Bob Cowling

Biography

Bob Cowling joined Michigan Technological University in 2022 as GIS Data Librarian, serving both the Geospatial Research Facility and the Van Pelt and Opie Library. He received his Bachelor of Science in Geomatics from Northern Michigan University in 2014, his Master of Science in GIS and Cartography from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2018, and his Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 2021.

Cowling’s work focuses on geospatial technologies, digital scholarship, web GIS development, and the application of spatial methods in humanities, social science, and environmental research. He supports faculty, students, and researchers through GIS consultation, geospatial data management, metadata creation, web application development, workshops, and digital scholarship initiatives. His technical interests include web mapping, spatial data infrastructures, historical GIS, digital deep mapping, geospatial data preservation, and emerging applications of artificial intelligence in GIS workflows.

At Michigan Tech, Cowling has supported numerous interdisciplinary research and public scholarship initiatives, including the Keweenaw Time Traveler, Keweenaw Geoheritage Geoatlas, and the Hamtramck Spatial Archaeology Project. He has also led the development of GIS-based discovery tools, historical imagery catalogs, digital exhibits, and interactive mapping applications that expand access to library collections and spatial data resources.

His work has contributed to several grant-funded projects and award-winning digital scholarship initiatives. Projects he has supported have received recognition from the American Library Association, Esri, the Historical Society of Michigan, the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, and Arizona State University. He is committed to advancing geospatial literacy and research support within academic libraries.