缅北强奸

鈥淪ince I鈥檝e been working here going on three years, I鈥檝e been put in more leadership positions with more creative freedom, and I love it,鈥� said Julie St. Clair, 22, a Journeyman Leader with GIS.

At worst, it鈥檚 been described by students as amazing. At best, it鈥檚 considered life-changing, revealing a career path that they never could have imagined as new students. At least, that鈥檚 what happened to Bryce Robertson 鈥�22 and Julie St. Clair 鈥�22, and their stories of discovering 鈥� and then developing a passion for -- the Geographical Information Systems Program, or GIS, are incredibly similar.

The GIS program at 缅北强奸 was established by Dr. John Seidel and Dr. Wayne Bell back in 2003, and is currently led by Director Erica McMaster. GIS provides students with professional training for their future careers, and real-world experiences through internships. Because GIS is completely self-funded, the program relies on grants and contracts from outside organizations.  By then hiring student interns to support these funded projects with partners and clients all throughout the United States, the GIS Program teaches data analysis, functional mapping, and the use of geospatial technology through experience. 

For example, GIS has been doing grant work for the Maryland Department of Transportation for over a decade, and this fall was awarded over $650,000 for continued support of two grants focused on traffic records improvement and impaired driving mapping and analysis. This is critical work that is helping to make Maryland roadways safer, and it is being done by 缅北强奸 students.

Dedicated student interns like Robertson and St. Clair take that charge personally, as their families and hometowns have been directly affected by car accidents.

鈥淚 work on the Maryland Highway Safety Office (MHSO) grant, so a lot of the work I do involves mapping DUI鈥檚 and impaired driving,鈥� St. Clair said. 鈥淚 had a family member that was hit by a drunk driver - he thankfully survived - so I really like being a part of the force to reduce the number of impaired drivers on the road.鈥�

According to McMaster, it鈥檚 really about using data to make the best decisions on how to apply limited resources, such as manpower. The interns are doing all of the work 鈥� identifying risk areas, running algorithms, putting data into a usable format to determine where to deploy those resources, and even in some cases, communicating the findings to the partner agency contacts. 鈥淭he students are gaining valuable skills that they can then apply to really any discipline,鈥� she said. This includes learning about GIS Data Management and collection, gaining project management experience, all the way through to client communication, and problem-solving techniques.

鈥淒uring my sophomore and junior year, I was working specifically on the city of Aberdeen, Maryland, looking at all of their data, and just organizing that by quarters and providing that to the Aberdeen Police Department so that they could monitor those areas or make any infrastructure changes,鈥� Robertson said.

鈥淭his data helps a partner like the Aberdeen PD look at problems and make data-driven decisions, not assumption-based decisions,鈥� said McMaster. 鈥淚n this way, they can focus on the areas of highest need.鈥�

It鈥檚 not just the impact of the work that makes the GIS program so appealing to students like Robertson and St. Clair 鈥� it鈥檚 the creative freedom; it鈥檚 the flexibility; it鈥檚 the hands-on experience; it鈥檚 what it means within their local communities; it鈥檚 the people they work alongside 鈥� all of it blends to create an unforgettable experience. And prior experience with GIS is not required because all interns go through a training program. What the program staff mostly look for is an interest in technology and location analysis tools.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have any GIS experience, and that was one of the really nice things 鈥� I came in very honest during my interview, and the program and the leaders there said, 鈥榳e鈥檒l train you,鈥欌�� Robertson said. 鈥淚 did the paid internship as a freshman and it just kind of stuck.鈥�

Interns continue to rise through the ranks with time, earning higher titles as they gain experience. Both Robertson and St. Clair are now Journeyman Leaders. 鈥淪ince I鈥檝e been working here going on three years, I鈥檝e been put in more leadership positions with more creative freedom, and I love it,鈥� said St. Clair.

As their undergraduate careers begin to close, Robertson and St. Clair 鈥� both Environmental Science majors - want to continue their work in this field after college. Their passion for this work runs deep and both see the value in carrying this work through. That鈥檚 no surprise to McMaster, who pointed out that GIS is a natural supplement for a liberal arts education. 鈥淪tudents are learning problem-solving techniques, along with the tools to implement them,鈥� she said. "Interns with GIS take with them a very valuable skill set."

鈥淚 would 100 percent recommend a GIS internship to any student. It鈥檚 such a supportive, fun environment to work in and it was definitely one of the best choices I鈥檝e made during my time at this school,鈥� St. Clair said. 鈥淭he staff and students are so incredibly helpful and will assist you as much as you need. It鈥檚 the least judgmental place I鈥檝e ever worked at, as they will answer any questions you have, explain anything you don鈥檛 understand, hold your hand as much as you need, or let you work independently.鈥�

On November 17 from 10 AM to 4 PM, GIS will celebrate with 鈥淕IS Day鈥� to highlight the vital aspects of the program鈥檚 work and how it impacts the communities they serve. Visitors to the booth are being asked to complete this survey: and then view the live results on the big screen!