Name: Katie McGaughey
Year of graduation: 2010
Major: ENSP & GEOG
Current employment status:
- Employer: University of Maryland
- Position: Geospatial Scientist
Did you/do you currently go to graduate school? Yes
If so:
- School: University of Edinburgh, Scotland
- Program: Environment, Culture and Society (Geography)
- Degree: Msc
Why did you want to be a GEOG/GIS/ENSP major?
I have always been outdoorsy so I took an environmental science AP course in high school just for fun and loved it. The course convinced me to come to UMD as an ENSP major where I eventually double majored in ENSP and GEOG. I fell in love with the geography classes offered at UMD and was lucky enough to have a wonderful TA who encouraged me to add geography as a second major.
What internships or independent research did you do as a GEOG/GIS/ENSP major?
I worked as an intern for the Smithsonian Conservation Research Center and UMD on a joint project. I used GIS and remote sensing to track ungulates, specifically gazelles in the Mongolian Eastern Steppes.
What recommendations would you make to current GEOG/GIS/ENSP majors for career and academic success while they are still undergraduates?
I would recommend internships as my internship helped guide me towards geography and a love of GIS. Through internships, I really was able to narrow my interests and passions. Also, I would recommend taking advantage of everything that UMD has to offer like free GIS courses through the library, seminars, research opportunities, job fairs and networking events.
What recommendations would you make to current GEOG/GIS/ENSP majors for career and academic success after graduation?
Keep up those relationships with professors and friends! You never know how your professional network can help you in the future. Find a mentor and don’t be too proud to take advice. Also, travel as much as you can while you are young. Study abroad in Europe! Take that field work job in California! Live life, be nice, and always continue to learn.
