Mapping Prize—2020 Best Maps

 

Supporting Spatial Thinking Through Excellence in Mapping

Maps don’t just show us where to go - they have the potential to transform our ways of seeing and understanding our world. The U-Spatial Mapping Prize encourages students at the University of Minnesota to make provocative and innovative maps. The Mapping Prize is made possible by a generous gift from U of M alumnus Jack Dangermond, founder and president of Esri.
 

2020 Winners

Best Overall Map ($1,000), Marguerite Mills

Master of Geographic Information Sciences (Sociology minor)
“Exodus: Living and Leaving the North Side”

 

 

Black and white photo of old building in fog. Text: Exodus, Living and Leaving the North Side

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graduate Student - Most Provocative/Transformative ($100), Cecelia Isaac

Master of Geographic Information Sciences
“More Than Just Fake News: Propaganda in Political Campaign Advertising”

 

 

Outline map of the United States with colorful splatters of colors across the country. A table at the bottom of the page tallies different types of ads paid for by Amy for America.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graduate Student - Most Provocative/Transformative Honorable Mention ($50), Travis Ormsby

Master of Geographic Information Sciences
“MN Census Coloring Book”

 

 

Title: Small Households. Image is an outline of Minnesota and counties with a maroon ring of counties around the metro area. a color key for density appears at the bottom of the map.

 

Graduate Student - Best Storytelling ($100), Rebecca Walker & Kelsey Poljacik

Urban Environmental Planning & Natural Resources Science and Management
“Community Gardens and Gentrification: Exploring the connections in Minneapolis”

 

 

Image of a dense green garden space with a plastic chair, flowers, a small shed, a few houses in the background. The title reads "community gardens & gentrification"

 

Graduate Student - Best Use of Maps ($100), Hannah White

Master of Geographic Information Sciences
“Mapping Forested Wetlands”

 

 

Title: Mapping Forested Wetlands with Hydrologic Modeling from High-resolution Aerial LIDAR. Topographic map of wooded area with a river running through. Elevation changes are noted with heat-map-like colors.

 

Graduate Student - Best Use of Maps Honorable Mention ($50), Eric Hankin-Redmon

Heritage Studies & Public History
“Twin Cities LGBTQ Periodicals Finding Aid—Tretter Collection”

 

 

A metro area map with small dots indicating a location. A large title box obscures most data and reads "Twin Cities LGBTQ Periodicals in the Tretter Collection: An Introduction"

 

Graduate Student - Best Cartography ($100), Travis Ormsby

Master of Geographic Information Sciences
“London Tube Highway map”

 

 

Map of colorful lines and small circles, similar to many subway maps, branded similar to London's Underground maps. Title: Highway Map

 

Graduate Student - Cartography Honorable Mention ($50), Hannah White

Master of Geographic Information Sciences
“A Road Map to Minnesota Treasure”

 

 

Aged map with torn edges and fold depicting the Northeast corner of Minnesota. Castle and red "X" marks are placed throughout. Title: A Road Map to Minnesota Treasure.

 

Undergraduate Student - Most Provocative/Transformative ($100), Christina Keyser

Geography, Technical Writing & Communication
“The Exclusion Games: Favela Evictions and the 2016 Olympics”

 

 

Unpainted cement buildings and a dirt road passing near a person sitting on a refrigerator lying on its side. Title: The Exclusion Games: Favela Evictions and the 2016 Olympics

 

Undergraduate Student - Best Storytelling ($100), Margie McMillan

Sociology
“Race and Housing and Olmsted”

 

 

Two story red brick building in a well-kept green space among many trees. Title: Race and Housing and Olmsted. Subtext: How the past affects race and housing in Olmsted county today

 

Undergraduate Student - Best Use Maps ($100), Jacob Moser & Franco Garcia

Architecture (Urban Studies minor) & Architecture
“Subtle Green Twin Cities”

 

 

Black and white grid depicting neighborhoods/blocks with green patches throughout, indicating trees, bushes, etc.

 

Undergraduate Student - Best Cartography ($100), Jacob Moser

Bachelor of Science in Architecture
“Minneapolis - St Paul Street Car System 1933”

 

 

Sparse visual representation of Minneapolis/St. Paul (indicated by familiar lake/river markers). Colorful lines indicate street car routes, similar to subway maps. Title: Twin Cities Lines. Subtext: Minneapolis - St. Paul Street Car System 1933.

  

Special Award - Innovative use of Story Maps in the classroom ($25 each)

The instructors of IDES 2604 - Interior Design Studio IV developed an assignment using Story Maps to present their semester-long design projects, Third Place Work Cafe. The use of story maps allowed students to organize all working design materials into an interactive experience. This is an exciting use of Story Maps in the classroom. To learn more about using Story Maps in the classroom, see storymaps.umn.edu.
 

Students who submitted their story maps

Pinying Kao - Interior Design
Meghan Listerud - Interior Design
Henry Nguyen - Interior Design
Vanessa Nguyen - Interior Design (Sustainability minor)
Jennifer Ta - Interior Design
Stella Vo - Interior Design
 

Course instructors

Hoa Vo, Graduate Instructor
Meghan Hendrickson, Teaching Specialist
Abimbola Asojo, Associate Dean for Research, Creative Scholarship and Engagement
College of Design