Xiaohui Liu

Website: https://xiaohuiliu.com/

Education: Ph.D. in Geography (University of Southern Mississippi), M.S. in Geology (Bowling Green State University), B.S. in GIS (Shandong University of Architecture and Engineering, China)

Describe your job. What are some of the most important tasks or duties for which you are responsible?
My job as a geospatial analyst and health disparity researcher aims to identify geographical/environmental factors leading to health disparities, and novel ways to characterize and explain them. Health disparities exist as a result of multiple social, environmental, geopolitical, and economic factors, so a geographical or spatial perspective is indispensable in examining, analyzing, and addressing these disparities.

My routine tasks include proposing research questions, designing research methods, identifying datasets (both spatial and aspatial), conducting analysis, and preparing research manuscripts. My research questions are mostly developed based on identified research gaps and my curiosity about where health disparities exist, among which populations, how they change over time, as well as the potential reasons that cause these disparities. Given the complexity of these questions, integrating and analyzing data from multiple sources is always necessary. For instance, spatial data, survey data, census data, social media data, and biomarker data are often used to support my research.

What attracted you to this career path?
Geography became my favorite subject in middle school. Being the student with the most geographic knowledge in my class helped me build great confidence, which eventually led me to explore a career in geography. After choosing GIS as my undergraduate major, my determination to choose a career as a geographer was enhanced by the joy of creating knowledge from data. Ever since then, I have been consecutively involved in multiple projects funded by U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. National Science Foundation, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research to apply my geospatial knowledge and skills to analyze, model, and visualize problems resulting from the interaction of social and physical environments.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position?
My training in geography has helped me to identify research topics with spatial components and provided me with the skills to conduct research independently. I have also become proficient in performing desktop geospatial analysis, building web-based applications, and developed a self-motivation to keep learning new skills. I believe that all the learning and training experiences have improved my competency in the job market.

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often?
Spatial thinking is the core of my geographic skills. On top of that, I am always ready to learn and adopt new approaches, i.e., spatial data science practices, which have helped me to work more efficiently. I use oral and written communication skills daily. I also appreciate teamwork and being able to learn from others.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
Yes; the skills I learned at school have only provided me with a foundation, while those I learned and developed through my work have been key in helping me thrive. I actively seek information from all sorts of platforms to help me understand research trends and position my research focus, i.e., signing up for National Science Academy professional training workshops and subscribing to the latest research publication mailing lists. At the same time, I have sought out additional opportunities for learning new technical skills, including learning on Coursera, Data Camp, Data Incubator, among other platforms, to keep up with the latest geospatial science technologies and tools. I also signed up for all the workshops that were relevant to my research at AAG annual meetings when I was able to attend them.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?
Yes. Being involved in screening and training of new employees has helped me realize that a clear vision of career development and self-awareness of personal strengths and weaknesses can often make candidates stand out. A solid domain knowledge, technical proficiency, and experience are equally important qualifications.

What advice would you give to someone interested in a job like yours?
My advice for geographers who are interested in being a geospatial analyst/researcher in an interdisciplinary field is to follow your own passion and always balance your expertise and passion when making career choices. It’s likely that the first few jobs may not be ideal for many people, so being able to follow your heart when making career changes is very important. Be flexible and always be willing to learn — this is extremely important in interdisciplinary work.

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field/organization, esp. for geographers?
I’m very positive about the career opportunities for positions like geospatial analysts in government organizations like the NIH. Given the fact that a lot of social and environmental issues have spatial components, implementation of geospatial solutions could greatly help address these issues. In the era of fourth industry revolution, we also have more spatial data, and more powerful, mobile, and easy-to-use tools to identify new spatial knowledge and solve problems. With that said, we need a workforce willing to roll up their sleeves to make the world a more sustainable and harmonious place.

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Yasuyuki (Yas) Motoyama

Education: Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning (University of California, Berkeley), Master of Public Administration (Cornell University), B.A. (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Describe your job. What are some of the most important tasks or duties for which you are responsible?
As a background, the Kauffman Foundation was a philanthropic entity to promote entrepreneurship. I summarize my tasks into three categories: The first is research. Kauffman Foundation was one of the few foundations with internal research functions. Second, it was engagement with policymakers and practitioners. There was a philosophy that we had to make an impact on society by using our research products, which meant we had to engage with people who were on the front line of making and promoting entrepreneurship. I gave a number of presentations and consultation to policymakers and entrepreneurship support organizations. Third, it was grant management. As a foundation, we provided grants, and I was primarily in charge of research grants to academic institutions.

What attracted you to this career path?
A unique combination of the three functions describe above: research, engagement in policy and practice, and grant making to academic institutions. A possibility of making a real impact on society.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position?
Traditionally, entrepreneurship was studied by business and economics disciplines, which only perceived entrepreneurship as an individual or corporate phenomenon. Lately, people have been finding that entrepreneurship is actually a local phenomenon as every entrepreneur is supported by entrepreneurship organizations, mentors, peer entrepreneurs, etc. in a regional context. In other words, a geographic or spatial perspective was important, and geography-trained researchers were needed.

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often?
I used some GIS-related skills, but perhaps the most important one was knowledge of various kinds of data related to entrepreneurship and its geographic context. For example, it’s important to know not only the availability of self-employment data in the Census or American Community Survey, but also the geographic scale that you can analyze. Then, the Business Dynamics Statistics by the Census Bureau provides different entrepreneurship data with a different geographic scale.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
Most academics are theory and publication oriented, and I find that geographers are more so than other disciplines, such as city planning and business administration. When it comes to the question about how we can apply that knowledge to policymakers, I was finding that my graduate school prepared me little. By interacting with mayors, governors, as well as intergovernmental organizations, such as Council of State Governments and National League of Cities, I had to learn how policymakers think and what kind of information can benefit them or lead them to action.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?
Yes, I was involved in the recruitment process for entry and midlevel positions. I think what we looked for were three traits essential for general social science researchers: The first one is curiosity. What kind of problem or question do you have? What are your methods for analyzing tentative answers? The second is flexibility. Unlike the academic world where there are standard research products and protocols, foundation research can evolve into different dimensions, so every researcher needs to identify different needs and audience for every research project. The third is interpersonal skills. Most of the work including research and engagement was team work, so you need to be able to communicate effectively with people of different backgrounds.

What advice would you give to someone interested in a job like yours?
Most foundations do not have a standard recruitment process or publicized job market, so you need to think outside the box and be creative. Many foundations may not post job openings, but hire in a highly opportunistic way when they see a good candidate. So do your homework by researching every foundation and every foundation officer that you can relate to. If you see a potential fit, approach it proactively, and you should usually contact the director level people.

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field/organization, esp. for geographers?
The job market for foundations is not large. However, it is one of the few places that do not experience a major decline during an economic crisis, thanks to large endowments by founders. So while it may not be big or growing, it is a relatively stable market.

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Richard Quodomine

Education: M.A. in Geography (SUNY Buffalo), B.A. in Geography (SUNY Buffalo)

Describe your job. What are some of the most important tasks or duties for which you are responsible?
My job literally varies day to day, which suits my personality and abilities. One day, I may be generating specialty maps and reports covering public investment. The next day, I may be managing an RFI for specialty geospatial analysis tools. A third day, I may be working on 5G rollout plans or helping with COVID-19 response. With over 3,000 assets and 900 buildings owned by the city that may need a special map or analysis for any number of government agencies, political institutions or other members of the public.

What attracted you to this career path?
I’ve always said that a geographer needs to first love mapping something. It could be trains, or environmental facts, or firefighting. If you have a passion for a subject and a passion for mapping it, then you can be a geographer. I love transportation – buses, trains, etc. – so I would look at maps of transportation all day. When I learned I could turn that love into a career, I majored in it, graduated in it, and spent the majority of my career in it.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position?
Certainly having multiple degrees in geography helps. But degrees are just paper unless you find an application that you want to do in life. And you then should seek every reasonable opportunity to bring geographic perspectives to whatever work you have. Resiliency and ability to solve problems are very important early on, and even after you’re more secure in your career path, they’re handy. Finally, clear and cogent communication, both spoken and written, are a must. You don’t need to be a native English speaker, but being clear with your language is important. Practice with friends and colleagues to become more skilled at presenting, writing and business communication. I was involved in student politics at university – talk about how to deal with people who don’t like you and learning how to communicate!

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often?
The first skill I use is the geographic organization of data. Almost all data in civil service has some kind of geographic component to it. That data should be clearly organized in a proper geodatabase and displayed in feature classes or tools that are accurate and timely. It doesn’t sound sexy, but good data, in my view, is so important. The second is the ability to be geographically holistic: public buildings are not separate from roadways are not separate from parks are not separate from public health! It is a mistake to not consider geographic interconnections and context.

Be good at evaluating geographic tools – whether you using them or buying them via a Request for Proposal (RFP) – your judgment and discretion in spending money gets you a good (or bad) reputation when looking at the bottom line. If you have not done this yet, look for a committee to join that purchases GIS application software, sit in, listen and learn.

Last but not least, always be learning new skills that are relevant and timely to your job. Find ways to solve problems and take on new tasks that are adjacent to your current ones. Willingness to expand yourself beyond just the job’s basic description gets you a reputation as a doer. Conversely, don’t take on too much – when you’re branching out, keep focused on the next achievable thing.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
I barely had any GIS in college; my academic background is in economic and transportation geography. So, first, I had to be able to learn GIS for my Master’s degree, and then I had to apply it at work. I also learned Visual Basic and Python. But more importantly, I learned when to use my hard skills, and when to work with others’ skillsets. GIS is like having a bucket of awesome toys, but as you advance in your career, use only the toys you like the best, and pass the bucket to others – whether working with other colleagues and departments or hiring others with complementary skills. The project is important – and it’s more important that the project gets done than who used what tool to get the credit.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?
I have been hiring for over a decade and currently supervise GIS staff. We have three possible positions, of which one is filled, and we hope to fill at least one more after the COVID-19 pandemic has passed. In addition to good knowledge of GIS, I look for adaptability, problem solving, and good interpersonal communication skills – make eye contact, be polite, and be clear and cogent. Also, be willing to learn – no one has all the skills a job might need, so it’s willingness to learn that shows me you want to be a productive employee.

What advice would you give to someone interested in a job like yours?
My job is mid-career, so it involves a little bit of experience in analysis and reporting, plus use of tools and other skills like managing a Request for Proposal (RFP) – being on a team that buys or hires is really important! Always be adaptable and look for opportunities to help a team shine. Accomplishment matters – carry a portfolio of accomplishments when you interview. Don’t just tell people on a resume, show them you deliver!

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field/organization, esp. for geographers?
The city has recently hired a number of public safety analysts with GIS backgrounds. While COVID-19 has slowed many hiring efforts, and will likely impact hiring in the near future, I see a long-term growth trend. GIS that focuses on redevelopment of urban spaces, asset management, public safety, water and sewer upgrades and climate change mitigation will all be in demand. Also, don’t be afraid to apply for government jobs that don’t have geography in the title but can use geographic skills. I broke into government as an economist, and eventually found my way up the GIS ranks. It’s all about solving a problem, and we’re always looking for problem solvers.

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Stephen Ladochy

Education: Ph.D. in Geography (University of Manitoba), M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences (Colorado State University), B.A. in Meteorology (University of California, Los Angeles)

Describe your job. What are some of the most important tasks or duties for which you are responsible?
Besides teaching classes in physical geography, meteorology and climatology, I mentor graduate students in their research and Masters’ theses. I also write several letters of recommendation for students seeking jobs, graduate schools and research opportunities. I continue collaborating with other scientists on climate research and occasionally answer requests from media on environmental stories.

What attracted you to this career path?
I always liked math, and found that it could be applied in meteorology. At UCLA I interned at the National Weather Service as well as at air pollution consultants. While working at the L.A. County Air Pollution Control District, someone showed me information on “Jobs in Geography”, where you could teach weather courses at universities. I was hired by the University of Winnipeg in the Great White North teaching weather and later climatology and environmental courses. I enjoyed teaching, so went on to a Ph.D. in geography/climatology.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position? Most of my education was in Atmospheric Sciences, so I had a lot of prep work to teach geography courses. I found my niche and passion in meteorology and climatology and have been studying them since.

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often?
I like to show satellite images in my classes and the latest climatic data, such as from NASA. So using remote sensing, weather maps and oceanic conditions (being on the coast), I use statistics and recent environmental data in my classes and research. Mostly, I’m looking at ENSO-Pacific Ocean Indices, weather maps and satellites and climate data to follow climate change. We also have field instruments so my classes can measure surface weather data in different land uses in urban settings.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
I was fortunate to have summer employment at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA. There I collaborated with oceanography scientists and student interns on several climate-related projects. My boss there was a wonderful science communicator, so I learned a lot from him that carried into classrooms and media interviews.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?
I was just on two search committees for new hires. We looked for someone who would be a good instructor with our students, many of whom had English as a second language and were working while in school. We also looked for good mentors for these students, who could relate and encourage high achievement. Scholarships were also important where they could lead student research

What advice would you give to someone interested in a job like yours?
You need to have a passion for your work and for helping students. That makes the hard work actually fun and something you look forward to doing. We have special students that work hard and often reach their goals. You need to be a good mentor and inspiration to your students. Your enthusiasm for your subjects will rub off.

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field/organization, esp. for geographers?
Our graduates have been fairly successful in finding employment in geography and related environmental fields. Having skills in computer programming, GIS and remote sensing training or certificates, statistics and the sciences are all helpful. Internships or summer help in companies or government agencies can often lead to more permanent employment.

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Patricia Syvrud

Education: M.B.A. (University of Southern California), B.S. in Business Administration (University of New Hampshire), Graduate Gemologist (G.G.) designation (Gemological Institute of America), coursework in Physical Geology, Mineralogy and Optical Mineralogy (University of Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Describe your job. What are some of the most important tasks or duties for which you are responsible?
I oversee the marketing, promotion and management of new programs within the University of Delaware’s Department of Geography: the new B.S. in GIScience and Environmental Data Analytics, the GIScience graduate certificate, and the new Minerals, Materials and Society (MMS) program including the MMS graduate certificate. In addition to fundraising for research, sourcing graduate internships, program promotion and managing the administration of the MMS graduate certificate program, I also oversee the development of the Jewelry Development Impact Index, a socio-economic index for the jewelry trade.

What attracted you to this career path?
Even though the entirety of my working career prior to UD has been in the jewelry industry, I have always been attracted to education and academia. My passion lies with responsible sourcing and responsible minerals trade and addressing the issues surrounding the most vulnerable part of the extractives supply chain, artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM). Applying location-specific GIScience and understanding supply chain risk are robust tools for making a positive impact on the ASM sector.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position?
Arriving in academia and specifically in geography and responsible sourcing has been a culmination of many years’ effort, education and experience. Although my education is in business, physical geology, mineralogy and gemology, geography-specific knowledge and awareness has had a huge impact on the work I’m currently involved in, including as a member of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Kimberley Process Authority (USKPA: https://www.uskpa.org/) and the Governance Committee of the Public Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade (PPA: https://www.resolve.ngo/site-ppa/default.htm)

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often?
Given the many blockchain initiatives in the responsible minerals and jewelry trade, skill in and understanding how to harness location-specific data is particularly important in enhancing the transparency and sustainability of extractive supply chains.

Given the varied tasks involved with my position at UD, my skills in project/program management and oversight are utilized daily. As a marketer for the programs, my ease and skill as a public speaker and networker, and ability to work with others are also called upon regularly.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
My most valuable skill NOT obtained through academic training is public speaking. A certain part of this is inherent in my DNA, i.e., not having a fear of speaking in front of small and large groups, and the rest is practice and experience.

What advice would you give to someone interested in a job like yours?
Follow your passion and think outside the box. If you can’t find a job in your area of interest, don’t be afraid to volunteer your time which can lead to employment opportunities.

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field/organization, esp. for geographers?
The US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 15 percent growth in the need for geographic information specialists between 2018 and 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations.

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Sean O’Brien

Education: Master’s in Geographic Information Science (University of Minnesota), B.S. in Geography (University of Minnesota)

Describe your job. What are some of the most important tasks or duties for which you are responsible?
I work in the Enterprise Research and Analytics group. The foundation of my job involves creating and maintaining our geographic datasets, as well as creating self-service mapping applications where our employees can go to explore and export maps, data, and reports. The main responsibilities of my job involve supporting our business lines with their geographic analysis needs. Going along with that, I do a lot of in-depth analysis for specific projects. I do things such as analyzing branch usage, and where customers who use branches are coming from. I also support the team that decides where to put new assets such as branches and ATMs.

What attracted you to this career path?
I discovered GIS when I was in college. I had an interest in geography, but I was also interested in statistics. I talked to an advisor who told me about GIS, so I decided to take a class to check it out. On the first day of class we all got a sheet of paper and rulers, and were instructed to draw points on a blank sheet of paper, and then draw these lines and points in a specific manor around those initial seed points. After doing this for about fifteen minutes I was instructed to erase some of the lines, and the instructor informed us that we had created a Voronoi Diagram (also known as Thiessen Polygons). This diagram creates polygons around each seed point, and any point within that polygon is closest to that seed point compared to the other seed points. The real-life example the instructor used was plotting points for a chain restaurant on a map. He then drew the polygons and explained that this is how I could find the closest restaurant from wherever I was in the city. After all that we were told that there was GIS software that could do what we just did in a matter of seconds, and that was just the tip of the iceberg for what that software was capable of. At that point I knew I wanted to learn much more about GIS. Once I started to learn more, I knew this is what I wanted to do for a career.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position?
Taking geography classes as an undergraduate student was very helpful to prepare me for my future jobs. Understanding geography is a critical foundation to a GIS career path. Things like surveying, GPS, projections, and coordinate systems were required knowledge for all of my positions. Cultural geography also plays a role in my current position. Ideas such as demographics, cultural movements, and Tobler’s First Law of Geography (near things are more related than distant things) is all useful knowledge in my current role. Why do people live in certain places? What tendencies do people in specific regions have? How does the geography of a place impact people’s behaviors? Understanding people as it relates to geography is critical in a GIS/Geography business.

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often?
For geographic skills and information: Understanding projections and coordinate systems is always needed in a GIS line of work. It is the foundation to most GIS operations. The other most useful geographic skill is understanding the geographic software. I use it all day every day, so being familiar with the software and the geographic functions inside of it is critical. Census and related demographic datasets are used frequently in my line of work. It is very useful to be able to take tabular data, attach it to a geography, and then parse that data out by other geographies. Most geographic data is useful in business. Data such as geographic boundaries, road networks, addresses, and demographics are all used on a regular basis.

For general skills: In my work, understanding basic statistics and math is needed on a regular basis. I deal with a lot of tabular information, so having a grasp of regression, correlation, and statistical and geographic patterns is key to being able to analyze data. Related to tabular data, knowledge of Excel is required. Many things I do require me to deliver data in an Excel format. The other skill I use frequently is coding with Python. I automate geographic tasks using the code which is a critical part of being a GIS Analyst as it allows me to free up my time from doing monotonous and repetitive tasks. The final general skill I use most often is understanding and working with databases. U.S. Bank has tons of data, so understanding how databases are structured, and how to query that data is key to getting my job done.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
Most of the skills I need were at least touched on during academic training. However, there are two skills that I’ve learned that were never touched on in school. The first one is how to present analysis to executives. This is something that isn’t brought up in school, but it’s very important to be able to craft a succinct story that an executive can understand. I cannot just dump data, create a chart, or regurgitate a bunch of stats and expect executives to understand what I’m trying to say. There are a couple good books that go over the main concepts of how to present data. I’ve also learned a lot from my peers and how they’ve presented things in the past.

The other skill that I did not learn in school was networking. Networking is very important both when looking for a job, and while working in a large company. Sometimes our GIS team needs to sell ourselves to others in the company. We find the right people, explain how we can help them out, and then deliver great work. If this process works, we can become a trusted partner for many business lines, and we can become respected by more business lines and executives.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?
In my current and previous jobs I have read through resumes and interviewed prospects. When reading through resumes, there are a few key things I like. One is concise information. For me and others in my position, reading through resumes is a pain because it’s tedious and it takes away from my main work. If I have to read through dozens of resumes and I come across a four-page resume, I’m likely to skim through in hopes that I find relevant information. In my opinion a good resume would be one page. I would start by listing your current job, and then list projects you’ve done that are directly related to the top qualifications and/or skills listed in the job posting. Try to use the exact verbiage used in the posting. This is what I’m looking for.

When interviewing, be sure to dress nicely. I personally don’t look for a suit and tie, but I would recommend a dress shirt and dress pants at a minimum. When I am interviewing for a position, I try to follow the STAR method of answering questions – “Situation,” “Task,” “Action,” and “Result.” When I’m interviewing, I’m not necessarily looking for that format of an answer, but that method makes sure you hit the main points when answering a question, and it allows you to not go off on an irrelevant tangent.

And of course, try to be nice. The people who are interviewing you will most likely be your manager or peer. They’re looking for people who will be easy to work with.

What advice would you give to someone interested in a job like yours?
First I would recommend getting at least an associate’s degree in geography or GIS. Learning the base theory is integral to understanding how to do things in the main GIS software. Second, I would become as familiar as possible with GIS software. Almost every GIS job looks for experience in ArcGIS. I think the future of GIS involves more coding than one might think. Learning something like Python, which is one of the easiest languages to learn, is a really good start. Once you get a good foundation you can try to branch out from there if needed. Finally, I think having at least a little exposure to things like statistics, IT infrastructure, and database management is beneficial. Once you get your foot in the door you can learn more about those as the job requires.

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field/organization, esp. for geographers?
Overall, I think the outlook is good. GIS spans across so many different professional fields, and more industries and entities are discovering the benefits of it. Even small cities and counties are investing in resources to improve their geographic analysis capabilities. Furthermore, more data has become available for consumption, allowing more analysis to be done. On that point, the demand for geographic data has grown to the point where there are entire companies dedicated to gathering and maintaining it.

I’ve had three GIS jobs – One in city government, one in consulting, and now one in private business. Currently, all three of those teams I was on have more people working with GIS today versus the day I started. There were also people within the consulting firm whose jobs were not related to GIS, but they were learning GIS on the job because it helped them with their work.

At U.S. Bank, I think we’re showing other business lines and executives what we’re capable of, and so the demand for our services has grown. I believe in the future that even smaller businesses will think of GIS as less of a luxury, and more of a necessity.

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Lisa Colson

Education: M.A. in Geography (George Washington University), B.A. in Environmental Studies (Eckerd College)

Describe your job. What are some of the most important tasks or duties for which you are responsible?
In our workplace, we use a variety of decision support services and I am responsible for knowing how to use all of them, providing geospatial training, and responding to certain map requests. We use a variety of vector, raster, and satellite imagery data sets, requiring advanced knowledge to ensure proper scientific data handling to efficiently conduct analysis. My work involves mapping crop conditions, weather, crop distribution, and trade policy and effects. Sometimes, I have a project for 2-3 weeks and other times, I have new challenges each day. Each map request requires me to be creative in distilling multiple data sets into clear and concise policy messages. We talk a lot about the subtle messages conveyed in our use of colors, annotations, and other cartographic features.

What attracted you to this career path?
I was attracted to this industry because geography provides a more flexible approach to integrating different disciplines of information into summary messages about health, the environment, international development, and other complex topics. Working in agriculture, especially around the world, addresses many of the interdisciplinary topics that interest me, including food security, sustainable development, and poverty alleviation.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position?
As an analyst, I was required to take initiative to learn how to process satellite imagery into clear, concise stories about current crop conditions. I had to be flexible in identifying areas where the data and tools I had could provide a reliable and accurate sense of the crop conditions, taking into consideration constraints in the spatial resolution, timing, cloud free percentage, and other details that would hinder or support my ability to perform the analysis. Time and computer network constraints often played a significant role in figuring out if an analysis would be realistic to tackle.

My education in geography and specifically remote sensing provided me with the necessary foundation to advance my skills for the specific analytical demands of my current workplace. In addition, my background in policy communication greatly supported me in creating well-received map products that simplified complex data into clear policy messages. I really loved doing that analytical work.

More recently, I have become a graphics editor and training coordinator to help build upon the geospatial skills of my colleagues. With newer staff and the many decision support tools that we use, it is challenging to stay abreast of application developments. Communicating how I did my work, while staying abreast of the applications, is a newer and still rewarding challenge for me. I enjoy sharing my love of geospatial analysis and remote sensing with colleagues, especially as the industry leap frogs forward with technological advancements.

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often?
Geographic skills: I think I most often use location identification, in the sense of advising colleagues to clarify the locational extent of the map image. This is done by adding rivers, roads, cities, and other geographical context to the maps of satellite imagery and other raster data sets. Yet there is more to this. The main geographic questions we tackle are (1) how much grows (in terms of crops) in a given place and (2) what are the conditions of the crops in that place? The important skills myself and colleagues use to answer these questions are spatial joins (aka, making geospatial data sets from tabular data), difference mapping (with raster calculator and post-classification change detection), zonal statistics (to help summarize data to counties or states), and other area calculations.

In the world of remote sensing, I am also required to know the name of many satellite sensors and some basic sensor specifications. For example, sometimes management thinks higher spatial resolution would help make it easier to answer key questions, but these sensors are often missing other critical data. I periodically engage in important discussions about the trade-offs between time and processing speed when considering the geographic extent, timing, and spatial resolution of different imagery sources. Having the technical expertise and yet flexibility to talk with non-technical decision makers is a critical aspect of my work.

General skills: I frequently use writing and presentation skills. I present at conferences about interesting analysis I have done or new product development, such as the Global Agricultural & Disaster Assessment System (GADAS). GADAS is a free, global website that provides a geospatial platform for analysis with hundreds of data layers. When showcasing this or other workflows, I heavily utilize my PowerPoint skills preparing slides. My work also requires me to talk with users of our applications to figure out their challenges and the assumptions that they bring to the application. Sometimes knowing an application well makes a person blind to how others might approach using the same tool. I frequently communicate with people who are not trained in geography, but it is my responsibility to help them be able to perform certain geographical tasks. It can be challenging and requires me to have patience and sometimes think creatively.

Honestly, I far more frequently use general skills to perform my duties, as I review our decision support systems, report bugs on where the applications are having issues, and advise on improvements to these systems. Technically, I am testing geospatial applications and therefore using geospatial skills, but any tester can tell you that they are not being overly creative in performing this task. My work involves far more documentation than I would probably prefer to admit. Yet, concise writing that captures a concern or requirement for a developer to efficiently fix or enhance a decision support tool has its merits. That “telephone game” sometimes works better than other times. When it works, it is very rewarding.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
Sure, and yet the skills I need I have built upon from my academic training. For example, my previous career in the non-profit world taught me more about using PowerPoint effectively and giving presentations, and yet I learned presentation skills during school as well. In addition, I of course had to write many papers in college and graduate school. These assignments prepared me well, and yet I spent my first 3-5 years in DC learning a completely different writing style. After all, policy memos, briefing papers, and even 5-15 minute presentations for the office are so different from what I did in college.

Here’s another way of thinking about this: some people believe the purpose of going to college is to learn a skill, but instead it is often to learn how to think critically. So how do I identify skills I learned outside of school, when I am constantly thinking through new challenges and exploring solutions to build upon my academic foundation? To me, this is honestly the difference between a job and a career; and I love having a career.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?
First and foremost, I look for the skills needed to perform the job. This is sometimes easier said than done. I work in a place that needs talented people in a variety of arenas. Finding a person with a diverse set of skills can be very challenging and this makes the art of screening for new employees more fluid than some people might expect.

We need people who can be clear and concise in presenting information. The resume or CV is a first indication of this skillset. Sometimes technical people list out all of their skills, but with little organizational structure that helps provide a sense of the person and their history. I always look for people with not only the technical skills, but also an interest area relevant to our work, whether this is meteorology, agronomy, international development, food security, or another relevant field. This helps me know the person could provide scientific quality analysis in an operational environment.

We also look for a person who can be flexible to work with a variety of personality types. Every workplace has a culture and it’s nice to find people who can blend into that culture instead of shaking it up. An interview is as much about the candidate as it is about the team and being able to envision the candidate contributing something new or missing to the team.

What advice would you give to someone interested in a job like yours?
First, don’t be afraid to get to know a variety of tools. Second, geography is a tool that can be applied in many different disciplines. Take the time to develop some expertise in a discipline, where you can geospatially analyze relevant data. Conducting analysis goes beyond knowing how to use the tools, as it is important to also understand the data and proper data handling needs. Third, realize all jobs involve some data cleaning, file management, and time management. No one is too important to do these tasks.

Most importantly, my advice is to take on challenges. Start by finding the little things that are not working well and fixing them. Focusing on tasks within your areas of responsibility that help things function better is a way for you to take initiative and expand your area of expertise. Finding the right time and place to take initiative is incredibly important. It makes all the difference between getting criticized for stepping outside your lane and being rewarded for showing the necessary initiative to solve an important problem. Workplaces are as broken as we allow them to be, so try not to be the source of problems when there is so much interesting work that could be done.

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field/organization, esp. for geographers?
Sometimes I think geography is currently exploding. Technological infrastructure has finally caught up with the wishes and desires of many analysts. Now with cloud computing, it could be possible to process not just gigabytes, but terabytes of data. Demand for geographers, especially combined with remote sensing data, has increased over the past 10 years, and with more powerful computers the possibilities for working with these data are only limited by our creativity.

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Angeline Johnson

Education: Current Ph.D. Student in Spatially Integrated Social Sciences (University of Toledo), Master of Planning (University of Southern California), Master of Public Administration (University of Toledo), Graduate Certificate in Municipal Administration (University of Toledo), B.A. in Geography (University of Toledo)

Describe your job. What are some of the most important tasks or duties for which you are responsible?
I was recently selected as a 2019-2020 FUSE Fellow assigned to a project entitled “Forging Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration for Community Economic Development.” FUSE Corps (https://fusecorps.org/) is a national nonprofit that partners with local government to help urban communities thrive. The organization works with cities and counties on a range of issues, including economic and workforce development, healthcare, public safety, climate change, and education. They work closely with government partners to design yearlong strategic projects, recruit experienced leaders to take on those challenges, and provide ongoing support to assist selected fellows in achieving their full potential for community impact.

I am responsible for creating a blueprint for effective, multi-stakeholder economic development designed to assist the City of Wichita, Kansas in the development of robust partnerships to bring housing, infrastructure improvements, and economic vitality to distressed communities within the city. I will also be responsible for developing a national model on how to successfully utilize Opportunity Zones, a viable tool for effective community economic development work in urban communities across the U.S.

Over my 20+ year work history, some of my previous positions have been with the City of Toledo, the City of Pasadena, Los Angeles Community Development Commission, United Way of Greater Toledo, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Each position addressed community and neighborhood development in urban areas throughout the U.S.

What attracted you to this career path?
It was a high school sociology course that first led me to consider geography as my field of study. I found that I was very much interested in how groups and individuals both interacted with and were affected by one another in our nation’s cities. When I entered college as a freshman, I sought a major that would allow me to study people, both from an individual and group perspective. Geography was not initially on my radar as I assumed that sociology or even psychology would be the path to take. However, in review of my college bulletin and each department’s list of courses offered, it was initially city and regional planning that would later transition to geography and planning that offered the courses that most peaked my interest. And so, as an undergraduate I graduated with a B.A. in Geography.

My graduate studies led me to seek out an advanced degree not only in planning, but also public administration. It was my thought that both local government and the nonprofit sectors played key roles in implementing change in communities. I desired to engage in a career path that would allow me to be most impactful in being a change-agent whose daily work would bring positive impacts to communities. With that as my motivation, I found myself drawn to positions working with either local or county governmental entities, as well as local nonprofits that also held a national or international footprint.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position?
My background in geography has been invaluable for each of my professional positions. Being true to Tobler’s “First Law of Geography”, I have been trained to approach phenomena occurring within society from the perspective that “everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things.” This foundational perspective on how to observe and perceive phenomena within cities, neighborhoods, and communities has charged me with always approaching my work in a broad manner. As geographers we are trained to look broadly and approach problems from a multi-dimensional and multi-faceted vantage point. My professional experience has shown me that many outside of geography approach both problem-identification and problem-solving from a very narrow and fragmented approach that overly simplifies how to address issues within our communities. For me, as a practicing geographer, such an approach is both counter-intuitive and counter-productive.

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often?
Geographic skills that are most often used in my work are: 1) Understanding of Scale – The ability to discern both the importance and relevance of scale in any analysis. As geographers, we should be keenly aware of how scale impacts both our perspective and analysis. I am often reminded of the relevance of scale in my work in local communities. 2) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) – Ability to utilize GIS as a tool for both the visual display of spatial phenomena as well as a tool of spatial analysis. Even if my position has not required its use, I utilize this software to enhance my own understanding of the communities I have served.

General skills that are most often used in my work are: 1) Interpersonal skills – The ability to build both individual and organizational relationships that foster the establishment and maintaining of trust. In a world of limited resources available for addressing unlimited challenges, the ability to build, develop, and deepen relationships with individuals and organizations in your community for collective impact is paramount to being able to usher in change. Having the skillset to maintain positive relationships is highly important in my experience. 2) Written communication – The ability to convey and relay information in a clear and concise manner. Communication in the written form (whether through emails, letters, and/or reports) is a task that I use often. Being able to hone in on key ideas and synthesize information is essential for successful communication.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
My academic training taught me about the relevance of geography as a field of study and provided me with many opportunities to learn and explore how to engage in practice. However, because of my focus on urban communities, racial/ethnic disparities, and practice through the role of nonprofits and government, I found a need to seek out more specialized practical experiences. To gain more real-world insight I served as a volunteer with both AmeriCorps State and National and served a term as an AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate (https://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps), where I worked with cities and nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity of Charlotte. I have also served on the Board of Directors for a local community action agency in order to gain a better understanding of poverty issues. I believe both vantage points of academia and practice are necessary to truly create long-term positive change in our cities.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?
Not currently, but I have in the past. I looked for applicants that showed the ability to think beyond the task at hand and view the work broadly and comprehensively. I also looked for applicants who seemed to align philosophically with the mission of the organization and who were not applying to simply get a job. I desired people who wanted to help move our organization’s mission forward.

What advice would you give to someone interested in a job like yours?
Recognize the strength you bring as both a geographer and a broad thinker. I have come to understand that many practitioners tend to become locked into the perspective, purpose and mission of their organization exclusively, which is unfortunate because many of the issues that impact communities are not typically things that any one organization can address. I have found that the most innovative and impactful organizations are those that recognize that it most often takes collective approaches to address the challenges facing our communities. Be an advocate for collective-impact and cooperative relationships for change.

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field/organization, esp. for geographers?
As a geographer, because I am currently pursuing my Ph.D., I have the option of entering into teaching and research within academia. At the same time, because of my professional experience I also have the option of pursuing employment both within the nonprofit or governmental sectors. Currently, because of the flexibility it provides, I have focused on providing contractual services as an independent consultant. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects all of these career paths to grow in the next 10 years. Therefore, I believe there will continue to be a place for these interests and skillsets with regard to future employment opportunities both within academia and practice.

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