or milestone you’re particularly proud of during your time on the board?
That’s a tough question because all board members work so closely with each other as a team to establish initiatives and achieve goals for the organization. There really isn’t an individual component to ILGISA achievements.
However, I would say I’m most proud of being involved in the establishment of an educational and professional development component of ILGISA’s mission as an organization. That formalized movement began in 2008 and continues today with the myriad of opportunities for ILGISA members including webinars, the MOOC, and various educational experiences and workshops.
Over the last two decades, I’m particularly proud of the development and sustainability of ILGISA as a professional organization. Our conferences are well attended and our membership is currently approaching record levels thanks to the work of the ILGISA Board members and our executive director.
What challenges do GIS professionals face today, and how can organizations like ours help?
The geospatial industry has always been challenged by marketing issues. Not many know what the industry of geospatial technologies is and GIS has sometimes been thought of as simply a software platform. Colleges and universities aren’t sure what to do with GIS in their curricula as geography departments, which traditionally used to house GIS programs, have been largely phased out. Not until 2010 did the industry have official job titles as established by the US Department of Labor. Even today, job titles are not consistent throughout organizations. This makes it difficult for those just entering the workforce to showcase their skills as organizations don’t typically have well staffed GIS departments because of tight budgets and individuals with GIS skills often become the defacto department.
ILGISA can continue to promote GIS as a tool in many disciplines and expand the target audience to other workforce fields to help in this regard.
What advice would you give to someone looking to enter the GIS field?
As an educator who often consults with students on career options, I always mention the multidisciplinary aspect of using GIS. I add that there are many internship opportunities that often go unfilled because of a lack of applicants with appropriate technical skill sets. I also add that becoming well versed in a variety of focused areas is a great asset including database management, business and mathematical skills, remote sensing (i.e., drones) and durable skills such as writing and verbal communication. I provide students with the Geospatial Technology Competency Model (GTCM) and encourage them to hone their skills in many areas. Someone that is a “Swiss Army Knife” of spatial skills provides for a very employable individual.
Finally, I encourage students to undertake job shadowing experiences to determine what aspect of the geospatial workforce best fits their skill sets and which areas they will most enjoy in a permanent position.
What’s your favorite GIS-related project you’ve worked on?
Personally, I have worked on many GIS-focused projects over the years, but one that was particularly enjoyable for me was the development of a US National Parks StoryMap which was eventually accepted into Esri’s Living Atlas collection and has been linked to on the US National Parks Service website in the past.
Currently, I am in the final stages of creating an open educational resource (OER) curation in the public domain that will serve as a GIS workbook for learning geospatial skills. The plan is to make it free and open widely by the Fall of 2025. Upon request, I will make it available as part of the ILGISA MOOC.
Do you have a favorite map or GIS application that has inspired you?
In my teaching, I often begin with the history of how spatial thinking developed. One of the earliest examples is Dr. John Snow’s cholera map from 1854 in the Soho District of London. It proved that spatial observations can influence thinking in origins of diseases and demonstrates to early learners of GIS how useful spatial thinking is in practical applications. I also introduce the now famous Johns Hopkins Covid-19 dashboard and how useful it was as a tool for making important decisions during the pandemic. Those maps and apps have not only influenced me and my teaching, but inform students that GIS really is important in everyday life.
Outside of work, do you have any hobbies or interests you would like to share?
I am a collector of globes, enjoy visiting national parks (I have visited 35 thus far), and love to fly drones to collect photos and videos. I also enjoy traveling and have a goal of visiting many places globally as part of my bucket list. All of my interests involve the Earth and the environment like a true lifelong geoscientist.
What’s one fun fact about you that people might not know?
One fact that people may not know is that I was formerly an athlete. I was a champion gymnast in high school on the pommel horse and also played organized baseball in the LA Dodgers organization farm club.
What goals do you have for the organization moving forward?
I would love to see more colleges and universities become members of ILGISA. I feel that allows for students to become involved and serves the future geospatial workforce. I am also hopeful that university and college faculty will become interested in becoming ILGISA members so that connections can be made to the GIS community to promote modifications to geospatial curricula making it current and including necessary skills for students to develop to successfully become gainfully employed.
How can members of the GIS community get more involved in ILGISA?
GIS community members are encouraged to join ILGISA for networking, staying current in the industry, providing for their GISP experiences, and experiencing professional development to promote lifelong learning in the discipline.
The ILGISA Board always encourages members to join committees and add their perspectives and ideas to improve the organization.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Having served on the ILGISA Board has been extremely rewarding for me over the years and has connected me to many GIS experts whom I would not have met if it weren’t for ILGISA. I consider my experiences with ILGISA to be a major portion of my success within the geospatial community.
