Meet Emily Cimoli, our Undergraduate Student of the Month for March!

What major(s), minors, and/or certificates you are working on at UMD?

I am getting my Bachelor’s degree in Geographical Sciences, with a minor in GIS.

What are your interests within your program(s)?

I chose to follow the “Development and Sustainability” track within the Geographical Sciences field because I am very interested in finding solutions to the issues our future planet is going to face due to climate change.

What previous jobs, internships, and volunteer experience have you had?

I have had various on-campus jobs, including working as an office assistant, raising funds for university programs through the call center, and working as event support in the student union. My only internship has been with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but I have been there for almost a year. 

Where are you/have you been interning?

I am interning with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Silver Spring, Maryland within the Office of Coastal Survey.

What are your internship responsibilities?

My responsibilities are very GIS-focused. My main task at this internship was to help verify and encode hydrographic survey data with a metadata layer in electronic navigational charts (ENC’s) using ArcMap 10.1 and NOAA’s Interactive Chart Catalog. Bodies of water, represented as polygons in ArcMap, are assigned a CATZOC (category zone of confidence) based on the age and accuracy of the chart’s data. Because our nation’s oceans and waterways are constantly changing, the depth of a coastal area could change in less than a year due to severe flooding or drought. Unfortunately, it is not possible to survey every body of water every year. It is vital that mariners have this CATZOC information to help them make judgment calls on whether or not an area is safe for their individual vessel.

What project(s) are you working on or contributing to?

I’m part of the CATZOC project within the Office of Coastal Survey.

How is the internship experience relevant to your studies in Geographical Sciences?

I’ve used the skills I’ve learned from my GIS courses on a daily basis at my internship. I’ve found it very helpful to have real-world practice for my GIS courses.

What are your career goals after your graduate?

I’m not completely sure what I’d like to do after I graduate. I do know that I want to work to help people and find solutions for our rapidly changing planet, environment, and society.

What are some of your hobbies?

I try to read one book a month (which can be quite challenging with school work!). I also want to travel as much as possible; I just went to Ireland over winter break! I also just like to be outdoors; I take my dog for walks and go canoeing in the summer.

Where are you from?

I was born in North Carolina, but I have lived in many different places, including Germany, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Alabama. I like to think that moving around so much as a child helped grow my love for geography!

What has been your favorite class at UMD? Why?

My favorite class was a course about the history of American consumerism. I found it fascinating and it was the most engaging and eye-opening class I’ve ever taken.

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

I would travel to Germany because I lived there for eight years when I was a child— I spent my formative years there, and I still miss it. I would love the opportunity to go back!

Congratulations Emily!!