Geomatics and Surveying educators from Canada and the US gathered at the BCIT Downtown Campus from June 15 to 18 for the 29th biennial conference of the Surveying and Geomatics Educators Society (SaGES).
“The SaGES conference is not only a chance for instructors to share some of their current course content but also an opportunity to celebrate community and friendship among peers,” says Sean Galway, Geomatics faculty.
Building community connections
The conference featured technical sessions covering the latest developments in geomatics education, keynote speeches and student poster presentations.
Sean says that one of the conference highlights was Erin Kline’s keynote presentation on Empowering learners with dyslexia to reach their potential in STEM.
Erin is the Executive Director of Fraser Academy’s Outreach Centre, FAx, which offers remedial programs for individuals, as well as professional development for schools and educators.
“Erin’s presentation highlighted the challenges faced by students with language-based learning differences in the classroom and how educators can support them. After the session, people approached me to say they felt seen.”
Mark Dailey, Program Head of Geomatics at BCIT, presented on AI as an efficiency tool for post-secondary instructors. His work explored how artificial intelligence can enhance educational processes for the next generation of students.
As part of the conference, members elected Marlee Walton, Associate Teaching Professor at Iowa State University, as the new president of SaGES and selected Corpus Christi University in the US to host SaGES 2029.
Behind BCIT’s successful conference hosting
The success of hosting SaGES 2025 was made possible by the dedicated BCIT organizing committee: Steven Kuan, Sean Galway, Marita Luk, Arrian Macharria, Giselle LaCounte, Sebastian Arancibia Leiva, Becky Li, Clement Wong, Mark Dailey, Christopher Griffith, and Anita Lai.
Thank you to the generous sponsors of SaGES 2025:
The conference reinforces BCIT’s position as a leader in geomatics education and amplifies the collaborative spirit of the Institute and the broader geomatics community.
Explore BCIT’s Geomatics diploma and Geomatics degree programs and discover how you can join the next generation of geospatial professionals.
Visit Geomatics or attend an upcoming information session to learn more.
