Cartography And GIS

8Howmuch docartographersand GISprofessionalsmake? Salaries varyconsiderably from onelocation to another. The mapat right estimates salaries forcartographers and mappingtechnicians by state.The U.S. Bureau of LaborStatistics does not havea separate category ofoccupation simply called“GIS analysts” or “GISpractitioners.”GIS analysts who concentrateon solving problems withgeographic methods arecalled, simply, geographers.In 2006, the median salaryfor geographers was about 61,000. The highest paidGIS analysts are those whocreate new software or designdatabases; they are classifiedas computer applicationssoftware engineers ordatabase administrators.In 2006, computerapplications softwareengineers had median annualearnings of about inetWeb cartographer &project managerDavid Heyman, Axis Maps, Madison, WIDavid is a co-founder of Axis Maps, a cartography companythat focuses on “communicating information and theopportunity to turn data into knowledge.” They create print,interactive, and mash-up maps.What’s a hot job in cartography/GIS these days?Interactive cartography. Web services like Yahoo!, Microsoft,and Google are letting people see geography in brand newways and the Internet has opened up a massive portal toaccess and share data.Any advice for people thinking about a career inI think for a career in interactive cartography,someone should have three core skill sets. First,tthey should have a foundation in GIS and datammanagement. Second, they should have a desire toddesign both maps and user interfaces.CCartography is about the visualccommunication of information andggreat design is like great writingoor speaking; it leads to betterccommunication. Finally,tthey should have somepprogramming knowledge toaactually put all theirgreat ideas to work.mapping?

How is a map made?No matter what the purpose, making a map requires similar steps. Here is asummary of some of the major steps involved in producing a map.Where do you get the data to put on a map?Geospatial professionals can collect and evaluate mappable informationfirst-hand through field work, or second-hand from existing maps,aerial photographs, statistical reports, or computerized datafiles.Do you have to start with a blank computer screen every time?Almost all maps now start with a base map that isn’t created specifically forthe map that’s being made. In most cases, someone (often the local, state, orfederal government) has already compiled detailed digital information, likestreets and rivers and boundaries, and that information is available for mapmakers using GIS. Sometimes, the map maker needs to purchase data froma “vendor” if the map is really specialized. Because no map or analysisis any good without accurate data, it is important that databasesare developed according to rigorous standards and carefully edited andmaintained.So let’s say I have all this information - I’ll just make a map.What’s the big deal?There are a lot of choices that a cartographer has to make when it comesto designing the map: how should the round earth be transformed tothe flat page or screen (map projection), what size and extent shouldthe map cover (scale), what colors and shapes should be on the map(symbols), how will it be printed or displayed? Fortunately, with computers,cartographers can now try out a bunch of map design choices - not so longago, each change was really time-consuming and expensive.good stuffto take in high school toprepare for a cartographyor GIS careerBiologyChemistryPhysicsEnglishGraphic ArtForeign LanguagesSocial StudiesAlgebra I &IICalculusGeometryTrigonometryComputer ApplicationsComputer ProgrammingAnd then the map is printed?Lots of maps wind up on paper in some way - some using computer-drivenprinters and plotters, others using offset lithography. But nowadays thereare many digital ways to display the final map. And the design ofdigital maps is different from those made on paper, and there are alot of different digital formats. Imagine how different maps have tolook if they’re designed for in-car GPS navigation systemscreens, or tiny cell phone displays, or online mappingapplications, or video games. A lot of modern mappingwill be digital, and it’s a good idea to be familiar andcomfortable with computers - and even programming - as afuture geospatial professional.many maps designed forthe Internet are now interactive in lots of different ways.This map interface from axismaps (see page 8) lets userschange colors and classes ofthe thematic map on the flyCareers in Cartography and GIS9

10going the distanceMany institutions now offer distance-education certification ordegree programs in GIS onine. Here are a few:Birkbeck CollegeESRI Virtual nline.htmCalifornia State UniversityBakersfieldhttp://academic.csub.edu/ vkohli/giscert.htmlCharles Sturt Universityhttp://clio.mit.csu.edu.au/gisCurtin ce.htmUniversity of Denverhttp://www.du.edu/gis/Elmhurst Collegehttp://www.elmhurst.edu/ ersity of Leedshttp://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/odl/University of North Dakotahttp://www.conted.und.edu/ddp/gis/Northwest Missouri lvania State World gis/index.shtmlUniversity of Southern neer/index.htmhttp://www.ucgis.org/Academic CartographerJon Kimerling, Professor and Author, Oregon State UniversityMany cartographers find their home in universities, teaching aboutmaps, GIS, and geography, and conducting research in map creation,design, and understanding. Dr. Kimerling has written several bookson cartography and is an editor of the Atlas of the Pacific Northwest.When did you know that this is the career you wantedI knew that I wanted to be a professor of cartographyby the end of my undergraduate career when I discovered that Ireally liked explaining things about cartography to others, and thatI liked doing research in cartography.to pursue?“I first knew that Iwanted to bea cartographer whenI was 10 years oldand made my firstmap for a class.What kinds of education would you suggest if I’mCartographyis an interesting career because it is a true blend of art, science,and technology. Making professional quality maps requires astrong education in geography with a focus on cartography andremote sensing, mathematics through basic calculus and statistics,introductory computer science including programming anddatabase management, and basic graphic design.What makes your job enjoyable? I am blessed with awonderful career as an academic cartographer. Every day I enjoycoming to my department and working with students and fellowfaculty members. Although I teach the same courses each year,every day is different, and I am constantly challenged by changesin cartography and questions asked by students. I have never beenbored as a professor.thinking about cartography as a career?

GIS AnalystZachary AndereckGeospatial Solutions Analyst, ICF InternationalWhat is ICF and what do you do there?ICF International is a company that deliversconsulting services and technology solutionsin the energy, climate change, environment,transportation, social programs, health, defense,and emergency management markets. Right now,I’m working on the Louisiana Road Home program,designed to help residents affected by HurricanesKatrina or Rita get back into their homes as quicklyand fairly as possible.How does GIS help with that? We use GISto help verify and score eligibleapplicants by identifying thosethat live in special exceptionregions, analyzing the drivingtimes, and delivering highquality maps to the program’sconstituents.What did you do in college toprepare you for this job?I was an Environmental Sciencesmajor. I think students shouldconsider taking some of thefollowing classes to really prepare:cartography, computer programming(especially Python these days),statistics, professional writing, andthe area you’d like to specialize in—environmental science, biology,natural resource management.Any advice for people thinkingTobecome truly fluent in GIS, you needto amass a large amount of time atthe computer, using whatever GISsoftware you’re going to use. Onceyou gain the ability to criticallythink through the problem at handand you have the GIS skills atyour disposal, finding the propersolution to the problem will berewarding and make you a highlyviable competitor in the GIS jobabout a career in GIS?Do I need to be certified to havea career in GIS?Some geospatial careers, like surveying, require a statelicense. Presently, you don’t need a license to be acartographer or GIS practitioner, but there is a growinginterest in GIS Certification. The GIS Certification Institute(GISCI, www.gisci.org) provides GIS practitioners with a formalprocess that allows them to call themselves GIS professionals(GISPs). GISPs make about 8,000more annually than their non-certifiedcounterparts.Careers in CartCartography and GIS11

12County GIS AnalystSusan Williams, Senior GIS Analyst, Stafford County, VADescribe your job and your duties.Stafford County is said to be the 2nd fastestgrowing county in the state of Virginia. It is anarea rich with history that draws top governmentcontractors who seek to house their operationswithin an easy commute to the DC area. I’mprimarily a database manager, checking the quality ofedits preformed on our GIS layers. Additionally, I handlemost of the Fire & Rescue Department’s mapping needs.Why is your job enjoyable?I love seeing the surprise onpeople’s faces when they askme “Is it possible to get .” AndI assure them it is. Then withina short time I hand them thefinished product. I’m rewardedby the knowledge that I’ve given“There is a wealthof information thatprofessionals in ourfield want to share.GIS Services Coordinator, NASATyler Stevens, Coordinator, Global Change Master Directory (GCMD)The GCMD isa web site that enables users to locate and obtain accessto Earth science data sets and services relevant to globalchange and Earth science research. As the coordinator,it is my responsibility to organize all the informationabout the data sets and coordinate public outreach forEarth Science Data Related Services. I also develop andmaintain an Internet GIS server that displays NASA satelliteimagery. What are some qualifications for a GISjob like yours? You should have knowledge of commonGIS software packages such as ArcGIS, Mapserver, andGRASS. It’s also important to have good writing, teamwork,and presentation skills so you can easilycommunicate your work to thescience community.Describe your job and your duties.Any advice for people thinkingabout GIS as a career?http://gcmd.nasa.gov/Learn about the concepts andmethodology of a GIS rather than tryingto learn a specific software package. Youcan take the concepts you learn in theclassroom and apply them to anyGIS application or problem.

them something thatwill help them do theirjob. I especially likeseeing the people whoare not GIS savvy takea map I’ve created forthem and hold it like aprized possession.Any advice forpeople thinkingabout a career inGIS? My adviceis to volunteer or apply for an internship with a companythat can expose you to the GIS field. Once workingwithin the sphere of GIS, you can see all the pathsof opportunities that are available, such as internetmapping, data collection, database management,programming, and of course, designing maps.GIS Manager, electionsGary Bilotta, Maricopa County (AZ) Elections DepartmentThe Maricopa County Election Departmentadministers primary and general countywide elections as well as municipal, schooldistrict and other various local elections. My part in the election process is to lead ateam of GIS professionals who maintain the department’s address, street andboundary data as well as oversee the production mapping activities inthe department. I also manage the department’s GIS database anddevelop new and maintain existing GIS desktop and Internetapplications.Describe your job and your duties.What types of skills do employers look for?When looking for GIS positions, employerslook for someone with programming abilities,statistics, database knowledge and map design.How do you keep up with GIS?In order to keep up with the growing technologyof GIS, I try to go to seminars and training atleast a couple times a year. Besides learningnew skills at the training and seminars, it alsohelps to network with others there to see howthey are using the technology to see if youcan borrow their ideas and bring them backto your office.Careers in Cartography and GIS13

w14GISOperationsManager,real estateDescribe CBRE andyour job there. CBRichard Ellis is a global leader in commercial real estateservices. In 2007, the cartographers and GIS professionals hereat the Mapping Center produced over 56,000 maps for 1,000professionals. We create maps including site, demographic,aerial, drive time, employee location, brochure, and largeformat maps. I oversee 36 GIS professionals, and managethe GIS team in support of map products used for marketing,presentations, site tours, geographic analysis, and other needs.ESRI is the creatorof the widely-usedArcGIS family ofsoftware productsdesigned for geospatialanalysis and decisionmaking. DescribeCartography Researcherand GIS DeveloperCharlie Frye, Environmental Systems ResearchInstitute (ESRI), Redlands, CAyour job and yourI have worked for ESRI’s software products department for nearly 15 years.My job is to help our customers understand how to use ArcGIS rather than just leavethem to figure out what each of the tools does. My goal is to help our customers toleverage our knowledge, at ESRI, of how to best use ArcGIS. What are the desiredqualifications for a GIS job like yours? At least a 4-year degree, and realistically,a masters degree in geography or related field; anything less and you’ll be consigningyourself to just a job. Getting a M.A. in Geography was easily one of the top ten decisionsI’ve made in my life. I didn’t want to just run the GIS tools that other people made orfollow the instructions that other people wrote; instead I wanted to design geographicallyinformed solutions to geographic problems. I saw GIS as a technology that wouldfacilitate my doing that and in the process make the lives of many people better. Howdid you get where you are today? I strongly believe that ethics must underpinthe making of maps because maps are a potentially powerful information product. Thatethic has lead me through my career from trying to improvethe experience of making simple mapping decisionsearly on with ArcView, to today where I am helping peopleunderstand how to model data in ways that make GIS datacomprehendible, consumable, and therefore map-able.duties.How do you keep up with the growing technologyI’m lucky; it’s my job. To do my job I experiment,pushing the limits of what I can get ArcGIS to do. I’m alwaysthinking of ways to leverage it to improve, automate, orfurther optimize some aspect of map making.of GIS?

Eric Kenas, CB RIchardEllis National MappingCenter, Tempe, AZWhat is yourfavorite aspect ofA career in GIS is not limited to just onediscipline. during school, students interested in GIS canexplore technology while applying their own diverse interests.What do you see as the future of GIS? GIS is a vastlygrowing industry within the U.S., and has long been recognizedas an international field and continues to grow globally. I havealso seen GIS expanding and being implemented in web basedapplications, and only see GIS/web applications growing inthe future, especially in business and real estate related fields.this career?Describe your job andCartographer, NASAyour duties.Researchers at Langleyfocus on some of the biggestchallenges of our time: global climate change, access to space and revolutionizing airplanesand the air transportation system. Part of my job is to assist in the coordination with other NASAcenters and government agencies. I oversee the daily maintenance of data, new data collectionand maintenance of web and desktop applications. I came here from an environmental officewhere I used GIS for spatial analysis and to produce maps. What’s up with the bird in thephoto? Is that related to your GIS work? Yes - we were tagging juvenile osprey. Thiswas part of a joint project with Langley Air Force Base and USDA Wildlife Services. We monitoredthe activity of nests in the immediate area of the aircraft runway The maps were crucialto the Air Force to keep the runway approach clear of nesting osprey. Anyadvice for people thinking about a career in GIS? I look forstudents primarily in geography or civil engineering. We have alsohad successful students with electrical, mechanical, and agriculturalengineering, biology, forestry, and environmental science. Themost successful cartographers also seem to have interest andability in graphics and art. Geography still offers the bestchoice of majors if someone is looking for an excitingcareer thatencompases awide range ofapplications. Itis truly a majorthat gives youthe flexibilityto learn a littleabout everything.Mary Gainer, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VACareerrs in Cartography and GISCareers15

16More than 800 colleges anduniversities offer courses ingeographic information science. Theseare usually offered through geographydepartments, but GIS is applied to somany different fields that there areoften GIS courses in other academicdepartments. The following institutionsall have well-established cartographyand GIS programs, and belong to theUniversity Consortium for GeographicInformation Science (www.ucgis.org):Arizona State UniversityUniversity of ArizonaBoston UniversityBrigham Young UniversityCalifornia State University SystemUniversity of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraClark UniversityUniversity of ColoradoUniversity o

2 Careers in Cartography and GIS is published as a service to the discipline by the Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS) which is solely responsible for its con