GIS Certificate Alumni Profiles
Are you an alumnus of the GIS Certificate Program? Send updates to kstuerk@wisc.edu. We'd love to hear from you!
James Alberts (2005)
GIS Analyst, EcoEnergy, LLC, Madison, WI
Undergraduate Degree:
Marketing, University of Iowa
First job out of program:GIS Analyst, Patrick Engineering, Inc., Madison, WI. James performed GIS analysis tasks for clients in a wide range of industries. He also served as a key cartographic-design staff member; he was responsible for the look and feel of many of Patrick Engineering’s map products.
Last GIS Position: As GIS Analyst for EcoEnergy, LLC, James conducted site selection and GIS mapping of potential wind farm sites throughout the Upper Midwest.
James is now pursing an MBA at the University of Iowa where he has a graduate assistantship developing coursework for a GIS & Marketing class.
Althea Archer (2008)
Environmental/GIS Technician
Natural Resources Consulting, Inc.
Cottage Grove, WI
Undergraduate Degree:Biology Honors,
Gustavus Adolphus College
Current Position: Althea works as a cartographer for an environmental consulting agency near Madison. Her work involves a wide range of mapping services for a variety of clientele needs. She also supplements the desktop-based cartography with occasional field surveys, and has found a good balance for her main interests; science and art.
Felipe Avila (2002)
GIS Specialist, City of Fitchburg - Public Works, Fitchburg, WI
Undergraduate Degree:
Political Science, Ohio State
Current Position: As GIS Specialist for the City of Fitchburg, Felipe is charged with collecting infrastructure data in the field (water, sanitary and storm water utilities) and integrating it into the city's GIS database.
Felipe is a regular participant in the annual GIS Day Expo at the UW-Madison.
Heidi Banfi (2008)
Geographic Specialist
US Census Bureau, Chicago, IL
Undergraduate Degree:
Human Geography, UW-Madison
Current Position: Heidi is in charge of all GIS mapping and analysis for the Partnership Branch of the Chicago Regional Census Center, covering Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. She produces maps and support documents using cutting edge Census data for a variety of audiences to support all of our Census 2010 efforts.
Mitch Bergeson (2001)
GIS Specialist
US Fish and Wildlife Service, Madison, WI
Previous Degrees:
B.S. in Biology, UW-Stevens Point, M.S. in Wildlife Ecology UW-Madison
First jobs out of program:
Cartographer, USGS, Madison, WI.
Current Position: Mitch is the GIS lead and Analyst for the US Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wetlands Database and Wetlands Status and Trends Projects. This involves database design, software implementation, data analysis, process development, training and web-based mapping.
Andrea Bohn (2005)
GIS Analyst, Great River Engineering
Springfield, MO
Undergraduate Degree:
Geography, UW-Madison
First jobs out of program:
2005-Cartographer/Assistant Planner, Winnebago County, Rockford, IL.
2006-GIS Technician, Baxter & Woodman in DeKalb, IL and Madison, WI.
Current Position: In late 2008, Andrea took a new position with Great River Engineering when she moved with her husband to Springfield, MO where her husband took a job at Missouri State University. At Great River Engineering she works mostly with parcel data--from digitizing county parcels from scanned-in mylar maps to VBA customization for clients to make their paracel data editing easier. She has begun making marketing-client visits and client on-site GIS and parcel data editing trainings. She also make maps for use by company engeineers. She reports that she is learning a lot and using ArcInfo extensions that she hasn't used since the GIS cert program!
Jennifer Borlick (2000)
GIS Manager, Rock County Planning
Janesville, WI
Undergraduate Degree:
Wildlife Ecology, UW-Madison
First job out of program: GIS Outreach Specialist, UW-Madison Land Information Computer Graphics Facility. At LICGF Jennifer developed GIS workshops, conducted GIS training and collaborated on outside research and education projects.
Current Position: GIS Manager for the Rock County Planning & Development Office in Janesville, WI (since 2007).
Jennifer is a regular participant in the annual GIS Day Expo at the UW-Madison.
Emily Champagne (2000)
GIS Specialist, EarthTech, Inc.
Milwaukee, WI
Undergraduate Degree:
Natural Resources & Environmental Studies, University of MN
First job out of program: GIS Coordinator, City of Muskego, WI . Emily was appointed the first ever GIS Coordinator for the City. She was responsible for implementing digital mapping and GIS databases, training City employees on their use, and community outreach.
Current Position: (since 2006). At EarthTech, Emily works on projects dealing with environmental, water resources, sewer services, and transportation GIS.
Emily is also a volunteer organizer with the ESRI Wisconsin User Group (EWUG, www.ewug.org) and on the Board of Directors of the WI Land Information Association (WLIA, www.wlia.com).
William Ceelen (2000)
GIS Analyst, WDNR, GIS Services Section
Madison, WI
Undergraduate Degree:
Geography, UW-Madison
Current Position: Bill works for GIS Services Section of WDNR doing contracted GIS work for the Bureau of Wildlife Management and the Bureau of Watershed Management. Projects include Deer CWD data development and analysis and Prairie Chicken grassland restoration habitat analysis for Wildlife Management, and 1:24,000 scale Hydrography maintenance for Bureau of Watershed Management. Tasks include cartography, spatial analysis, data modeling, VB tool production, & database design.
Bill is a regular participant in the annual GIS Day Expo at the UW-Madison.
Robert Costanza (2004)
Avian Specialist/GIS Technician
Natural Resources Consulting, Inc., Cottage Grove, WI
Undergraduate Degree:
Wildlife Biology, University of Montana
Further education after program:
M.S. Environmental Monitoring, UW-Madison, 2005
Former Position: Bob worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Rhinelander, WI where he created GIS fire behavior models. (Landis II, for one) The models are paramaterized with weather, insect outbreak, wind, and fuel data.
Current Position: In 2008, Bob took his current position at Natural Resources Consulting Inc. where he divides his time between cartography and avian bird surveys, especially for monitoring the impact of wind generators in the driftless area.
John Edwards (2008)
Disaster Assistance GIS Specialist
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),Bothell, WA
Undergraduate Degree:
Information Systems Management,
Auburn University
Current Position: John provides pre-disaster and post-disaster assistance to minimize the loss of life, and reduce damage from natural and technological hazards using GIS technologies for areas throughout the northwest.
Sarah Eichhorst (2005)
GIS Analyst, The Nature Conservancy - Central US Region, Minneapolis, MN
Undergraduate Degree:
Wildlife Ecology, UW-Madison
Current Position: GIS Analyst for the Central US Conservation region of The Natural Conservancy (TNC). Sarah works closely with the TNC Great Lakes Program, continuing work that she began in Wisconsin as a TNC GIS Intern, modeling potential stopover habitat for migratory birds. She also serves as GIS support for the Upper Mississippi River project, part of the TNC Great Rivers Program.
Ali Endress (2005)
Planner, PMC, Oakland, CA
Undergraduate Degree:
Geography, UW-Madison
First job out of program: Planner for the City of Pittsberg, CA
Current Position: Ali is now a planner for PMC, a private company that offers a broad range of municipal services to public agencies.
Eric Erdmann (2006)
Research Assistant
UW-Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, Madison, WI
Undergraduate Degree:
Wildlife Ecology, UW-Madison
Eric's GIS internship was with the UW Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology where he developed GIS data layers for the Western Antarctic Peninsula and used GIS to investigate winter movements of satellite-tagged Adelie Penguins on Anvers Island .
Current research: Eric now continues to research the ecology of these seabirds as a Master's student in the Forest and Wildlife Ecology Department under Dr. Chris Ribic. The NSF-funded study investigates the importance of productivity and hydrographic features to the seabird community in Antarctica in winter. This work also has implications for the effects of global climate change on the Antarctica seabird communities. Eric recently returned from his second research trip to Antarctica.
Nick Fisher (2003)
Market Analyst, Harley Davidson Milwaukee, WI
Undergraduate Degree:
Geography, UW-Madison
Current Position: Nick works in the marketing department of Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee. He uses GIS with spatial, demographic, sales and financial data to locate new opportunities and manages the relationship between Harley-Davidson and its network of independent dealers.
Sean Gutknecht (2003)
GIS Specialist, LFR, Inc, Marina, CA
Undergrad Degree:
Economics, UW-Madison
First job out of program: Cartographer/GIS Specialist, Mapping Specialists, Ltd., Madison, WI
Current Position: As a GIS Specialist for LFR, Sean is in charge of spatial data management and mapping for the Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA) Environmental Services Cooperative Agreement (ESCA) Remediation Program Team. This groundbreaking program involves the privatization of clean-up efforts addressing residual munitions and explosives of concern found on 3,500 acres of the former Fort Ord, located on California's Monterey Bay.
For the FORA ESCA RP Team, Sean oversees the development of the spatial database structure and applications, coordinates project GIS and mapping needs, and performs day-to-day GIS tasks such as creating/modifying GIS datasets, integrating outside data into the project GIS, performing QC on incoming data, performing requested queries and analytical tasks, creating maps in support of field activities and presentations, and drafting figures for final reports.
Nicholas Hayden (2005)
Staff Research Associate - GIS Analyst
UC-Santa Barbara
Monterey, CA
Undergraduate Degree:
Geology, UW-Madison
First job out of program:
FireMON GIS Intern, Student Conservation Association
Further education after program:
M.S. Environmental Monitoring, UW-Madison, 2006
Current Position: Nick's job involves field sampling (throughout the Sierra Nevada and Coastal Ranges) and GIS support/analysis for projects analyzing the effects of anthropogenic sediment in mountain stream systems. He splits his time between Granite Canyon Lab (near Big Sur, CA) and the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Lab (Mammoth Lakes, CA). He does Watershed modeling and landscape analysis Nick is a member of SCGIS: Society for Conservation GIS
Colleen Hermans (2002)
GIS Analyst
WI DNR, Floodplain Management Program Madison, WI
Undergraduate Degree:
Archeology, UW-Madison
Current Position: Colleen assists in the creation of Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs) per FEMA standards through the WI Floodplain Management Program. This program is charged with updating floodplain maps for counties throughout the state. DFIRMs display digital floodplain data created by predictive modeling to determine the likelihood of a major flooding event and the areas such an event would affect.
Adam Hill (2008)
Account Manager
Blue Marble Geographics, Gardiner, ME
Undergraduate Degree:
Economics, UW-Madison
Current Position: As an Account Manager in the Marketing and Sales department at Blue Marble, Adam is in charge of several strategic accounts with GIS Service, Oil and Gas and Mining/Exploration Firms worldwide. Blue Marble is a Geospatial Software company that specializes in Coordinate Conversion, Raster Data Manipulation and GIS File Translation Technologies. Using GIS to better understand Blue Marble's international market, Adam handles Application and Marketing-based presentations for clients utilizing Blue Marble's two flag-ship products, Geographic Calculator and Geographic Transformer (the Blue Marble Desktop). Adam is also a member of Maine's GIS User Group and is an up and coming Fooz Ball Champ at Blue Marble.
Eric Holbus (2006)
GIS Analyst/Developer, EPA - Region 5
Chicago, IL
Undergraduate Degree:
Geography, UW-Madison
Current Position: Eric's job at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes designing databases, providing GIS and mapping support, custom application development, and general IT services for our division's programs. The
division manages wastes, pesticides, and toxic materials by administering grants, doing inspections, and in some cases site cleanups. Upcoming projects include creating an ArcGIS Server or web application that would allow end-users to do a spatial query and view or download GIS datasets for an emergency response.
Where Our Alumni are Working:
James Kennedy (2002)
Geographer, US Geologic Survey Middleton, WI
Undergraduate Degree:
Natural Resources, UW-Madison
Current Position: Jim works in the in the Publications and Science Support Unit of the Water Resources Division of USGS. Among other responsibilities, he uses GIS to create maps for technical and scientific publications.
Jim is a regular participant in the annual GIS Day Expo at the UW-Madison.
Melissa Kruse (2007)
Petrophysicist/GIS Tech
Running Foxes Petroleum, Centenial, CO
Undergraduate Degree:
Geology, UW-Madison
Current Position: Melissa analyzes wireline log data after a well is drilled to determine if and/or how much oil/gas there is in certain rock formations. She also assists the GIS manager update and maintain lease maps for the company.
Mike Mejac (2008)
FIELDS Research Associate
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5, Chicago, IL
Undergraduate Degree:
Natural Resource Management, School of Forestry & Certificate Environmental Studies, UW-Madison
Current Position: Working in the Superfund division of the EPA, Mike's duties include site analysis and spatial modeling of contamination to determine areas in need of remediation. With the FIELDS research team, his projects have utilized 3-d mapping, bathymetry surveys, GPS data collection, and cartographic output.
John Meredith (2006)
GIS Analyst, Forster Electrical Engineering Oregon, WI
Undergraduate Degree:
Geography, Miami University of Ohio
First jobs out of program: Extract Systems LLC and the City of Madison: Engineering Division.
Current Position: John transforms field survey data of power-line distribution systems into as-designed maps and elevation profiles used for construction. Civil drafting methods determine the configuration of pole heights and depict placement of structural components. Reference mapping adjoins the process and helps integrate various information-sets for data validation. Other responsibilities encompass the migration of electric component data from atomized CAD drawings toward integrated GIS data-warehouses, researching right-of-way issues, and introducing Geospatial principles to Forster's CADD-Shop Team. John's long-term work objective is to use survey, drafting, GIS, and IT methods to develop Geo-Infomatic Solutions aimed at advancing the capacity of electric utilities to handle facility maintenance.
Aaron Mielke (2005)
GIS Analyst, Barr Engineering
Minneapolis, MN
Undergraduate Degree:
Forestry, UW-Madison
First job out of program: GIS Specialist, MN Dept. of Agriculture, Plant Protection Division.
Current Position: As a GIS Analyst for Barr Engineering, Water Resources Unit, Aaron's work ranges from floodplain mapping to analysis for the mining and oil industry. He works with many Minneapolis suburban and city planners developing water management strategies. He recently finished a large project to screen and prioritize possible locations for storm water storage basins in Scott County, MN.
Daniel Prasch (2006)
Senior Wetlands Scientist
VBH Pioneer, North Ferrisburgh, VT
Undergraduate Degree:
Biological Aspects of Conservation,
UW-Madison
First job out of program: Project Manager,
J.D. Knowles & Associates, Inc., Beaver Dam. While a student intern at JD Knowles, Daniel initialized the use of GIS at this private environmental consulting firm for wetlands delineation and mapping. His leadership led to a permanent project management position at the company.
Current Position: Since 2007 Daniel has been a Senior Wetlands Scientist at VBH Pioneer. Daniel's responsibilities include project management on wetland delineations and
conducting fieldwork, including GPS surveying of environmental field data, vegetation surveys, and soil analysis. His reporting of field investigation activities serves as a basis for permitting and receiving regulatory concurrence for wetland delineation submitted to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for presence/absence of cultural and archaeological sites and endangered species. Daniel also conducts wetland functional values assessments for practicable alternative analyses.
Matt Rehwald (2005)
Surface Water Data Analyst
WDNR, Watershed Management
Madison, WI
Undergraduate Degree:
Meteorology, Northern IL University
Current Position: As Surface Water Data Analyst at the WI Department of Natural Resources, Matt manages the Bureau's water quality spatial data infrastructure in the WATERS (Water Assessment Tracking and Electronic Reporting System)and SWIMS (Surface Water Integrated Monitoring System) data systems.
Matt provides technical expertise to the Impaired Waters and Outstanding and Exceptional Resource Waters programs within the Water Evaluation Section, as well as to other programs that seek to host datasets within the WATERS and SWIMS data systems. Matt is the technical lead for the Surface Water Data Viewers, the web-mapping applications that disseminate data from many of the Water Division's data systems to internal DNR customers and the public. Matt is also working with EPA's Water Quality Exchange (WQX) workgroup to develop automated spatial and tabular data transfer of macroinvertebrate and habitat monitoring data from UW-Stevens Point to the SWIMS data system and WQX, and to integrate the federal Hydrologic Unit (HUC) and National Hydrography (NHD)datasets into DNR's enterprise data systems.
Erik Rundell(2003)
Urban Planner, Policy & GIS Analyst
Berks and Associates, Seattle, WA
Geography, UW-Madison
While in the Certificate program, Erik worked for 1000 Friends of Wisconsin to develop GIS procedures that allowed them to evaluate the effects of new Smart Growth laws on land use in WI.
First jobs out of program: GIS intern for Vandewalle and Associates (urban planning firm in Madison) and as a Resource Assistance for Rural Environment (RARE) AmeriCorp program in The Dalles, Oregon.
Further education: M.S. in Urban and Regional Planning, Portland State University.
Current Position: Urban Planner and Policy & GIS Analyst for Berk and Associates, Seattle, WA.
Lisa Schultz (2007)
Planning and Information Specialist
WI DATCP, Bureau of Land and Water Resources, Madison, WI
Undergraduate Degree:
Zoology, UW-Madison
Current Position: Lisa assists county conservation departments update their Land and Water Resource Management plans. She manages the state's manure storage ordinance program, which includes maintaining an ordinance database and producing ordinance related maps. She also works with the WI DNR on a joint nonpoint source agricultural runoff abatement programs. She is also currently managing a database upgrade project to manage the state's soil and water resource management grant funding. She provides some GIS and map assistance to other bureau members when needed.
Amanda Schwoegler (2001)
WI Cooperating Technical Partner (CTP)
Project Lead
WI DNR, Floodplain Management Program Madison, WI
Undergraduate Degree:
Geography, UW-Madison
First jobs out of program:
GIS Analyst, WDNR
Further education:
M.S. Environmental Monitoring, UW-Madison, 2005
Current Position: Amanda is the leader of a project with guidance and funding provided by FEMA to update our statewide inventory of floodplain maps. Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) are used to make zoning decisions at the local level and insurance decisions at the national level. She is currently using more project management skills than GIS skills, but still gets to dabble in GIS occasionally. Amanda now supervises other GIS Certificate Program graduates.
Matt Taran (2007)
Utilities Program Planner
City of Boulder, Boulder, CO
Undergraduate Degree:
Journalism, UW-Madison
First job out of program: WI Dept of Natural Resources, Floodplain Modernization Project, GIS Analyst.
Current Position: Matt is manager of The City of Boulder's water, wastewater, storm water and flood control GIS data. In this role, he GPS's various utilities assets and incorporates that field work into the city's SDE GIS repository. He also administers and assists in development of the city's utilities maintenance database where all utilities related maintenance activities are tracked. Finally, in addition to may other smaller GIS related tasks, he also designs and implements mobile computing solutions for field workers on the software and hardware ends, including the full deployment of ArcIMS, ArcServer and ArcPad solutions accessed via ruggedized laptops and handheld Trimble GPS devices.
Karen Tuerk (2002)
GIS Certificate Program Manager
UW Department of Geography, Madison, WI
Undergraduate Degree:
Biology, University of Delaware
First job out of program: GIS Technician for the WI Department of Natural Resources. Karen worked for the WDNR throughout the program creating a GIS for a long-term grassland bird study in the Military Ridge Prairie Heritage Area in southwest WI. This included creating a 130 square-mile vector landcover layer for the region from "windshield surveys". This data was used to regress bird viability data against surrounding landcover and landuse.
Further education after program:
M.S. Environmental Monitoring, UW-Madison, 2003
Current Position: Since 2003 Karen has been managing the GIS Certificate Program where she combines her knowledge of GIS with her past experience in organizing. Some of her many varied duties include program administration, student recruitment and advising, teaching GIS workshops, organizing outreach activities including annual GIS Day events and staying on top of the always evolving field of GIS.
Alison Werberg (2005)
Cartographer/GIS Specialist
NY-NJ Trails Conference, Mahwah, NJ
Undergraduate major:
Zoology & Biological Aspects of Conservation, UW-Madison
Master's degree: Museum and Field Studies, University of CO
Current Position: As cartographer for the NY-NJ Trails Conference, Allison is creating digital versions of the organization's traditional paper map series. The Trails Conference, a federation of hiking and environmental organizations, maintains over 1,600 miles of trails on public land in the bi-state region. Allison was recently featured in (201) Magazine (the magazine of Bergan County , NJ ) for her work. Read More: Link to Article --- Link to Issue Cover
Alison moved to Sweden in August 2007 for a few years with her husband who is working there for Volvo. She continues to do freelance cartography work for the NY/NJ Trails Conference, including for an upcoming book entitled, "Walkable Westchester".
Jennifer Zeisloft (2004)
Web Systems Developer EarthIT,
Madison, WI
Undergraduate Degree:
Anthropology, UW-Madison
Further education after program:
M.S. Environmental Monitoring, UW-Madison, 2005
First Position out of program: GIS Analyst, GeoDecisions, Inc., Madison, WI.
Current Job: Jennifer is a Web Systems Developer at EarthIT. She works with
a team to design, manage, and develop a variety of custom web and
web-mapping applications built with PHP, Flex, JavaScript, SQL and other
languages.