Geographer - Tiffany C. Vance
Field: Marine GIS applications and programming
Job Title: Geographer/Computer Specialist
Place of Employment: National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Seattle, Washington
What is your current job and what does it entail?
I work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) in the National
Marine Fisheries Service. I am a project manager and programmer for a variety
of projects for a research group looking at the recruitment of larval fish in
the North Pacific.
In your day-to-day activities, who are the people that you interact with regularly?
Scientists, programmers, oceanographers and fisheries biologists.
For your position, what skills do you need in geospatial technologies?
Good general spatial abilities – ability to think spatially. It is also
very useful to be able to explain spatial concepts and patterns to others. Specific
skills include cartography, use of GIS, use of remotely sensed data and general
programming skills.
For your position, what skills outside of geospatial technologies are required?
General communication skills. The ability to understand the terminology and
concepts of a variety of disciplines. The ability to explain my areas of specialization
to others, and to listen carefully when they explain their areas.
What was the key factor in your career decision?
Chance – I was offered a job as a student programmer at NOAA as my grad
school funding was running out. Ended up (20 years later) still working for NOAA – though
in a rather different job
What do you like most about your career?
Independence, responsibility, and getting to go interesting places on research
cruises.
What do you like least about your career?
Bureaucratic hassles
What do you do to relax?
Garden, travel, read murder mysteries
Who are your heroes/heroines?
Kofi Annan, UN
Secretary General. He started working at the UN as a
fairly low level budget officer, ended up as Secretary General. One of
the most eloquent speakers I have ever heard.
What advice would you give a high school student who expressed an interest
in pursuing a career in your field?
Take all the science classes you can, but also take English classes and get
as much experience reading and writing as you can. The better a writer you are,
the easier things will be in the future.
Are career opportunities in your field increasing or decreasing and why?
Hard to tell. Government research is decreasing. Whether university and private
research will increase is yet to be seen.
E-mail: vancet@geo.orst.edu
Degree |
Major |
Institution |
B.A. |
Geography |
Dartmouth College |
M.S. |
Oceanography |
University of Washington |
|