About Me

I am a graduate of Northern Illinois University, having acquired from there a Bachelors degree in Meteorology (2016) and a Masters degree in Geography (2018). My questions, analyses, and answers are data-driven, and my training during my time as a graduate student has taught me how important it is that I find more questions than I answer.

I always keep my to-do-list populated with items not limited to GIS and mapping, including personal enrichment and maintenance.

NIU Geography Student Spotlight, 2017

Career Aspirations

I am continually blessed with opportunities to build on my GIS skills and related toolsets, with many colleagues and supervisors actively supporting the work that I do and the tools involved with the work. I believe the best way for me to utilize my work is to not only output my GIS work to an intuitive interface or document, but also to teach the GIS work to others. I hope to learn from my colleagues' and supervisors' ability to observe so that I can guide, teach, and appraise future colleagues.

I am also interested in incorporating GIS in as many variety of aspects as I can imagine. GIS is a growing industry, and having the opportunity to take GIS to a number of different routes at SSMMA is very exciting. This includes GIS involvement in crime, public safety, public health, urban planning, and economic development. It always intrigues me to find new ways to implement GIS.

It is on my dream list to work in a company that has connections with Japan. As a bilingual of Japanese and English languages, I would be excited to work in an international setting.

Philosophy on Science and Art

Much like there is a science to the art, there is an art to the science. As one with experience in music performance and composition, I am frequently reminded of science's effect on our relationship with music (e.g., psychology, the physics behind sound, etc.) and how it evolves with our technological advancements. However, the relationship between science and art goes both directions. There is an art to asking questions, constructing a methodology to answer the questions, and presenting the findings in an useful manner. If there was no art, we can let robots do all the research for us, but that is not how it works. The human element is critical in identifying, prioritizing, and persuading our questions and answers.

Taking a detour…

Outside of my GIS work, I am a classically-trained musician. With 20+ years of piano lessons and performance, as well as 15+ years of saxophone lessons and performance, I have performed in various settings, including jazz ensembles, rock venues, and solo gigs.

Need a freelance musician at an event? Feel free to reach out to me.

View my music website here.

When I'm not thinking about GIS or music, I am usually reading Japanese comics. I drive an oldie '98 Jeep that I enjoy taking care of. I am a die-hard Queen fan.

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