Meet John Calantonio, our May Undergraduate of the Month! John is a senior GIS major and an intern at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism.

What are your interests within your program?

Within my program in the Department of Geographic Sciences, I have had the opportunity of taking courses that focus on the spatial patterns of human geography across the world, economic geography, and sustainability. As a GIS major, I am always interested in learning new digital cartography methods that can be used to manage and analyze spatial data.

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

For the entirety of my time here at the University of Maryland I have been employed at a civil engineering company where I participated in the development of major projects around Maryland such as the Metro Purple Line and the Corridor Cities Transit way. Much more recently I began my first internship related to my field of study at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START).

Where you are from?

I grew up in Rockville, Maryland.

Where you are interning?

For the 2016 spring semester I am interning at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START). START is a Homeland Security Center of Excellence headquartered at the University of Maryland and is committed to the study of the causes and consequences of terrorism around the world.

What are your internship responsibilities?

As a GIS intern at START, my responsibilities include assisting with open source data collection, translating collected data into visual geographic representations using ArcMap and GIS tools, and working on my own final project in which I plan to create a map of the safe zones from ISIL in Iraq.

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

At START, I am using GIS tools and methodology in order to contribute to research projects that focus on the network analysis of ISIS foreign fighter networks as well as geospatial analysis of illegal border crossing strategies and global illicit smuggling activities.

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

My internship at START allows me to gain experience working in a professional GIS environment. It has given me the opportunity to apply the GIS skills that I learned in the classroom to help solve real world problems when it comes to studying and combatting terrorism. My internship experience at START has also allowed me to learn new skills and tricks that are not taught in class.

What are your career goals after your graduate?

I am not entirely sure what I want to do after I graduate and earn my degree. I would really like to find a job that I can use my acquired GIS skills to help solve some of society’s biggest issues, whether it be related to environmental sustainability, urban planning, or counterterrorism.

Wherever you decide to go after graduation, we're sure you'll do well! Congratulations John!