HIGICC recognizes outstanding community members and students through two programs: The Mark Lierman Memorial Scholarship Award and the President's Award.
The Mark Lierman Memorial Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship that recognizes deserving students who have demonstrated an appreciation for and understanding of geospatial data and geographic information systems (GIS). Applications for academic year 2023-2024 are now being accepted. The applicant must be enrolled at an accredited college or university for fall 2024 and have graduated from a high school in Hawaii or be attending school in Hawaii. The deadline for applications is June 14, 2023. This year's criteria and application can be viewed here:
Scholarship Award Recipients:The President's Award is bestowed on a deserving individual who has made a meaningful impact on Hawaii's geospatial community. This award is selected by the Board's President and announced at the HIGICC annual meeting.
Mark Lierman was born in Twin Falls, Idaho. He worked in GIS for over 25 years, and came to the City and County of Honolulu in 1992. As a GIS Analyst with over 17 years of service and a key senior member of the City’s Department of Planning and Permitting, Honolulu Land Information System (HoLIS) program, he was a major contributor to the development of Honolulu's GIS program. He was also an instrumental leader in the development, deployment and management of the City’s building, land use, and construction permitting system known as POSSE.
Mark was a tireless advocate for and an enthusiastic promoter of GIS technology to many citizens, professionals, civil servants, and politicians throughout the State of Hawaii. He was a cheerful participant in local GIS user groups, including HIGICC, and was a fixture at GIS Day events at McCoy Pavilion. Known for his playful roles (as a butler, as a globe, etc.), he used humor and self-deprecation to put a human face to GIS and reduce the intimidation factor of the technology to make it more accessible to the kids and volunteers alike.