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| Photo by UW-Eau Claire |
http://www.uwec.edu/news/stories/helping-shape-the-future-of-commercial-drone-use_7082
Friday, October 16, 2015
Syler Behrens - Menet Aero
http://www.uwec.edu/news/stories/helping-shape-the-future-of-commercial-drone-use_7082
Matt Brueske - Polaris Industries
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| Photo by UW-Eau Claire |
http://www.uwec.edu/news/stories/new-geospatial-internships-helping-blugolds-build-skills_54116
David Liefer - Mapper
Name: David Leifer
Major & Minor: Environmental Geography
UWEC Standing and Expected Graduation Date: Fourth year,
Spring 2016
Interests and Hobbies: Music and outside activities.
Internship Employer: Mapper Maps
Length of Employment: July 10, 2014- Present
Basics : Was your internship paid or unpaid? Did you register
for credits? Why or Why not? Did you create the internship or was it
advertised? Where did you hear about it?
The internship is currently unpaid but has the potential to
become paid. I earned one credit performing 30 hours of work during the Fall
2014 semester and am registered for two credits performing 60 hours of work
during the Spring 2015 semester. The first semester fulfilled my service
learning requirement. This opportunity was advertised and brought to my attention
by Dr. Christina Hupy through an email.
What were your specific job responsibilities?
The goal of Brian Welde's Mapper Maps is to allow for the
outdoor enthusiast to create highly customizable and flexible interactive maps.
The user can change base-map imagery, overlay features, and employ basic
functions. Obtaining overlay feature data was my primary responsibility.
During the fall semester, I compiled state owned and operated
Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) for Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana
and Mississippi. This data was obtained in a variety of formats from the
state's natural resource geospatial portal and then edited to include only WMA
boundaries open to public hunting. If any of this dataset did not correctly
correspond with state .pdf files, the .pdf was georeferenced and digitized.
During the first half of the spring 2015 semester, I was
tasked with finding GIS data for state managed hiking trails within Maine, New
Hampshire and Vermont. The first step for Maine was to filter out all non-state
owned trails in an excel spreadsheet and categorize the type of trail. Next, no
restriction GIS data was obtained by badgering the Outdoor Recreation Planner
for the state of Maine. New Hampshire has not been forthcoming with GIS data while
Vermont's data was obtained directly from the geospatial portal.
What do you think gave you to edge to get the internship?
Timing was critical in my obtaining this internship.
Advertisement for the opening was posted in the middle of June, but since I was
already working another job in Eau Claire it was not a big deal for me to start
immediately.
Was it a valuable experience?
I would highly recommend this internship as an entry level
GIS analyst job that can be used as a stepping stone to get further into the
professional field of GIS.
How did the logistics work for you? Did you have to move?
Since we are currently using the open source program QGIS for
our data management, work can be done remotely from the university. Brian lives
out of state so we were able to use the university's facilities to video chat
and screen share our work in weekly progress meetings.
What advice can you
give to those who are looking for an internship?
Apply to anything that you come across and do not get
discouraged if you fail. Repeatedly creating a cover letter, keeping an updated
resume, and communicating with professionals is a good practice for developing
successful job hunting strategies.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Laurel Hanson - Wildlands School and Beaver Creek
Name:
Laurel Hanson
Major & Minor: Comprehensive International Geography
UWEC Standing and Expected Graduation Date: Senior-Graduate 12/2013
Interests and Hobbies: Travelling, cooking, music, scrapbooking,
four-wheeling, ice fishing, shopping
Internship Employer: Wildlands School & Beaver Creek
Length of Employment: September 2012-Present
Basics : Was your internship paid or unpaid? Did you
register for credits? Why or Why not? Did you create the internship or was it advertised?
Where did you hear about it?
This internship
was paid and I will also receive 2 credits for Geography 498-Community
Internship. Beaver Creek applied for
funding from the Internship Office at UW-Eau Claire. Once the funding was approved, the Internship
Office provided Beaver Creek with the funds that was then used for my intern
position at Beaver Creek and Wildlands School.
This internship
was created. I am very interested in
working with K-12 students in GIS, but wasn’t aware of any outlets to do
so. I spoke with Martin Goettl over the
summer of 2012 about my interest and he was interested in working with K-12
students as well.
Martin was
contacted by Paul Tweed, the lead teacher at Wildlands School a charter school
located on the Beaver Creek Reserve.
Paul was looking for college students to help with a mapping project in
conjunction with Beaver Creek Reserve.
Martin and I worked with Paul Tweed and Beaver Creek Reserve to create a
platform for this collaboration. An
internship was then created for my position.
What were your specific job responsibilities?
For my position,
I act as the “project manager” for the Wildlands student’s mapping
project. Because the students do not
have an expansive knowledge of GIS, I am responsible for providing the students
with basic knowledge of GIS and data collection techniques as well as map
creation.
The first
objective for my internship was to work with the students to develop a data
collection plan. Many features needed to
be collected in order to create the maps such as trails, information posts and
buildings. We created an outline and
prioritized every necessary feature.
The second
objective was to help the students develop a geodatabase that would be timeless
and easily managed by the students. The
geodatabase included numerous domains so students would be able to accurately
retain feature information.
After the first
two objective were completed, we were able to go out into the field (Beaver
Creek Reserve) and collect the data.
ArcPad and Trimble Juneau GPS units were used for data collection. UW-Eau Claire Geography students accompanied
the Wildlands students in the collection process. The data was imported to the pre-created
geodatabase.
The final
objective is the creation of physical maps for Beaver Creek Reserve. Students use the collected data to create a
campus map, trail map and property boundary map. These maps will be used for Beaver Creek to
apply for grants as well as distribution to the public. With Martin’s help, I am able to provide the
students with resources for ArcGIS products, Trimble Juneau GPS units as well
as the basics of GIS and geodatabase functions.
What do you think gave you to edge to get the internship?
I think the
“edge” that got me this internship was informing Martin Goettl of my interest
in working with K-12 students. It was
difficult for me to find an outlet on my own, and when this opportunity arose,
Martin and I were able to work together to create the collaboration.
Was it a valuable experience?
This has been one
of the most valuable and rewarding experiences I have ever had. Teaching is on the best ways to learn, and I
have learned so much by preparing for the students. It is rewarding to be able to provide
resources that might not otherwise be available to students and to see them
really enjoy working in GIS. I have also
been connected to a wide range of people that will help me in future job
prospects.
How did the logistics work for you? Did you have to
move?
I did not have to
move for this internship. Wildlands
School uses project based curriculum which worked very well in the management
of schedules. The students’ schedules
are very flexible, so I am able to go to the school once a week to work with
the students.
What advice can you give to those who are looking for
an internship?
If you are having a hard time finding an
internship, start networking and you may be able to create an internship. Sometimes you can even get paid for a created
position. Also, don’t focus too much
attention on whether the internship is something you want to do. It is important to get your foot in the door
and you may have to do tedious work at first, but having experience will give
you the edge in the future.
Clayton Nass - United State Geological Survey
Name: Clayton Nass
Major & Minor:
International Geography
UWEC Standing and Expected Graduation Date: Graduated December 2012
Interests and Hobbies:
Exploring the World, Politics, Engineering, Golf, and the Green Bay Packers
Internship Employer: United
States Geological Survey Boise, ID
Length of Employment: Summer internship
during the summer of 2012
Basics: Was your internship paid or unpaid? Did
you register for credits? Why or Why not? Did you create the internship or was
it advertised? Where did you hear about it? My internship at the USGS was paid,
and funded through grant money. I was employed as a student contractor for the
federal government. I did now register for credits; because I was unaware that
was an option even for paid interns. The internship was advertised, although I
was made well aware of this opening thanks to a current USGS employee.
What were your specific job responsibilities?
I worked on a number of projects during
my time at the USGS that ranged from the most raw form of data entry
imaginable, to feature classification using ENVI. The majority of my time was
spent performing many tasks for the SageSTEP research project.
My first task on this project was to
download aerial imagery of 14 control sites spread across the western half of
the United States. Then using the Example based feature classification function
in ENVI I identified individual polygons within the TIFF file as either:
juniper trees, pine trees, aspen trees, small/large shrubs, water, bare ground,
and grassland. Maps were then generated using this data in order to display
changes that occur on a landscape because of wildfire. This was an arduous
process but produced some valuable maps.
The second portion of this research
involved a differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) analysis to determine the
severity of each extensive treatment fire at each of the 14 sites. The steps in
this process were:
1. Download cloudless Landsat imagery for days pre and
post fire, for each of the 14 sites
2. Run dNBR tool in Arc
3. Digitize fire perimeter using pre-existing shapefile
and dNBR imagery
4. Run tool to create standardized dNBR and classify
using MTBS points.
End Product:
Figure 1. Classified dNBR: The lightest green
and darkest red represent 2 separate but severe risk levels. Areas of more
moderate color are at the normal severity factor.
What do you think gave you to edge to get the internship?
I was told that the GIS skills that I
had acquired at UWEC were paramount in my hiring process. It also helps to have
someone on the inside that can vouch for your services.
Was it a valuable experience?
It was absolutely a valuable experience. I learned a variety of new tools that
I had never before even heard of (Circuit-Scape, XTools) and improved on many
GIS skills that I had minimal experience with (Python Scripting, Feature
Classification). Having an internship also provides some extremely valuable on
the job experience, something that cannot be taught in a classroom or a lab. On
my first day I was handed 3 pages of paper and was told: “Here’s what you will
be doing, if you have questions ask. Just let me know when you’re done with
each step.” That forces one to learn on the fly and under pressure. Not only
did that benefit my GIS abilities, but also improved my problem solving and
responsibility.
How did the logistics work for you? Did you have to move?
I did have to move to
Boise, ID for the summer. Luckily I was able to stay with my family which made
the transition extremely easy. The two 1800 mile drives got a little long but I
had good company on each road trip which made it all good. I would actually
recommend that any potential interns look for jobs in which they CAN relocate.
The love of experiencing new places should be inherent in every geographers
psyche.
What advice can you give to those who are looking for an
internship?
Just go out there and give er. It may be
difficult to find something at first but as soon as you land that job you will
realize how absolutely well prepared you are for it, and there should be
nothing to fear. The geography department at UWEC has prepared you well, get
out and prove it to the world.
Jon Bowen - Charles Darwin Foundation
Major
& Minor: Geography
UWEC
Standing and Expected Graduation Date: Graduated December 2012
Interests
and Hobbies: Guiding Whitewater, whitewater kayaking, climbing, making maps,
scuba, hiking, traveling, mt biking, and anything fun that keeps me moving
Internship
Employer: Charles Darwin Foundation
Length
of Employment: 3 months in the Summer of 2012
Basics
: Was your internship paid or unpaid? Did you register for credits? Why or Why
not? Did you create the internship or was it advertised? Where did you hear
about it? It was unpaid but I was there through a fellowship program that
Biology arranged. I did not register for classes because I didn't know I could
and I had plenty to graduate the following semester. It came to be through many
of my other research experiences and passion for adventure travel. I heard
about it through my advisor and she heard about it through the Biology
department.
What
were your specific job responsibilities?
I
was in charge of geographic support for the Research Station. I had a variety
of tasks while I was there. It started out slow, sifting and organizing the
hundreds of geospatial data they have accumulated. After that was done we
started to take on a cartographic edge by creating locator maps for the
supporting scientists who work down there. We then started to take on a field
aspect to the position by accompanying the marine biologists in order to find a
GPS tracking device that fell off of a large fish they were tracking. We then
took on a support role for all of the geographic knowledge they store in their
database. This was interesting because we started to use many different open
source GIS solutions to store, access, and manipulate their data. From there
and with difficultly in the connection of these systems we trained the in house
scientists how to access and manipulate geospatial information. This included a
standardization on storing their information so others could accurately know
what they were dealing with.
What
do you think gave you to edge to get the internship?
I
had done previous biodiversity research with Christina Hupy in Honduras which
incorporated allowed for a great base layer of international work and the
strategies to help in conservation. I also worked at the Environmental
Adventure Center which created an adventurous edge to my academic pursuits.
Was
it a valuable experience?
Every
experience is valuable. It was a great opportunity to become exposed to an
international level of conservation. Having worked in a country and even more
so an island you start to appreciate the little things that you don't realize
in a University setting. Living in an environment where people vacation opens
your eyes while adjusting your idea of normal to a whole new level. It's also
an experience that was so rich with new information and ideas that upon return
it's hard for others to gain perspective if they weren't there with you. It
helped me grow not only academically and as a geographer but allowed for me to
take on new aspects of my own character and push myself to where I am now.
How
did the logistics work for you? Did you have to move?
Logistics
were handled by the Biology professor who accompanied us for a short period of
time when we were there. I ended up moving to Puerto Ayora, a small town on the
island of Santa Cruz for the summer months. It was one of those things where
you can't pass it up and then things happen so quick your all of a sudden
sitting in the middle of the Pacific Ocean saying to yourself "Wow, I'm
here. This is real."
What
advice can you give to those who are looking for an internship?
First,
college is an expensive way to help foster your passion. Passion helps you
learn your character. If you have a half ass attitude towards what you like in
life your going to get a job that shows that. If you want something, work
towards steps that will get you there. Once you know yourself it's easy to
start going in a certain direction because one thing leads to the next. Do something
that pushes your passion and don't just do it, do it with heart and the stoke
for the sole fact you like doing it regardless of the money. That fact right
there will get you further than anything. Put your heart into something and it
will reward you. Let your happiness to be doing something be part of your
paycheck. However, nothing will start to happen unless you don't get up and do
it. Break out of your comfort zone. I'm looking at a quote on my desk right now
that says "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." Yes it may
suck that what your currently doing isn't fun or cool but as long as it relates
to your goal it is teaching you things that you need to acquire before you find
your zen job. So my advice to those looking for an internship is that you
shouldn't be looking for an internship if your mom wants you to or your
professor is posting them. You should be looking for something that drives you,
rattles your bones, and allows you to go 100% at it because your passionate
about it. Get up, set goals, and get up each day with the intent on pursing
those goals. Life is great so learn, fail, adventure, seek, explore, and do
what ya love because your only here once.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Meghan Kelly - GeoDecisions
Name: Meghan
Kelly
Major &
Minor: Geography – International Studies Emphasis
UWEC Standing and
Expected Graduation Date: Graduated December 2012
Interests and
Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends, staying active
outdoors, soccer, knitting
Internship
Employer: GeoDecisions, a GIS consulting
firm in Madison, WI
Length of
Employment: Summer internship 2012 but I am
still technically an employee if projects come up
Basics : Was your
internship paid or unpaid? Did you register for credits? Why or Why not? Did
you create the internship or was it advertised? Where did you hear about it?
My
internship at GeoDecisions was paid. I
did not register for credits as I did not need the associated credits to
graduate. I heard about the internship
through an email from Dr. Christina Hupy sent out from a Wisconsin State
Cartographer’s Office posting.
What were your
specific job responsibilities?
My
specific job responsibilities surrounded the conversion of water and waste
water utilities from an AutoCAD nonfunctional format to a GIS format. This conversion process is not completely
fool proof and creates random glitches in the data. My job was to go over the data and make
adjustments as needed. Eventually, I
worked on the Quality Control team to double check the team’s work using the
Network Analysis feature in ArcMap and running supplementary tests. I was also given the opportunity to make an
onsite visit to Champaign, Illinois where we worked with the onsite water utility
personnel to update any features that were not in AutoCAD. This was on the spot maintenance and problem
solving.
I
worked on side projects throughout the summer including
Broadband/internet/cable user-ship in Delaware.
I made maps for a third party company to test the expansion of coverage
for accuracy by creating coverage comparison maps. The third party company would then go to the
designated areas based on my road maps to test the coverage and speed of access.
I worked on updating fishing hot spot data in the US for a GeoDecisions
offshoot called Fishidy.com. This is
essentially a Facebook for fisherman to share and record personal fishing spots
with access to detailed bathemetric maps.
What do you think
gave you to edge to get the internship?
First
and foremost, I think my background and training in GIS proved that I was
completely qualified for the job.
Because of my background, I think I was also confident in using my
skills. I think demonstrated an
eagerness for the position. I also fit
into the mindset of the organization
Was it a valuable
experience?
Yes
this was a valuable experience. Not only
did I utilize my skills and add to my skills, I was exposed the world of GIS
outside of academia. I came to the
conclusion that I was capable for that type of job or project management but
decided that it wasn’t something I would want to do for the rest of my
life. I’m glad I tried it out. The people I worked with are great people so
I also made positive connections.
How did the logistics
work for you? Did you have to move?
I
moved to Madison for the summer.
Fortunately, my sister lived less than a mile away from the GeoDecisions
office so housing was not an issue. I
would have probably still taken the job had she not been there. Finding a sublease in Madison for the summer
wouldn’t have been difficult.
What advice can
you give to those who are looking for an internship?
My
advice would be to stay active in the search and keep applying. I applied to GeoDecisions on a whim because I
was in the midst of sending out three other applications when I received the
email from Christina. Also, show
interest and take initiative. Finding an
internship may lead to a job so take it seriously. GIS is a small world so if your company/organization
can’t hire you, they might know people who can.
Keep in touch after your internship is over!
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