Masters in Advanced Study in Geographic Information Systems

Program completed during August 2015 to August 2016.

Details about the program can be reviewed here.

The Masters of Advanced Study in Geographic Information Systems (MAS-GIS) is a compact one-year nonthesis degree program fostering advanced study in the management and use of GIS technology in public and corporate environments. The degree meets important educational needs of working professionals and recent college graduates seeking to improve their career standing.

In fall 2016, I joined Arizona State University’s Masters of Advanced Study in GIS program (MAS-GIS).  During the intense yearlong program, I fine-tuned my GIS skillset, participated in conferences and workshops, becoming fascinated by software development, web maps and mobile applications. Deciding to conquer my fears of coding and programing languages, I registered for ESRI’s DevSummit in Palm Springs over spring break. Though I’m not proficiently fluent in any particular language over the other, I now have a comfortable understanding of what programing offers for interactive mapping over the internet.  Software engineering gives GIS experts customized styling and advanced techniques for interactive capabilities resulting in a dynamic map.  Visualization is the key to capturing audiences’ attention providing innovative and interactive spatial capabilities through ease, accessibility and functionality.

I believe aspects of my graduate education follow the progression of where global environmental change is headed by using technology and innovative ways to capture data in order to understand population dynamics for biodiversity and ecosystem services.  Bringing mobile data collection to gather fieldwork and integrate it seamlessly on a map to visualize concepts easily and readily is a big step in the right direction for future research projects.

For my MAS-GIS capstone, I developed a project to bring the Preserve to the 21^st century utilizing ESRI’s mobile applications for field data collection and to incorporate a dynamic web based map for McDowell Mountain visitors to plan their next adventure in the Preserve.  I recruited a team of master’s students to tackle ambitious endeavor with me.  I work directly with the MSFI’s Manager, Melanie Tluczek, and Lead Stewards to provide a more efficient field data collection process for their citizen science programs and patroller group. MSFI’s Citizen Science group actively engages trained citizens to help collect data on flora and fauna within the Preserve, while the Patroller group monitors trail conditions ensuring the safety of the visitors by altering the construction and maintenance group where hazardous areas need attention.