As a high school teacher and as governor, Tim Walz has tapped the power of geographic information systems, or GIS, to solve complex problems

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Marcia Moreno Báez, Tufts University and Rockford Weitz, Tufts University

(THE CONVERSATION) When Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz first learned about geographic information systems, or GIS, as a high school geography teacher in the 1990s, he didn’t need much convincing about how useful it would be.

“I said to my colleagues, ‘This is going to change the world,’” Walz recalled during a conference for professionals who use spatial data technologies, such as GIS and GPS, in July 2024, just weeks before Vice President Kamala Harris selected him as her running mate in the November 2024 presidential election.

As professors of geospatial technology and maritime studies at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, we can attest that GIS has indeed changed the world. We have seen firsthand its growing importance across multiple sectors and expect that trend to continue.

Began in the classroom

Before entering politics, Walz taught geography – first in Alliance,...