By: Josie Sandlin, EAST Student Contributor

Coming out of EASTcon25, we’re all leaving with new experiences, fond memories, and more project ideas. But that’s not all that some people are leaving with! Many awards were distributed to students who submitted exceptional entries to various competitions at EAST Conference. One of these awards doesn’t go to students, however. Instead, the Director’s Award recognizes one person or group each year who has made a substantial contribution to EAST, be they school administrator, legislature, or business partner. This year’s Director’s Award winner is U of A’s Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST). We talked to CAST employees Malcolm Williamson and Brian Culpepper to find out more

CAST started in 1991 at the University of Arkansas under the College of Arts and Sciences. In 1992, they began their first few projects with the National Park service. With a team of eight people, they successfully mapped 98 Civil War battlefields using up-and-coming GIS (geographic information systems) technology.

“It was a very learn as you go, EAST-like situation,” says Culpepper, a Data Scientist at CAST. “It was project-based learning, and we had to learn it on the fly.” 

Many of the team members had never used GIS technology before, so they had to learn the new technology as they were using it to do a project?EAST-like indeed. CAST in the early days was actually very similar to what EAST students do now: innovating, learning new things, collaborating with a team, and using new technology they hadn’t experienced before.

Since its 1991 inception, CAST has continued to work with GIS and other geo-spatial technologies. It’s still doing the same thing it was at the very beginning: using mapping technology to work on projects that help its community. But since meeting EAST in 1997, that’s not all it does.

When CAST met EAST, something clicked. “These kids were doing the same things we were doing,” says Williamson, who serves as CAST’s Geospatial Applications and Education Manager. 

CAST started working with EAST only two years after EAST was founded, and it’s always been a two-way street. In the very early days, CAST helped EASTies work with difficult GIS technology, before it was adapted to be more user-friendly. In return, EAST taught CAST about the 3D rendering and creation softwares that our EASTies use. 

EAST and CAST have continued to work together over the years. CAST hosts several Student Trainings each year on mapping and GIS software. In fact, CAST hosts 25% of all Trainings per year. EAST is still providing new ideas and new knowledge, and even had a summer internship program at CAST for several years. When CAST moved into a new building, they designed their labs based on ideas they’d gotten from working with EAST. And of course, most recently, CAST was given the Director’s Award in recognition of the many years they’ve been with us and all the good they’ve done for EAST.

“I honestly felt like an EAST kid, going up there and being recognized for our work,” Culpepper says. “It was great, and we’re really grateful to the EAST folks for picking us out and recognizing how we’ve worked alongside them.”

CAST took the Director’s Award as a moment to reflect on everything they’ve done with EAST over the years. “It’s a joy to see that the EAST students have grown up and decided to make the commitment…it’s been wonderful to see the success of so many of the students,” says Williamson. 

CAST has been with EAST for twenty-eight years now, and both programs have flourished from the partnership. I think we all look forward to seeing where it’s going to take us as we usher in a new and exciting age of technological expansion.