Curriculum Vitae

Stephen Appel is a geospatial information librarian and technologist based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At the American Geographical Society Library at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, he works at the intersection of GIS, digital collections, and open-source infrastructure to expand access to map and spatial data. His work includes building geospatial discovery systems, supporting spatial scholarship, and developing tools for working with historical maps and geospatial metadata.

Education

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M.S. Geography University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2015

Thesis: Public Geospatial Data in Wisconsin: Information Access, Data Sharing, and the University
Committee: Rina Ghose, Zengwang Xu, Marcy Bidney

GIS Certificate University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2013

B.S. Conservation and Environmental Science University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2012

Experience

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Geospatial Information Librarian

Librarian II - Research, Learning, and User Support

American Geographical Society Library, UW-Milwaukee Libraries

2016-Present

Achieved indefinite status Academic Staff appointment, July 2023
Curate and maintain the digital spatial data clearinghouse including working towards UWM Libraries goals of digital preservation
Provide reference and research consultations related to geospatial information
Provide reference services related to the AGS Library collection as needed
Supervise GIS student internship program
Provide digital spatial data instruction in the form of class visits, presentations, and workshops
Collaborate with professionals at UWM Libraries, other faculty and staff at UWM, faculty and staff at other UW institutions, and members of the community for various projects and initiatives

GIS Reference Consultant and Tool Developer

American Geographical Society Library, UW-Milwaukee Libraries

September 2015 - December 2015

Developed software tools and web mapping applications to aid users in searching both digital and print materials in the collection
Assisted in the training of GIS student interns
Provided reference and research consultations related to geospatial information
Assisted the Geospatial Information Specialist

GIS Student Assistant

American Geographical Society Library, UW-Milwaukee Libraries

January 2013 - August 2015

Provided reference related to geospatial information
Facilitated GIS data requests pursuant to various license agreements and user needs
Archival quality digitization and duplication of physical materials
Assisted the Geospatial Information Specialist/GIS Librarian
Assumed various duties of Geospatial Information Specialist during vacancy of that position

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Department of Geography, UW-Milwaukee

2013-2015

Course: Geography 215 - Intro to Geographic Information Systems
Under the supervision of Dr. Rina Ghose
Responsible for course management, grading, and student assistance
Assisted in developing a traditional classroom course into an effective online model
Facilitated two online GIS laboratories including two semesters as Lead Teaching Assistant
Maintained course site on D2L (CMS)

Co-Chair, Special Elections Committee

UWM Student Association

2014-2015

Voting member of Student Association of Milwaukee Board of Trustees
Drafted new Independent Election Commission bylaws and planned for student elections
Collaborated with staff and faculty government for participation in elections oversight

Supplemental Instruction Leader/Tutor

Panther Academic Support Services, UW-Milwaukee

September 2012 - December 2013 (Supplemental Instruction Leader)

February 2010 - December 2013 (Tutor)

Worked with instructor for Plants in Today’s World (BIOSCI 104) to develop supplemental instruction services for undergraduate students
Facilitated small and large group review sessions, tutoring, and online interactive reviews
Received training in academic coaching, online tutoring using interactive software, time and stress management skills, dealing with distressed or disruptive students
Worked with students with learning disabilities, student athletes, and at-risk students

Other work:

Property Valuation Consulting (Open source GIS consulting) - Reference available by request
Toppers Pizza, Milwaukee, WI 2008-2009
Ground Round at Bridgewood Resort, Neenah, WI 2007 ~ 2011

Skills

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GIS and Geospatial Data

GIS analysis and modeling (ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Desktop, QGIS)
GIS for digital humanities, environmental science, and interdisciplinary research
Geodatabase design and administration
GIS scripting and automation using Python and SQL
Spatial data infrastructure and discovery systems (GeoBlacklight / GeoDiscovery)
Geospatial metadata standards and cataloging (OpenGeoMetadata, Aardvark, FGDC, ISO)
ArcGIS Server and ArcGIS Online

Programming and Web Technologies

Python scripting for GIS, data processing, and automation
Git-based workflows (Git, GitHub, GitHub Pages)
Static site publishing with Jekyll
Working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Experience with LibGuides and WordPress
Beginner knowledge of Ruby on Rails, Django, and FastAPI

Instruction and Pedagogy

Geospatial and data literacy instruction
ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education
Certified Carpentries Instructor
Workshop instruction for GIS, coding, and digital scholarship tools
Graduate teaching assistant, tutoring, and supplemental instruction experience

Digital Scholarship

Spatial humanities and GIS for digital scholarship
Research data management for geospatial datasets
Computational and reproducible research workflows

Honors and Awards

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GIS Librarians for Open Workflows (GLOW) Forum 2 Participant, 2023
GIS Librarians for Open Workflows (GLOW) Forum 1 Participant, 2022
NACIS Annual Meeting Travel Grant, 2022
UWM Academic Staff Individual Professional Development Award (ICA DACH 2022, Cluj-Napoca, Romania), 2022
UWM Academic Staff Individual Professional Development Award (Geo4LibCamp 2019, Stanford University), 2018
Janet and Carl Moebius Outstanding Achievement Award: Library Student Employee of the Year, 2014
Mary Jo Read Fellowship in Geography, 2014 & 2015
Chancellors Graduate Student Award Scholarship, 2013, 2014 & 2015
Letters and Science Dean’s Honors List, 2009-2012
Outstanding Tutorial Service, 2010*

Grant Funded Activities

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Making Open-Source Georeferencing Technology Collections-Ready with the Allmaps Platform (FAIN: HAA-293491-23), 2023-Present Project Director: Ian Spangler, Norman B. Leventhal Map Center
Developing a Digital Platform for the Mapping Racism and Resistance in Milwaukee County Project (FAIN: HAA-296399-24), 2023-Present Project Directors: Anne Bonds, Derek G. Handley, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Publications

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The Social Life of Allmaps: Reflecting on Software Communities in Sustaining the Digital Geohumanities

Ann Hanlon, Ian Spangler, Stephen Appel, Jules Schoonman & Bert Spaan. Journal of Map & Geography Libraries, 2025.

Projection analysis and georeference of the 1: 2M Africa map by Régnauld de Lannoy de Bissy (1891-1902)

Gábor Timár, Peter K. Musyimi & Stephen Appel. e-perimetron, 2023.

OpenIndexMaps: A New Iteration of Collaborative Digital Index Mapping

Stephen Appel. e-perimetron, 2022.

Letters from Spain in a Space-time Box: Historical GIS with Timestamped Itineraries for Understanding the Chronotopes of Nineteenth-century Travel Writing

Eugenia Afinoguénova, Stephen Appel, Andrea Ballard & Macenzi McGowan. International Journal of Humanities and Arts Computing, 2020.

Geospatial Information Literacy Instruction: Frameworks, Competency, and Threshold Concepts

Stephen Appel. Journal of Map and Geography Libraries, 2019.

Review of New Lines: Critical GIS and the Trouble of the Map

Stephen Appel. Cartographic Perspectives, 2018.

Facilitating PPGIS through university libraries

Rina Ghose & Stephen Appel. The Cartographic Journal, 2016.

Geodex 2.0: saving a legacy map series cartobibliography

Marcy Bidney & Stephen Appel. E-Perimetron, 2016.

Public geospatial data in wisconsin: information access, data sharing, and the university (Thesis)

Stephen Appel. UWM Digital Commons, 2015.

Talks

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Introduction to Allmaps

November 01, 2024

Conference Presentation at Allmaps Convening 2024, Leventhal Map and Education Center, Virtual

Barn Raising AGSL GeoDiscovery: UW-Milwaukee’s New GeoBlacklight Portal

September 01, 2024

Conference Presentation at WAML Annual Conference, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, US

Open-Source Georeferencing and Curating with Allmaps

May 01, 2024

Conference Presentation at Geo4LibCamp 2024, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, US

Making Open-Source Georeferencing Technology Collections-Ready with the Allmaps Platform

November 01, 2023

Conference Presentation at BTAA GIS Conference, Virtual

OpenIndexMaps: The Next Generation of Collaborative Digital Index Maps

October 01, 2022

Conference Presentation at North American Cartographic Information Society Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, US

OpenIndexMaps: A New Iteration of Collaborative Digital Index Mapping

September 01, 2022

Conference Presentation at ICA Commission on Cartographic Heritage into the Digital, 16th Conference on Digital Approaches to Cartographic Heritage, Cluj-Napoca, Romania