Antonio DeWitt-Hernandez
Antonio DeWitt-Hernandez
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My name is Antonio DeWitt-Hernandez. I am a 4th year undergraduate student at UCSC, with a double major in Earth Science and Economics. I enjoy spending time with loved ones, playing video games and basketball, listening to music (new and old), and being active!
My internship is with Cotton, Shires & Associates, a geologic and geotechnical consulting firm located in Los Gatos, CA. My time will be focused on creating internal GIS products based on public data and resources from the company's office files. I will have the opportunity to learn and work with ArcGIS for the very first time while also getting a taste of a professional consultation work setting. I'll have the chance to explore a breadth of different topics, discuss and ask questions about real-world geologic data/events, and learn how to work independently in a work setting.
I am interested in a career that explores data / resource management for water, but I want to become involved in a career that pushes for sustainability, eco-friendliness, and statistical geologic modeling. I would love to have the chance to work hands-on with communities to figure out the best way for people to interact with the environment in a safe, productive, and healthy fashion, while also maintaining water resources and cleanliness in order to protect the environment.
My goals for Summer 2021 are to take huge strides in my personal academic and professional independence, but I also want to gain experience in a professional setting. I have one final quarter at UCSC following this summer, and I would love to get as much exposure to various Earth Science / Economics-related fields as possible. I also aim to be comfortable with GIS and Python by summer's end.
How will attending AGU advance your academic and career goals?
Attending AGU will be a great opportunity to meet people of various backgrounds and learn about their interests in science. I have already gotten this experience by attending university, but to be able to travel and meet people from all over the world is an exciting opportunity that will only further my knowledge about worldly science. Additionally, I will have the chance to network and meet individuals who have taken various paths to establish their careers, as I am still unsure whether I want to jump straight into a Master’s program or work instead before attempting that leap.
As for the presentation itself, it will be a way to practice my public speaking skills, presentation capabilities, poster organization, and scientific communication skills. This is something that I have wanted to do throughout my undergraduate studies, but always felt intimidated by the process. With AGU I will finally get a chance to take a step in my scientific presentation skills and share my progress in creating geologic reference maps with fellow peers in science. I will likely also gain insight from people in similar fields of work in regards to other applications of the skills I have gained with various career paths.
What have you learned so far in your internship? (week 3 update)
I have strengthened my skills in ArcGIS by analyzing satellite data (orthographic imagery, LiDAR point-cloud) in the process of creating detailed maps for local town, cities and municipalities for Cotton, Shires & Associates. My focus is on creating hill shade maps of various angles for field use/reference, as well as gathering parcel and contour information for the areas of interest. Early analysis proved effective for the town of Woodside, and some very useful maps were created highlighting ground data and geographic points of interest within the town boundaries as well as in a short buffer region around the town.
I have learned much about the research that goes into gathering data for analysis in each respective area of interest and have also had to learn how to troubleshoot any errors that may come up during the process of data collection. This includes troubleshooting error messages that may prevent me from running certain functions for map making, researching various websites and databases for available data, and contacting various individuals at NOAA and USGS to understand aspects about errors I faced when working with published data (among other inquiries).
I have also gotten the ability to experience an office setting and have learned how to converse with various peers as well. I have had many opportunities where I have faced some complicated issues with the map making process and have learned how to reach out and ask for help. Through these discussions, I have gathered a deeper knowledge of the importance of these maps for field analysis and reference as well as the geologic dangers that face the communities who are subject to analysis.
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