Seattle, WA July 1, 2009 -- Using Depiction™, new software that costs less than most college textbooks, universities across the globe are enabling professors and students to build, use and present custom, interactive maps and simulations.

"Depiction is the first software tool I've found that leverages the wealth of online geographic data while also offering amazing power and ease of use," said Dr. Timothy Hare, a professor of anthropology at Morehead State University. Dr. Hare will be using Depiction in regional analysis and geographic information systems (GIS) education, as well as in workshops for business and local government professionals.

"Depiction looks great. I really envision using it in my Emergency Management course," said Dr. Thomas Mueller, Director of the Institute for Analysis of Safety and Security Issues using Spatial Technologies at California University of Pennsylvania. "In the fall I can start working on some step-by-step labs." California State University, Long Beach is also piloting the use of Depiction in their Emergency Management Master's Program.

Educators are using Depiction to enhance student learning with scenarios and labs because it offers the unique capability of combining real world geography, data and other information with "what-if" possibilities, from rising sea levels to terrorist attacks. This makes it particularly useful for training emergency managers and first responders, but fields as varied as anthropology and GIS education are also finding Depiction to be an invaluable tool.

"We're excited to see pilot programs like those at Cal State developing new and exciting ways to use our software's interactive maps and simulations," said Depiction, Inc. CEO Mike Geertsen.

With Depiction, professors, teachers and students can:

• Build living maps by merging some of the tremendous amounts of freely available online data with their own;
• Turn spreadsheet columns into living elements that interact with their surroundings;
• Update their depictions onscreen with live field reports sent in from colleagues around the world.

Read the rest of the news release here.