John McGee

Dr. John McGee serves as Professor and Geospatial Extension Specialist in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), within the College of Natural Resources and Environment. He holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (1988), M.A. from the University of North Carolina Charlotte (1992), and Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (1997).

• VirginiaView (www.virginiaview.net)
• GeoTEd (www.geoted.org)
• Virginia Geospatial Extension Program (http://gep.frec.vt.edu/)
• Urban Tree Canopy Program (http://gep.frec.vt.edu/va_utc.html)

Dr. McGee's research focuses on Natural Resource Management, Geospatial Applications, and Technology Transfer, with particular emphasis on practical applications of geospatial technologies in urban forestry, natural resource management, and education. His scholarly work demonstrates consistent integration of academic research with community-based applications, particularly through the development of decision support tools for local governments assessing urban tree canopy and creating accessible educational resources for diverse audiences.

His publications reveal strong thematic patterns across geospatial education, urban forestry applications, and sustainable tourism research. The most recent works emphasize workforce development through geospatial technician education, innovative educational approaches using geocoins and web-based mapping, and interdisciplinary applications of GPS tracking in tourism research.

• Distinguished Geospatial Education Partner Award (2015)
• AmericaView Education Award (2013)
• Virginia Tech XCaliber Award (Team Nomination, 2014)
• Special Achievement in GIS Award (SAG) (2004)

Dr. McGee has directed significant extension efforts including the Virginia Geospatial Extension Program, which has conducted over 100 workshops between 2009-2014, directly training more than 1,300 individuals with multiplied impact through 'train the trainer' approaches. He co-founded Virginia's first formal geospatial mentoring program and serves as Co-PI of VirginiaView, coordinating national geospatial education initiatives through AmericaView while maintaining seven professional listservs and social media resources.