An Eye in the Sky - Using InSAR Data to Detect Ground Movement
Stantec Consulting Services frequently leverages geospatial technologies to solve our client’s greatest challenges. Remote Sensing is one of those technologies that we use every day, having an eye in the sky provides a unique way to see what’s happening before it becomes a bigger problem. Stantec is working with the Kentucky Department of Natural Resources to provide engineering assessments of typical Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) features located at various sites in the Eastern and Western Coal Fields of Kentucky. Stantec is delivering a review of available information for the site, an in-depth engineering inspection, and identification of deficiencies, geotechnical exploration, and slope stability analyses. Stantec is in the process of developing remediation alternatives for any deficiencies identified and development of a Reclamation Action Plan. Stantec is implementing the use of freely available satellite Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) imagery from the European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel-1 mission to identify locations with ground stability issues through our GroundWATCH service. InSAR results are loaded into ArcGIS Online to allow subject matters experts and Kentucky government staff to easily view, inspected and analysis complex 4-dimentional surface deformation in heat maps and time series graphs that are generated on-the-fly. GroundWATCH can calculate surface displacement over time and the velocity ground slumping. InSAR data possess millimeter accuracy and precision and is available for the entire planet every 12-days dating back to 2015 at no cost.
Matt Wagoner has over 28 years of experience with Geospatial Technology. As the Geospatial Technology Leader for Stantec within the Digital Center of Excellence, Matt is responsible for the research and development of GIS, Remote Sensing and Reality Capture technologies and implementing standards for adoption across the organization. Matt's expertise lies in working with clients to develop the vision for geospatial technology solutions to improve their day-to-day work processes. His work helps clients develop efficiencies, provide reliable information, and increase quality.
Matt is a graduate of the University of Kentucky where he earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Geography. He has been with Stantec for 25 years, lives in Louisville wife his wife and three children. We not working Matt enjoys camping, hiking, home projects and time with the family.
Grant Wiseman is Stantec’s Remote Sensing Technology Manager with 22 years of environmental research experience. Grant obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography from the University of Winnipeg in 2001 and a Master of Science degree from the University of Manitoba in 2007. He began his career with Manitoba Conservation from 1999-2006 working on the Protected Areas Initiative and a Canadian Forest Service land-use mapping project with the Manitoba Remote Sensing Centre. Working as a Remote Sensing Analyst with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada from 2006-2013, Grant’s earth observation work is focused on developing new geomatic techniques for sustainable resource management in collaborative projects with the Canadian Space Agency, the United States Department of Agriculture and NASA. Mr. Wiseman has been with Stantec since December 2013 working on a wide range of remote sensing projects in the oil & gas, mining, power, infrastructure, and water sectors. Grant is the Stantec’s remote sensing Subject Matter Expert (SME) and is the manager of Stantec’s GlobeWATCH program. GlobeWATCH is a suite of innovative earth observation services tailored to meet specific target, client, and sector demands.
Unlocking the Power of GIS: How Robust Infrastructure Drives Innovation
For local governments, a strong GIS infrastructure is essential for building powerful and scalable applications. Dymaptic will showcase why a solid infrastructure is crucial for maximizing the value of geospatial data and how they’ve helped city and state agencies unlock the full potential of their own GIS systems.
Mara Stoica: Mara Stoica is the CEO of dymaptic, an innovative woman-owned GIS service provider and Esri Gold Partner. Mara started in GIS development nearly two decades ago and has extensive experience configuring and customizing GIS solutions. Prior to joining dymaptic in 2019, Mara worked at Esri – the global market leader in GIS software – spearheading their open-source apps team. Mara has overseen dymaptic’s growth from a team of three to sixteen full-time employees, with clients across the globe who turn to dymaptic’s GIS developers and software engineers to create custom apps and tools. These days, Mara's only complaint about her job is that she misses writing code; as dymaptic has grown, Mara has focused on supporting the team, listening to client needs, and staying on top of the latest trends in technology, leaving little time for slinging code (though she jumps in occasionally when she can!). When away from the computer, Mara loves to ride her bike, walk her dog, and ace escape rooms. Mara is a life-long student with a passion for continuously learning. She speaks multiple languages, has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Northeastern State University and is currently enrolled in the University of Oregon’s Executive MBA program.
Lindsay Russell: As the Business Relationship Manager at dymaptic, Lindsay Russell meets with clients to understand their needs and then facilitates the planning process between the client and dymaptic’s technical experts. Her expertise in relationship management and strategic planning enables her to bridge the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders, driving successful outcomes for dymaptic’s diverse portfolio of clients. Lindsay joined dymaptic in 2024, having previously worked in a variety of industries, including engineering, cosmetic sales, and nonprofit leadership. With a background in customer engagement and project coordination, Lindsay excels in managing client communications, identifying business opportunities, and delivering tailored solutions that enhance client satisfaction. She is still learning the ins-and-outs of GIS but has found everyone in the GIS community to be extremely warm and welcoming! Lindsay has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies from the University of Iowa, though she finds her minor in Business more applicable these days. Outside of work, Lindsay keeps busy with her three young kids and will never turn down an opportunity to go see a musical.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway – GIS & GPS Implementation (From Paper to Digital)
For years, Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) has been managing property assets on paper. A CAD file was created of underground and above ground assets many years ago, and is maintained by an outside contractor. A PDF would be delivered to the IMS maintenance crew once a year. They would mark-up the map with redline updates of newly constructed utilities and improvements, and any changes they found throughout the year. They would then send the map back to the CAD tech for an annual revision and update.
With the rapid rate of construction and improvements on the property, IMS determined that they needed to have a dynamic digital map of the property while incorporating high-accuracy GNSS. Seiler Geospatial’s Mapping & GIS Group helped IMS to purchase Esri ArcGIS Online & Desktop software and a Trimble high-accuracy GNSS device. The CAD file was converted to Esri, with additional features added for future data expansion. IMS has highly configured ArcGIS Field Maps applications, an Experience Builder app, and has been working in ArcGIS Pro for all data creation and editing throughout their property.
As a result of the Esri and Trimble implementation, IMS is able to manage their assets in real-time, which allows them to plan for construction tasks, locate, and update their maps during construction for accurate as-built. They are expanding the program to incorporate high-resolution drone orthophotography, which is able to be published into their Esri ArcGIS Online organization for updated aerials throughout the construction year.
Tom Krohn is the Applied Geospatial Professional Manager at Seiler Instrument. Over 20 years, Tom has trained numerous Trimble and ESRI users in field and office applications. Tom holds a B.S. degree in Geography & GIS from Illinois State University.
Mission Possible: Supporting a 54,000-acre field effort with GIS
The JMT Technology Group will showcase how a large-scale natural resource data collection and reporting effort was supported in Kentucky using a combination of ESRI's Survey123 and Field Maps, contributing to what Kentuckians now call the Cumberland Forest Wildlife Management Area.
Nour Salam is a certified GIS analyst with six years of experience in creating geospatial and database solutions for state government agencies. She has developed field data collection solutions using ESRI’s mobile suite of applications (Field Maps and Survey123) and provides GIS support to staff. In her free time, she’s trying to find new travel destinations, new birds to add to her life list, or sometimes, both!