astronomy

Michael DeMers

Michael DeMers is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Michael DeMers rather than just read about it. In short: Michael N. DeMers is a geographer and professor emeritus of geography at New Mexico State University.

Key takeaways

Michael DeMers belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Michael DeMers to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Michael DeMers from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Michael N. DeMers is a geographer and professor emeritus of geography at New Mexico State University.

Education and field DeMers obtained a B.S.Ed. in Earth science in 1974 and an M.S. in geography in 1980, both from the University of North Dakota. He earned an M.Phil. in geography in 1983, and a Ph.D. in geography in 1985, both from the University of Kansas. He has taught geography and courses related to geographic information systems (GIS) since 1983, and obtained a GCERT in Online Teaching and Learning from New Mexico State University in 2007. DeMers specializes in geographic information science (GIScience), including applying it to research in real-world problems in fields such as landscape ecology, researching its theoretical implications, and teaching it to students. He advocates for geographic education in public schools and has researched employing novel technologies.

Career DeMers became a faculty member in the geography department at New Mexico State University in 1992, and served as department head between 2000 and 2004. He served as president of the National Council for Geographic Education in 2014. DeMers' research focuses on applying GIS to problems including water resources, big data, and species range expansion. He has contributed significantly to literature involving geographic information science and teaching geospatial concepts with novel technologies. He advocates teaching geography in public schools using geographic information systems and has worked to increase public awareness of GIScience.

Publications DeMers has published over seventy-five research articles on geographic topics, authored the Encyclopædia Britannica entry on GIS, and served as an editor, and contributed to, the Geographic Information Science and Technology Body of Knowledge. His works have been cited over 3600 times, giving him an h-index of 21. In addition, he has authored or edited the following books:

DeMers, Michael (2017). Geographic Information Systems in Action. Wiley. ISBN 978-1119238867. DeMers, Michael (2009). GIS for Dummies. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons Inc. ISBN 978-0-470-23682-6. DiBiase, David; DeMers, Michael; Johnson, Ann; Kemp, Karen; Luck, Ann Taylor; Plewe, Brandon; Wentz, Elizabeth (2006). Geographic Information Science and Technology Body of Knowledge. Association of American Geographers. ISBN 978-0-89291-267-4. DeMers, Michael (2002). GIS Modeling in Raster. John Wiley and Sons Inc. ISBN 0-471-31965-1. (Translated into Arabic) DeMers, Michael (2009). Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, inc. ISBN 978-0-470-12906-7. (translated into Russian and Chinese)

Awards

Over the course of his career, DeMers has received the following awards:

The University Consortium for Geographic Information Science Lifetime Achievement in GIScience Education Award, 2023 New Mexico Geographic Information Council Wheeler Peak Lifetime Achievement Award, 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award, University of North Dakota, 2013 Anderson Medal of Honor in Applied Geography "for exceptional accomplishments in applied geography education, research, and service to the profession and the wider public, 2010." Highest Award for Achievement, Dale Carnegie Training, Fall, 2003.

Philanthropy Demers established the "Duane Marble Award for GIS Design and Education Research" at NMSU in 2010 to recognize the work and contributions of his friend and fellow GIScientist Duane Marble. It was awarded to NMSU graduate students whose thesis focused on novel applications to GIS, or to GIS education.

Personal life DeMers grew up in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. After retiring, he began writing fantasy novels. The first of these to be published is the book Young Vandar.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Michael DeMers

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Michael DeMers claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Michael DeMers before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Michael DeMers ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Michael DeMers

In research: Michael DeMers appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Michael DeMers in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Michael DeMers is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1951 births, American fantasy writers, American geographers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Michael DeMers outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Michael DeMers in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Michael DeMers means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Michael DeMers out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Michael DeMers in simple terms?

Michael N. DeMers is a geographer and professor emeritus of geography at New Mexico State University.

Why does Michael DeMers matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Michael DeMers?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Michael DeMers.