The Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) have announced that Sakura Shinoaki, Professor of Social Information Studies at Otsuma Women’s University in Tokyo, Japan, has been presented with GITA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes an individual’s outstanding contributions and long-standing commitment to the geospatial industry.
A geospatial professional of international stature, Shinoaki has been a leader in introducing and implementing geographic information system (GIS) technology in his native country of Japan. He was a central figure in the development of Japan’s first successful utility GIS implementation at Tokyo Gas Company. He was also the central member of Japan’s ROADIS development committee, which initiated a project that has been deployed in 12 major cities and is perhaps the most utilized and complex implementation in the world.
In his capacity as an educator, Shinoaki is responsible for the educational enrichment of several generations of GIS students, educators, practitioners, and international colleagues.
