Minecraft has more than 204 million monthly players and over 300 million copies sold, making it the best-selling video game in history, according to Global Tech Stack—but few have used it like Caleb Miller.

Geology Major Transforms GIS Assignment into Virtual Campus Model

Miller, aCedarville Universitygeologystudent from Clarksville, Ohio, transformed real-world geographic andlidardata into a block-by-block digital replica of his campus, turning a classroom assignment into a creative blend of scientific accuracy and sandbox design.

For Miller, the projectbegan inhis advanced geographic information systems (GIS) course. “It wasn’t even my idea,” Miller said. “I just needed a project for my advanced GIS class, and my professor mentioned recreating a campus in Minecraft. I thought, why not?”

Millergathered geospatial data and Light Detection and Ranging (lidar)scanstocapture the contours and elevation of Cedarville’s campus.Hethen usedthird-partysoftwarelike World Painter totranslate thatdata into Minecraft’s block-based world, where every brick,slopeand structure had to berenderedmanually.

Blending Technology, Accuracy and Creativity

“Surprisingly, the easiest part wasobtainingand transferring the data,”said Miller.“The hard parts came afterward.”

Those challenges included correctingdistortedlidarreadings that turned the campuslakeinto three giant mounds,handling thebuildings’off-axis orientationandmanuallyrecreatingparking lots and walkways block by block.Miller evenreviewedbuilding blueprintsto ensure accuracy.

“I thought it’d be simple—just get the data, plug it in, and build,” said Miller.“But then you realize every building is a little off-center, the dataismessy and suddenly yourlakehas mountains in it.After a while, Icouldn’teven walk around campus without thinking in Minecraft blocks.”

Real-World Applications and Purposeful Design

GIS andlidartechnology arewidely used in urban planning,environmental monitoring, disastermanagementand global navigation systems.GIS data allowsusers tovisualize and analyze spatial relationships, whilelidaruseslaserlight to measuredistances and create high-resolution3D models.Together, theyhelpresearchers,corporationsand government agencies make data-driven decisions about land use, resourcemanagementand infrastructure design.

During thesemester-longproject, Millerdiscovered that technology used for professional mapping also has educational and creative potential.“I realized that GIS could be used for more than just professional mapping or fieldwork—it changed how I think about technology and problem-solving,” he said.

Dr. Mark Gathany, professor ofbiology, said projects like Miller’s help bridge classroom learning with real-world problem-solving.“Geospatial projects like thishelp students see that many local-to-global challenges have a geographic component,” saidGathany. “By teachingthemtoask criticalquestionsand transform that data, they can creatively solve problemsto serve their community, care for the earth, and honor God.”

Now, Miller istaking his skills underground— literally — forhis senior capstoneproject, where he is using professionallidarscannersto createa 3D map of a cave in WestVirginia.Whether mapping underground passages or digital worlds,Millersays the project taught him how to manage complex data,thinkcritically anddesignwith purpose.

About Cedarville University

Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offersundergraduateandgraduateresidential and online programs across arts,sciencesand professional fields. With 7,265 students, it is among Ohio's largest private universities and is ranked among the nation’s top five evangelical universities in the Wall Street Journal’s 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.