Testimonials

We asked recent GIS-Certificate-earners – who were NOT geography majors – to tell us the advantages of completing the certificate. If you would like to contribute, please send in an email!

“I decided to get the GIS Certificate after graduating from UMW. In the Environmental Science field, especially in Environmental Consulting, many agencies I work with have their own GIS websites that I pull data from. Also, state, and federal permitting for clients requires map layouts – something that can be done within GIS programs. 

A huge reason why I received an internship offer, which became a full-time position, was because I had taken a few GIS classes at UMW, and stated that I was continuing courses to get a GIS Certificate. My boss said I was the only candidate with GIS experience. I highly recommend the GIS certificate and/or taking GIS courses: it can open the door for more job opportunities or an almost guaranteed position.:

Tristan Davis, Applied Environmental Science, Fall 2024; GIS Certificate, Fall 2025. Tristan works for Rappahannock Environmental Group.

“Completing the GISc certificate program at UMW not only gave me the skills to use geospatial tools within the natural resource field, but also the confidence to suggest ways to better incorporate GIS for conservation and restoration purposes.”

Anna Czernia, Conservation Biology and GIS Certificate, Spring 2024. Anna has held a variety of field positions within natural resource management. Currently, she is a student in the Master of City and Regional Planning program at the University of North Carolina, under the Land Use and Environmental Planning specialization.

“As a Historic Preservation major, GIS has many applications that are essential for documenting sites, analyzing patterns of change over time, and understanding historic resources in their spatial context. Completing the GIS Certificate provided hands-on experience that not only strengthened my foundation in preservation but also helped me transition into my current position as a GIS Analyst with the City of Alexandria.”

Lizzie O’Meara, Historic Preservation, Spring 2019; GIS Certificate, Fall 2024. Lizzie is a GIS Analyst with the City of Alexandria.

This map of the Volga River Delta shows the difference in algal growth between two time periods, as calculated based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). V. Gallaway, ’24.