Kevin Shortelle, 2011
Interest in UWF's GIS Program
My initial interest in GIS technology stemmed from my company’s need to orthorectify aerial imagery from the autonomous drones that we were developing for the Government. With my background in developing navigation algorithms for military customers, I was already well-versed in working with map projections and geographic and planar coordinate systems. In addition, with my background in developing automatic target recognition algorithms, I was familiar with digital image processing techniques, spatial filtering, registering imagery to control points, supervised/unsupervised classification, and ground truthing. I recognized that GIS would seamlessly complement to my existing skills and provide opportunities for both business and personal enrichment.

Impressions of UWF's Online GIS Program
The on-line course was more rigorous that I had expected. However, I learned much more than I thought possible in a 24-credit hour curriculum. Course content was diverse, and provided exposure to many ArcGIS extensions, 2D and 3D spatial analysis tools, thematic mapping techniques, and ESRI support sites. The instructors and teaching assistants could not have been more accommodative, flexible, and patient, and consistently responded to questions in a timely and courteous fashion. Overall, I had an extremely rewarding experience from the online program.

Current Applications of GIS
One of the reasons that I pursued a GIS Certificate was to offer our current and future customers additional skills that complement our core competency. I have applied my acquired GIS skills primarily to conduct spatial analysis and generate map products for our Government customers. The maps have included Line-of-Sight analysis at an Army test range at Redstone Arsenal, AL, contour/slope/elevation maps of mountainous terrain at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, an interactive ArcGIS Online map of a test range at Eglin AFB that includes range-safety buffer zones to facilitate flight-test planning, and maps to delineate the boundaries for drone flight tests at an airfield in Gainesville, FL. My GIS skills had provided “added value” to the services that we provide to our customers and offer my company additional technical capabilities that can be incorporated into our overall marketing strategy.

Tom Holby
Interest in UWF's Online GIS Certificate
My background was not in GIS, I had an undergrad degree in Communication, and I decided I wanted to enter a new career field. I was interested in maps, and that's how I found out about GIS. At the start of the certificate, my wife was in the Army and we were living in Korea, so I was definitely looking for an online program. I thought I'd like GIS, but having never used it before, I wasn't sure. I thought the certificate program would be a good way to delve into GIS and make sure it is what I wanted to do while also helping give me some good coursework for my eventual application into a master's program when I returned to the US. I was also hoping that I could get some good internship experience with the certificate.

Impressions of UWF's Online GIS Program
I was expecting it to be tough since I hadn't been in school for awhile, and the courses were indeed rigorous. I learned a LOT of information in a short amount of time. I was really excited very early on when I made my first basic map, I even printed it out and taped it to my wall. I enjoyed how lots of the projects were based on actual situations and data, including current events, which gave me exposure to different uses of GIS. I had never taken a course online before, and was a bit worried about how it would go. After the quick initial period of figuring out how it works,it was not a problem. There was constant communication from the instructors, and other class members provided helpful information anytime I got stuck on something. It ended up being much more interactive than I thought it would be. Overall, my experience with the online program was very good. During the program, we moved back to the US, and I was able to get an internship with the South Carolina National Guard for the final semester. The instructors were helpful in offering suggestions for internships either in person, or online. They were also open to internship sites they did not list as long as they met certain criteria.

Current Applications of GIS
After completing my internship with the SC Guard, they offered me a job as a GIS Analyst. I used ArcGIS to work on projects for the Guard such as environmental maps and facility maps. I also had the opportunity to do some field work on SC Guard property in South Carolina. My UWF certificate prepared me for this position, and I felt comfortable with the work required. Recently I was accepted into a Master's Program in Geographic and Cartographic Science at George Mason University, and will begin in the fall.