May Undergraduate Student of the Month: Daniel Riveros

Name: Daniel Riveras 

Major: GIS

Minor: Astronomy

What are your interests within the program(s)? 

I’m primarily interested in programming related to GIS.  There are many interesting applications and it offers great flexibility to explore different aspects from front end to back end. I also enjoy cartographic design.

What previous jobs, internships, and volunteer experience have you had?

I have not previously had GIS or geography related experiences.

Internship:

1) Where you are interning?

I’m currently interning at NOAA with the Office of Coastal Survey.

2) What are your internship responsibilities? 

I am responsible for digitizing Area of Interests for documents within DREG database and performing quality control.

3) What project(s) are you working on or contributing to?

OCS is making a transition to spatially visualize data within the database used to carry out tasks and provide general reference, thus allowing for better workflows.

4) How is the internship experience relevant to your studies in Geographical Sciences?

The experience has showed me real world examples of how visualization of data can improve work.  I have also been able to utilize skills learned in class that are related to my interests in cartography.

5) What are your career goals after your graduate?

After I graduate I hope to use the combination of my skills in programming and GIS to help develop interesting projects.

GIS Internship with HIP Consult

Do you love maps? Would you like to use your mapping know-how to visualize evolving socioeconomic and infrastructure data in emerging markets? Are you interested in contributing to the development of a cutting-edge mapping and analytics platform?
HIP Consult is a strategic consulting firm based in Washington, DC with expertise in emerging markets. Over the last year, our team has been developing InfraNav, a mapping and analytics platform for telecom infrastructure in Africa. The role of the GIS Intern will be to provide support for the HIP Consult mapping team, which is developing a platform to aggregate, visualize, and analyze infrastructure data in emerging markets.

How you will benefit from this internship

• Learn how to use cutting-edge open source mapping software and platforms, including CartoDB, QGIS, PostgreSQL, and OSM to visualize data
• Contribute to enhancing and populating a growing database of African socioeconomic and infrastructure data 
• Take your GIS skills to the next level by learning about interactive web mapping, programming, and software development 

What you will do

• Conduct research to obtain publicly available socioeconomic and infrastructure data for emerging markets 
• Use open source mapping software to plot geolocation data and associated metadata 
• Use PostgreSQL to populate spatial database with metadata 
• Maintain, clean, and organize the infrastructure database 
• Contribute to the InfraNav blog

What we require 

• Proficiency in open source GIS mapping software and platforms required; proficiency in PostgreSQL, PostGIS, and programming languages preferred 
• Background in computer science, math, geography, statistics, international development, and /or other relevant field 
• Experience with database management 
• Strong research capabilities 
• High familiarity with acquiring, cleaning, and modifying geospatial data 
• Interested in web mapping applications, design, and software development 
• HTML, CSS, JavaScript knowledge is a plus 
• Interested to learn about development in emerging markets, particularly Africa 
• Excellent organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail 
• Creative and flexible; comfortable working on a small team with limited supervision 
• Fast learner; willingness to take on projects outside the scope of work 
• Enthusiastic, motivated team player

We will do our best to make sure you receive a learning experience that aligns with your career goals. You will become knowledgeable in open source mapping and database software, hone your research skills, learn about infrastructure development in emerging markets, and contribute to the development of a cutting edge mapping and analytics platform. You will also learn how to work in a professional environment and will have ample opportunity to work with consultants who are experts in data visualization and analytics in the emerging market context. You may be asked to assist with projects beyond your scope of work, so we are looking for a candidate with a very open mind and willingness to learn and grow.

Details 

This position is available immediately. The position is paid and would be approximately 32 hours per week. There is potential for internship extension or even full-time employment after the summer. To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter via email with the subject line GIS Intern to Kerry Frank at klfrank@hipconsult.com.

Catholic Relief Services Job Opportunity

Job Title :	Internship - Geographic Information Systems – Cartography
Requisition Number :	D2289
Area of Interest :	Other
Position Type :	Full Time
Location :	United States/Baltimore
Job Description :	Job Title:          Intern, Geographic Information Systems – Cartography            Department:   Global Knowledge and Information Management (GKIM) Work Location:   Baltimore, MD, USA Duration:    Summer 2015 (possibility to extend depending on project needs). Best Consideration Date: May 1, 2015 About CRS Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values to serving those in need Job Summary: The geographic information systems intern will develop map products to support humanitarian aid or international development projects underway at Catholic Relief Services (CRS).  Job Responsibilities: Evaluate and recommend symbology and style sheets for map production to form a set of templates for use throughout the agency. Evaluate publicly available data sources and their fitness for use as layers for particular maps. Evaluate data that will be collected via mobile devices and identify best approach to visualize it using ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Pro or ArcGIS Online. Add data that will be collected via mobile devices in the field as ArcGIS feature classes. Define projection and coordinate systems to be used based on evaluation of field data and the current state of other data layers. Prepare a suite of high quality map products, using professional cartographic practices, to meet documented requirements. Evaluate publication options to make interactive maps accessible using ArcGIS Online. Qualifications: Demonstrable experience or formal education using ArcGIS for Desktop version 10.x Good grasp of the core concepts of cartography and quality map production Enrolled in or completed in a Bachelor’s or Master’s Program Good work ethics, respect time and meet deadlines Good writing and communication skills Strong computer skills in Microsoft Word, SharePoint, Excel, MS Project and SharePoint Must be fluent in written and spoken English. Agency-wide Competencies: These are rooted in the mission, values and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results. • Serves with Integrity. • Models Stewardship. • Cultivates Constructive Relationships. • Promotes Learning. Disclaimer Clause: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties and responsibilities associated with this position. Note: Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. or work location country, at the time of application. EOE/M/F/D/V

Click here to apply

UMD Diversity Abroad Celebration Reception

RSVP here: (we have to make sure we have enough food and fun!)

Maryland Day Featured Event, "Fly Me to the Moon: A Tour of our Earth"

Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management GIS Internship

Study Abroad in Glasgow This Summer

The University of Maryland has been invited to nominate four undergraduate students to participate in the 2015 Universitas 21 Undergraduate Summer School being hosted by the University of Glasgow in Glasgow, United Kingdom. This year's theme is Cities and Citizen Engagement in the Digital Age. U21 undergraduate students from a variety of countries, cultures, and academic disciplines will spend two weeks engaging in activities, discussions and workshops aimed at exploring ideas for using new technologies to improve the quality of life in urban settings worldwide. 

Cities are complex, dynamic structures: difficult to predict and manage, with everyday issues arising in economic stability, energy security, environmental integrity, independent living, communications, built environment and civic participation.

Understanding how these services combine to produce a city level effect is a challenge.  Their sheer complexity and unpredictability makes the policy setting and management of effective, high-functioning, successful cities an increasingly important social and economic priority. Successful cities are those which position themselves to understand systemic behaviors and develop policy and service responses which address the issues these create – an ability to respond and adapt to the changing environment around them.

The U21 Summer School 2015 theme is Cities and Citizens in the Digital Age and will offer a program of seminars and practical experiences demonstrating how new technologies can be used to support and improve the vital components of a fully functional city. This will cover citizen engagement, transportation, energy, big data, protecting vulnerable groups and physical regeneration, with a focus on how key services are increasingly informed and influenced by emerging technologies.

This is a fully funded opportunity for students. Application deadline is April 29th. 

Host: University of Glasgow

Location: Glasgow, UK

Dates: July 1-15, 2015

Theme: Cities and Citizen Engagement in the Digital Age

Costs: Participation in this program is funded by the Office of International Affairs for an approximate value of $2,700/ student. Airfare, registration fee (including accommodation and most meals), international health insurance, and visa costs (if applicable) will be fully covered by the Office of International Affairs for four successful candidates. Participating students will need their own spending money for occasional dinners on free nights, transfers to and from the airport, and personal costs while visiting Scotland. 

To apply, please submit the following materials to raluca@umd.edu by Wednesday, April 29, 2015:

-          Resume

-          Cover letter including your full name, UID, Class status, College, Major and Minor, and GPA*

-          A two-page essay describing your interest in the program, your motivation to apply, how will you contribute to the program, and what do you expect to gain from this experience.

-          Two academic recommendations

For more information, please contact Dr. Raluca Nahorniac in the Office of International Affairs at raluca@umd.edu

* Class Eligibility: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior; Minimum GPA: 3.3; Major Eligibility: All Majors