BCC Geospatial Center of the CUNY CREST Institute
Built from the Ground Up since 2014
Certified by the CUNY Board of Trustees
Our History
A workshop cohort with their certificates at the Geospatial Computing Center, Meister Hall 330.
Our Journey and Growth
The Bronx Community College Geospatial Center of the CUNY CREST Institute (BGCCCI) was built from the ground up. It was established as a collaborative satellite center under the CUNY CREST Institute and was officially launched as a CUNY Institute after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed on 3 October 2014 between Bronx Community College and the CUNY CREST Institute (City College of New York).
The need for the Center grew out of cross-cutting activities on the BCC campus from 2010: focused undergraduate research, multidisciplinary collaborations, out-of-classroom research internships, grant proposals, national and international collaborations, and work with an industry consortium to build career pathways. These were carried out with a wide range of stakeholders, including CUNY campuses, national and international institutions, administrators, federal and private agencies, the community and an industry consortium.
Founded independently by Dr. Sunil Bhaskaran, the Center's mission is to empower students and educators across the K–16 continuum through inclusive, interdisciplinary learning, hands-on training and scientific research. It has been sustained by extramural grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation, NASA and the private sector, and has trained over 500 participants.
2010–2014 | Building the Vision
Phase 1: Create the vision and build awareness. Beginning in 2010, seminars and awareness workshops for BCC faculty and staff, followed by informal projects with about 100 students.
Phase 2: Secure grant funding. Grant proposals to federal agencies and industry brought the first awards in 2010, funding focused undergraduate research, conference participation and peer-reviewed publications with students as co-authors.
The strong student-centric edifice was the key to the Center's sustained evolution into an intellectual hub.
2014 | Establishing BGCCCI
BGCCCI was formally established on October 3, 2014 through a Memorandum of Understanding between Bronx Community College and the CUNY CREST Institute. The Center developed a state-of-the-art Geospatial Computing Center in Meister Hall, providing students and faculty with industry-standard software, computing resources, satellite data, and an environment for advanced geospatial research.The Center works with an industry consortium and develops applications in climate change, sustainability and disaster management, with a focus on the urban environment.
Research, Training & Partnerships
As the Center grew, it won two major federal projects: the NSF-ATE project Pathways to Geospatial Technology and Careers (2016–2023) with York College, and the NASA-MISTC project Fostering STEM with Geospatial Technology (2018–2022) with Medgar Evers College, both alongside an industry consortium. These brought hands-on workshops for middle and high school students, professional development for educators, family cafés and 10-week research internships. In 2020, cloud computing with Amazon Web Services kept research and training running remotely through COVID-19. To date, the Center has trained more than 500 participants, hosted 70 research internships and trained 40 educators.
2024–2029 | Today and Beyond
.png)
The CUNY Board of Trustees recertified BGCCCI in August 2023 for a further five years, from 8 April 2024 to 2029. On 21 August 2025, the Center marked ten years with the symposium Geospatial Technologies for the Earth, co-hosted with Hunter College. From 2025 to 2028, NASA-funded research is taking the Center into geospatial AI and urban climate studies.
The next phase focuses on sustaining innovation, strengthening student success, and advancing emerging geospatial technologies.