Education

• MA, State University of New York at Buffalo, Geography
• BS, Cornell University, Biological Sciences

Other Credentials

• GIS Professional (GISP), Geographic Information Systems Certification Institute
• CompTIA CTT+ certified technical trainer
• ESRI Technical Certification at the ArcGIS Desktop Associate level

Professional Affiliations

American Assoc. of Geographers | North American Cartographic Information Society | Wyoming Geographic Alliance | Wyoming Geospatial Organization

Current Courses Taught

GIST 1100: Geospatial Foundations

GIST 2200: Spatial Data Visualization

Research Interests

• Geographic Information Science – project design, development and documentation, decision support, Environmental and land-use planning GIS applications, spatial thinking

Representative Recent / Ongoing Projects

• Lead Cartographer, Wyoming Student Atlas
• Collaboration and development of education materials to further K16 geographic education
• Spatial analysis of human, infrastructure and environmental factors in Wyoming and the west
• Influence of GIS education on spatial thinking abilities

Representative Publications

Hodza, P., Berendsen, M.E., & Hamerlinck, J. D. (2021). Towards a holistic framework for delivering quality GIS education within and across disciplines. Transactions in GIS, 25(4), 2146-2167.

Berendsen, M.E., Hamerlinck, J.D., and Webster, G.R. 2018. Digital Story Mapping to Advance Educational Atlas Design and Enable Student Engagement. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information. 7(3):125. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi7030125

Vithanage, J., Miller, S.N., Bellis, J., Berendsen, M.E., Caffrey, P. In Press. Planning for change with AGWA: hydrologic impacts of oil and gas development in the Colorado River Basin. Journal of Hydrology.

Hamerlinck, J.D., Webster, G.R., Berendsen, M.E. 2014. Wyoming Student Atlas: Exploring Our Geography. Laramie, WY: University of Wyoming. 55 pp.

Berendsen, M.E., Hamerlinck, J.D., Lanning, S.G., and Shin, S. 2010. Developing NSDI Framework Data: ANSI Framework Data Content Standards Guidance Document, version 1.0. Laramie, WY: University of Wyoming. 128 pp. https://www.fgdc.gov/training/nsdi-training-program/materials/framework-training-guidance-document.pdf

Berendsen, M.E., Hamerlinck, J.D. and Wayne, L. 2003. Framework and strategies for integrating metadata concepts with geographic information science curricula. Journal of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association, 15(1): 37-46.