Careers in Geospatial Technologies
Spatial thinking, promoted and supported by geo-technologies, has application far beyond the core discipline of geography as a tool for solving geographic questions. For example, health planners might be interested in the types of places from where patients travel for using a certain clinic. Or, documenting the spread of a contagious virus can assist in designing intervention materials. In middle school, students might want to document environmental concerns in the neighborhood, such as graffiti. So many disciplines consider the question of ‘where’ that the possibilities for integrating geospatial technologies in a satisfying career are endless.
Denver and Colorado Community
The Denver region and Colorado provide many internship and employment opportunities for graduates with the critical thinking and technical skills embodied in geospatial technologies. Aside from being a valuable tool for solving spatial questions in multiple disciplines, the Front Range is one of the leading GIS corridors in the nation (software companies, consulting firms, and Federal agencies). This puts UCD in a strong position to play an important part in the GIS community right here in our own backyard.
Internship and job opportunities exist for those interested in explicitly working with the software. Further, having experience with GIS also offers a competitive advantage to those applying for discipline-specific jobs, such as environmental, engineering, public health, or ecology to name but a few.
Community Linkages
An extremely important component of the GIS Commons is the inclusion of community partnerships, both locally and internationally. Examples of GIS collaborations between CLAS faculty and the local organizations include:
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- Denver Public Schools
- EPA
- Forest Service
- National Park Service
- Denver Police Department
- Denver Health and Tri County Health
International Connections
Internationally, faculty have worked on mapping projects in Armenia, Mexico, Turkey, Tanzania, among others, creating unique opportunities for students and research. These linkages could result in technology transfer by providing workshops and training for community members, especially as it relates to participatory research and K-12 education. Mechanisms for K-12 students and teachers accessing the GIS Commons would certainly be desirable, especially since these would likely be broader geospatial focus areas.
GIS Career Info
GIS CAREERS (http://giscareers.com/)
Careers in Cartography and GIS by the American Congress of Surveying and Mapping (ACSM) and the Cartographic and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS).
ASSOCIATIONS
American Society for Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing
Association of American Geographers
JOB LISTINGS (a SAMPLE)
GIS JOBS -- http://www.cccarto.com/gisjobs/gisjobs.html
