Name: Chris McPartland
Undergraduate
Year of graduation: 2012
Major: Geographic Information Systems
Current employment status:
- Employer: Icaros Inc.
- Position: Processing Manager
Did you/do you currently go to graduate school? If so:
- School: University of Maryland
- Program: Masters of Professional Studies
- Degree: Geospatial Information Sciences
Why did you want to be a GEOG/GIS/ENSP major?
As a kid I always
loved maps, and wanted to be involved in the making of them. When I heard that
I would have a chance at making maps for all different kinds of purposes
ranging from agriculture to military purposes I was hooked.
What internships or independent research did you do as a GEOG/GIS/ENSP major?
While I was at the
University of Maryland I had an internship with NOAA. NOAA offered this
position to students to help expose them to the workings of a government
agency. This position involved the managing of oceanic charts. We used ArcMap
to alter shapefiles to help reduce redundancy of features such as roads. While
working this internship I learned many GIS related skills, but also gained
knowledge of how agencies worked in general.
What recommendations would you make to current GEOG/GIS/ENSP majors for career and academic success while they are still undergraduates?
I would tell them to actively seek out
internships in the field. Many students will wait until late their senior year
to find an internship, and in many cases it is too late. I would also recommend
that students work together. While taking many classes in undergrad, I found
that I did some of my best work when helping and receiving help from others.
One last word of advice is to apply for jobs early. Don’t be afraid to start
applying early your senior year for jobs.
What recommendations would you make to current GEOG/GIS/ENSP majors for career and academic success after graduation?
Like I stated previously, the best thing you can do is set yourself up for success after graduation. Apply for jobs early so you are already ahead when you graduate. I would also recommend that anyone that is interested in a masters or PHD, should look into Maryland’s grad programs. Maryland’s MPS program is an amazing program with very knowledgeable professors and TAs.
Like I stated previously, the best thing you can do is set yourself up for success after graduation. Apply for jobs early so you are already ahead when you graduate. I would also recommend that anyone that is interested in a masters or PHD, should look into Maryland’s grad programs. Maryland’s MPS program is an amazing program with very knowledgeable professors and TAs.