Developing the Future

Tyler is a senior from Chestertown, MD. He is a Biology major with a Chemistry Minor on the Pre-Med track. Tyler has worked in the GIS Lab since his freshman year and has had the opportunity to work on many different projects focusing on 3D visualization including: Chestertown Historic 3D, Easton Historic 3D, Washington College 3D Tour, Washington College in 1962, Queen Anne’s Conservation Project and the Pluckemin Artillery Contonment.

     The project that I worked on during the fall of 2012 was creating a 3D visualization of a proposed development in Kent Island. The Four Seasons is an ambitious project that will create 1,350 single level family homes and multiple condos between the existing developments of Queens Landing and Cloverfield; it is a planned community for active adults 55 and over. The development is being proposed by K. Hovanian’s family of builders which have similar developments in California, Minnesota, New Jersey, Delaware, Florida, Virginia and Maryland.

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Senior Plans to Give Back to Hometown with GIS

Seniors are priceless assets to the WC GIS lab, in that, most have worked in the lab all four year of their college career gathering skills with much invested time and experience. Senior Nich Tremper is one of our 2013 seniors who started working at the GIS lab during his freshman year, after he responded to a list serve e-mail from GIS Director Stew Bruce looking for first year students. After interviewing on the first day of classes, he became an important part of the GIS lab community.

Tremper is currently working with Green Earth Connections in creating a Moodle site that can be used by Maryland Department of Agriculture employees. Moodle is an interactive distance learning site, similar to Blackboard, which is what the students and professors use here at the College.

 

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A Ticket to Idaho

Katherine is a junior from Frederick, Maryland. She is an Environmental Studies major, treasurer of Psychology club, on the club field hockey team, and a member of the student environmental alliance. This is her third year working for the GIS lab.

     Before the school year started, I had the opportunity to go to Deary, Idaho with the GIS lab to visit with Alumna Daryl Swanstrom on her ranch for a week. While in Idaho, I worked with Dr. Christian Krahforst to collect water samples and conduct water quality tests for each pond on the ranch property. To collect data, we paddled to the middle of each pond, dropped our sensors, and collected a sample of water. The boat we used old and not very sturdy, but that made the work all the more fun.




     Due to our efficiency, we were able to finish our testing within two days of the trip, which left a lot of time for fun activities. These activities included ziplining in the Rocky Mountains, a geological field trip of Idaho guided by Professor Karl Kehm, and a trip to the Idaho Panhandle National Forest to dig for garnet. This was my first trip away from the East Coast. It was very exciting for me and I am glad I got to experience it with my co-workers and professors.

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Restoring the Past: GIS Photoshop Projects on Display

Caitlyn Riehl is a senior from Gap, PA serving as Photoshop editor for the WC GIS Lab. Her projects include: Aloft Aerial Photograph editing and marketing, the Pluckemin project, various map restoration projects, Washington College 3D visuatlization, Washington College 1962 3D Visualization, and countless Photoshop requests.

In my role as the Photoshop Team Leader, my duties vary from day to day. My projects may range from touching up pictures or maps to creating advertisements and logos for GIS. I enjoy them both equally and have had the pleasure of working on a variety of projects this semester. My favorite project this semester has been working on a historic map of Chestertown, Maryland from 1906 that was torn, stained and illegible in areas. I spent many hours throughout the semester not only completing restoring the map to its original quality, but then coloring the map to give it a realistic touch.

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