Personal Statement
I have parallel experience in academia and industry giving me the unique ability to engage in and teach others about scientific and spatial analysis, cartographic design and data visualization. I take a creative approach to bringing together concepts and spatial thinking.
Professional Experience
GIS Program Director & Department Chair | Portland Community College | 2012 - Present
- Design lead on GIS Certificate, Geospatial Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) Certificate, and Geomatics Associate’s of Applied Science
- Geospatial course and curriculum development in GIS, GPS, Cultural Mapping, Cartography, Web Mapping, UAS, Remote Sensing, and GIS Programming
- Provide support to students through academic advising and Geospatial project design
- Develop Geography and Geospatial annual course schedules
- Recruit, hire and assess Geography and GIS adjunct faculty
- Chair Industry Advisory Board for GIS, UAS and Geomatics programs
- Establish community partnerships for Geospatial capstone projects
Geography & GIS Faculty | Portland Community College | 2007 - Present
- Teach cultural and technical Geography courses, including Maps & Geospatial Concepts, Introduction to GIS, GIS Analysis, Geospatial Applications, Mapping the Cultural Landscape, GPS Theory and Design, Interactive Map Design, Creating a Map Portfolio, Human Geography, Geography of Global Issues, and World Regional Geography
- Create engaging instructional tools for classroom, online, and remote instruction modalities
- Work with community partners to design Geospatial capstone projects
- Serve on hiring committees for faculty and management positions
- Serve as the Geography Curriculum Chair
- Faculty Advisor for GIS Club and ASPRS Student Chapter
Conservation Geographer | Wild Salmon Center | 2007 - 2009
- Conducted landscape-scale analysis using GIS, remote sensing, and decision support tools
- Employed scientific methodologies for field data collection, survey design, and spatial analysis
Portland State University | Adjunct Geography Instructor | 2006 - 2010
- Taught cultural and technical geography courses including Environment & Society, and GIS I
Program Director | Wolftree | 2004 - 2007
- Developed and managed Watershed Science eduation programs
Primary Researcher | Portland State University | 2004
- Developed, organized, and conducted independent field research that examined the land-use of a subsistent agricultural community within an ecological, biological, and cultural protection area.
- Employed scientific methodologies for plant collection and identification, participant interviews, and household surveys, and GPS data collection.
Social Studies Teacher | William G. Enloe High School | 2000 - 2001
- Taught social studies courses that included Economics, Legal and Political Systems, and Advanced Placement Psychology
Education
2002 - 2005 Portland State University Portland, OR
Masters of Science in Geography
• Thesis: Forest Resource Use, Land-Use, and Ecotourism in the Río Plátano
Biosphere Reserve, Honduras.
2002 - 2004 Portland State University Portland, OR
Geographic Information Systems Graduate Certificate
• Course work in GIS, GPS, Remote Sensing, and Cartography.
1995 - 1999 Clemson University Clemson, SC
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Secondary Education
• Teaching Certificate in Social Studies, Grades 6-12.
Masters of Science in Geography
• Thesis: Forest Resource Use, Land-Use, and Ecotourism in the Río Plátano
Biosphere Reserve, Honduras.
2002 - 2004 Portland State University Portland, OR
Geographic Information Systems Graduate Certificate
• Course work in GIS, GPS, Remote Sensing, and Cartography.
1995 - 1999 Clemson University Clemson, SC
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Secondary Education
• Teaching Certificate in Social Studies, Grades 6-12.
Professional Affiliations
- Association of American Geographers
- Association of Pacific Coast Geographers
- Society for Conservation GIS
- American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
- North American Cartographic Information Society
- ORURISA | Association of GIS Professionals
- Oregon Geographic Information Council | Technical Advisory Committee
Presentations and Publications
- October 2023. PCC Geospatial Alumni Synergy. National Science Foundation ATE Conference, Washington D.C.
- November 2021. Dreamland of the Northwest. GIS Day Lightning talk as part of Cartographic Chaos: Designing Maps for the Upper Left Cities.
- September 2021. The Thrill is Almost Gone. Book Contribution in Upper Left Cities: A Cultural Atlas of San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle, Sasquatch Books.
- June 2021. Geospatial Technology National Science Foundation Funded Projects. Panel Discussion at GeoEd '21.
- April 2021. Geospatial Education for the 21st Century. GIS in Action, Portland, Oregon.
- September 2020. Why Cartographer Still Matters. Directions Magazine (Interviewed for article)
- March 2020. The Maps we Carry: Mental Maps & Personal Geographies. Portland Cartography Symposium, Portland, Oregon.
- November 2019. GIS Day 2019: A message from educators to future GIS practitioners, Geoawesomeness Interview
- October 2016. Faculty Perspectives on Assessment. Panel Discussion. Association of Pacific Coast Geographers, Portland, Oregon.
- November 2015. The Art and Science of Teaching Cartography. Moderator & Panelist. Portland Cartography Symposium, Portland, Oregon.
- October 2015. Street Emotion. Book Contribution in Portlandness: A Cultural Atlas, Sasquatch Books.
- May 2013. GIS Body of Knowledge and Perspectives, Portland Community College's Certificate in GIS. GIS in Action (ASPRS & URISA), Portland, Oregon.
- May 2013. GIS & Education: Experiences and Challenges. Moderator & Panelist. GIS in Action (ASPRS & URISA), Portland, Oregon.
- October 2011. Healthy Foods Access for Residents of Affordable Housing Portland: The Healthy Foods Access Initiative. Oregon Public Health Association Annual Conference, Corvallis, Oregon
- November 2010. GIS & Sustainability. Portland Community College Sustainability Lecture Series, Portland, Oregon.
- August 2009. Where the Salmon Rule. National Geographic. Pgs 29 -55 (Cartographic Contribution)
- February 2009. A Process for Establishing a Network of Salmon Strongholds Around the Pacific Rim. State of the Salmon Conference - Bringing the Future Into Focus, Vancouver, BC.
- February 2009. Pacific Salmon Conservation Planning Toolkit at Multiple Scales. Poster Presentation. Sate of the Salmon Conference - Bringing the Future Into Focus, Vancouver, BC.
- March 2007. Geographic Fieldwork and Project-Based Learning. Oregon Geographic Alliance Annual Conference, Seaside, Oregon.
- February 2005. The Role of Ecotourism in the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve, Honduras. Oregon Academy of Sciences Annual Conference, Corvallis, Oregon
College Citizenship & Service
- Geography/GIS Curriculum Committee Chair
- Geospatial Advisory Committee Chair
- Global Studies Curriculum Cohort
- Faculty Advisor, ASPRS Student Chapter
- Geospatial Programs Faculty Advisor
- Dean & Faculty Search Committee member
- GIS & Geography Student Internship Program Coordinator