IU students aid Google in mapping campus

IU may soon become one of the most well-mapped universities in the country.

That’s the goal of a new partnership between the IU Student Association, Google and students.

One of the current IUSA administration’s campaign platforms was a pledge to develop an application for campus mapping. One of Google’s missions, with particular regard to its Map Maker system, is to help communities across the globe better map the places most important to them.

“It was a natural fit,” junior and IUSA CIO Keith Weisberg said. “It was great that Google wants to get the world mapped up as much as they do.”

The potential improvements made to Google Maps during the two-day “MapUp” event, which began Monday and ends today, would most help new students and campus visitors to navigate when walking around campus.

Though Google will facilitate the campus mapping, students will power it.

“We’re especially excited about university student mapping because they have the tech savviness to be comfortable working with computers,” said Adam Lasnik, program manager for Google Map Maker and an IU alumnus. “They have great knowledge about their university communities, and students often have a flexible schedule so they have flexibility to map what they care about.”

Work sessions Monday and today are helping flesh out the already existing map of the IU campus on Google Maps.

Students can add buildings that aren’t on current maps or modify existing structures. They can also insert pathways that cut directly across campus — such as those in the Arboretum or Dunn Forest— expanding current maps that only recognize vehicular roadways. Google Maps users will be able to use these new listings to map their walks on campus.

Interested students are encouraged to participate in the sessions where they will be split into work groups to map out small areas of campus. Participants will learn how to use Google’s Map Maker program, then apply their knowledge of campus to make improvements to Google Maps.

No major technological experience is necessary, Weisberg said. All a student needs is a laptop.

“Some buildings aren’t even on there,” said Sara Wimmer, senior and Google campus ambassador. “If you don’t know where a building is, good luck. We’re trying to make it easier to navigate the campus.”

This partnership with Google during the summer after Weisberg interned at company headquarters in California. After discussing IUSA’s mapping initiative with IUSA’s Chief of Intergovernmental Affairs Jarad Winget, Weisberg offered to approach Google to gauge its interest in helping IUSA.

“I was in the unique position of connecting people who had the same goal,” Weisberg said. Google bit at the opportunity.

IU is one among few universities to receive a visit from Google to help map the campus, Lasnik said.

“We are only going to a limited number of universities,” Lasnik said. “IU is one of the select universities that the Google team is visiting. I’m particularly excited because this is my graduate school alma mater, and it’s my first time coming back.”

Google Map Maker is available for any Google account holder to use, though the program is relatively new — it didn’t open to United States users until April 19. The two-day mapping event serves as a way to organize students and show them what is possible with the program.

“The worldwide community is really strong. The U.S. community is still new and growing,” Lasnik said. “We see mapping on Map Maker as not just an activity or as a tool, but as a set of communities. We are looking forward to bringing IU students into that community and map what they care about.”