GIS Students Map Career Pathways
Geography and sustainability students visited the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conversation to learn how the state uses geospatial technologies.
Geography and sustainability students traveled from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to Nashville on September 17 for an immersive career and networking visit with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).
The visit brought students from UT’s Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) program directly into TDEC headquarters to learn how geospatial technologies are used across state government and to meet professionals working in a wide range of environmental and technical careers.
Joining the students were Noel Bauer, environmental career coach, and Evan Jamison, who works in employer relations with UT’s Center for Career Development and Academic Exploration. Their participation provided opportunities to interact with students throughout the day while also building relationships with TDEC professionals who hire graduates, provide internships, and partner with universities on research and applied projects.
TDEC GIS Program Manager Jesús Ortega-Valenzuela organized the visit and welcomed the students alongside professionals representing programs including Tennessee state parks, natural areas, air pollution control, land protection, water resources, environmental response, and business information technology solutions.
Rather than focusing on a single type of GIS career, the morning featured a series of short presentations from TDEC professionals describing their educational backgrounds, career paths, current responsibilities, and the ways they use GIS and related technologies in their work. Presenters brought backgrounds ranging from GIS and geology to biology, environmental science, parks and recreation, wildlife and fisheries, and computer science.
The variety was particularly valuable for students because it demonstrated that geospatial technology is not confined to a single job title or academic pathway. GIS skills support work throughout TDEC, from managing state parks and natural resources to monitoring air quality, protecting water resources, responding to environmental incidents, and supporting agencywide technology systems.
At midday, students and TDEC staff walked together through Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park to the Nashville Farmers’ Market for lunch. Along the way, TDEC staff highlighted details incorporated into the park’s design, including landscape features intended to represent the geography and natural environments of different regions of Tennessee.
Several TDEC employees joined the students for lunch, giving them an opportunity to continue conversations in a more informal setting.
The visit concluded with an open-house networking session at TDEC headquarters. Students met in small groups with TDEC professionals to ask questions about careers, projects, technical skills, education, and opportunities in environmental and geospatial work. The conversations were so active that the UT group ultimately had to cut the session short in order to begin the return trip to Knoxville.
The experience was designed not only to expose students to possible careers but also to help them become more comfortable interacting with working professionals and to strengthen connections among students within the GIST program.
“Seeing the students become so engaged with the TDEC staff was probably the best measure of the success of the trip,” said Michael Camponovo, GIST program director in UT’s Department of Geography and Sustainability. “By the end of the afternoon, I had to give them multiple reminders that we needed to leave because they were still networking and asking questions. That is exactly the kind of experience we want to create for our students.”
The trip also generated ideas for future collaboration between UT and TDEC involving student projects, professional development, geospatial technologies, and workforce training.
The Department of Geography and Sustainability hopes to build on the success of the TDEC visit in partnership with the Center for Career Development and Academic Exploration by creating additional employer site visits that give students opportunities to see geospatial work firsthand, explore career pathways, and develop relationships with professionals working in the field.
