About CARES

CARES integrates the social, physical, and biological sciences to better understand human, natural resource, and environmental issues and problems.

Since 1992 when CARES (the Center for Applied Research and Environmental Systems) was established, our goal has been to aid interested public and private parties in learning about and managing our resources. We utilize the latest technologies in geographic information systems, satellite imagery, environmental modeling, and the internet to compile, analyze and distribute information about our world.

CARES is unique in its role as an interdisciplinary center in the Division of Applied Social Sciences, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) at the University of Missouri. As a result, our staff and affiliated faculty have backgrounds ranging from geography to ecology to computer science. With this diverse skill-set, we are able to research and analyze the vast amounts of data that we collect.

One of our primary roles is to support the needs of others wishing to utilize geographic information technologies. Whether it's database development, web geo-interface design, or simply pointing out the right place to look, CARES has served private citizens, other researchers, non-profit organizations and government entities at all levels in their pursuit of information.

CARES continues to grow. Not only is it our goal to enhance our position as a leader in the development of spatial decision support systems, we want to continue to make those systems accessible to everyone. By bringing the tools and information supporting our research to the Internet, we are striving to enable an audience ranging from government leaders to rural farmers to better understand and thrive within our world.