ST. LOUIS — Saint Louis University has relaunched its geospatial initiative with a bold mission to become a national leader in geospatial science and technology.
That’s according to Vasit Sagan, Ph.D., professor of geospatial science and computer science, who will lead the new Next-Generation Geospatial Center.
Faculty and students will come together to address societal challenges using Geo A-I, quantum sensing technologies, geospatial sciences, and advanced analytics.
“We are at a time geospatial intelligence, food security, national security and economic security have never been so critical for our society,” Sagan said.
“This geospatial science and technology is really a foundation for many challenges we face today and really powers every corner of our society.”
Sagan mentioned the SLU-wide research platform will transform “how we understand our planet, how we train our students next-generation talent, and then how to help enable St. Louis leaders on the national stage on everything geospatial.”
The university previously partnered with the Taylor Geospatial Institute until the institute’s departure over a year ago.
“That foundation we have built over the years positions SLU as a very strong leader in geospatial, and makes this center quite unique,” Sagan said.
Under the new center, SLU will prioritize advancing research discoveries, creating new knowledge with collaborative research, translating research into impact through data-driven insights, applied solutions and technology development, and expanding partnerships between students, the industry and government, according to Sagan.
Some new opportunities include a geospatial science student association that will launch this fall and two national conferences the university will participate in.
SLU has received more than $20 million in research awards in the 2026 fiscal year to help address challenges in national security, agriculture monitoring, disaster response, economic development, and workforce transformation.
For more information, visit the university’s website.
