january 2024
Michael Martinez (M.A. ’98 in Geography and Environmental Studies)
Michael Martinez was appointed by the Biden-Harris White House to serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks as the U.S. Department of the Interior.
July 2023
Cecilia Griggs (B.A. '22 in Geography, B.A. '22 in Environmental Studies)
Cecilia Griggs is a Research Apprenticeship Program Facilitator at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois.
April 2023
Brandon Bywater ( B.A. '15 in Environmental Studies)
I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Spatial Technology Professional at Baxter & Woodman!
Joel Flax-Hatch (B.A. '14 in Environmental Studies, Minor in GIS, Minor in Geography)
Joel Flax-Hatch is working for the Chicago Department of Public Health, Communicable Disease Bureau, as an Epidemiologist.
March 2023
Emanuel Paintsil (Graduate GIS Certificate '22)
Emanuel Paintsil is working for K&A Engineering as an entry-level Design Inspector.
Amy Decker (M.A. '22 in Geography and Environmental Studies, Graduate GIS Certificate)
Amy joined Everlights at the end of February. Her new role is Sustainability Account Manager.
August 2022
Anna Wagner (M.A. '11 in Geography and Environmental Studies)
Anna Wagner works at Region 5 US EPA in the Land, Chemical and Redevelopment Division (LCRD) as a Government Information Specialist (GIS).
Cecilia Griggs (B.A. '22 in Geography, B.A. '22 in Environmental Studies)
Cecilia is working for Shedd Aquarium Guest Relations Ambassador position spreading awareness on conservation and interacting with guests. Including, being a Fishes Husbandry Volunteer.
June 2022
Amador Castro (M.A. '22 Geography and Environmental Studies, Graduate GIS Certificate)
Amador Castro accepted a position of Research and Policy Analyst with the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University.
Phoebe Lind (M.A. '22 Geography and Environmental Studies, Graduate GIS Certificate)
Phoebe Lind was featured in an AAG member profile, talking about her research on the spatial relationship between environmental hazards and minority communities, and how they collectively inform the redistricting process.
In addition, Phoebe started a new job as a GIS Data Acquisition Analyst with HERE Technologies!
December 2021
Briana Jarnagin (B.A. '17 Geography, Minor in GIS)
in June 2020, Briana Jarnagin began studying in the MS in Higher Education Administration and Policy program at Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy. In addition to full-time coursework, Briana is interning as a graduate assistant for the program, and interning as an admissions reader for the Kellogg School of Management. Briana is currently working on a master's research project exploring first-generation undergraduate student perceptions of and experiences with academic libraries and how libraries/institutions can better serve first-generation students on their student developmental journeys.
Marco Lopez (B.A. '20 in Geography, Undergraduate GIS Certificate)
Marco Lopez works as a GIS Analyst for RJN Group since November 2020. RJN Group is an engineering consultant primarily for sewer and water lines, based in Wheaton, Illinois. There he is on the GIS team, using ArcGIS to create maps and reports, and also does field work.
July 2021
Jason LaBrosse (M.A. '17 Geography and Environmental Studies, Graduate GIS Certificate)
Jason LaBrosse accepted a position as GIS Specialist at Rush University Medical Center. Jason is working in the Rush Alzheimers Disease Center to provide the spatial component of several studies on the aspects of the environment and how they interact with the patients in those studies.
June 2021
Dayna Matusek (B.A. '20 in Environmental Studies)
Dayna Matusek is working as a Recruiting Coordinator of Operations for Imperfect Foods, a company that is hungry for change and that is doing their part in eliminating food waste and building a better food system for all.
May 2021
Andy Donakowski (M.A. '15 Geography and Environmental Studies, Graduate GIS Certificate)
Andy recently started working as Mapping Coordinator with the Illinois Housing Development Authority, where he makes maps and connects the planning team with important information to help spread affordable housing opportunities across the state.
Pauline Gambill (M.A. '96 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Prior to obtaining the M.A. in Geography and Environmental Studies at NEIU, Pauline Gambill worked for the State of Illinois Department of Human Services for more than 25 years. Pauline took an early retirement and enrolled at NEIU, obtaining the M.A. in 1996. Pauline then worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago for 10 years through their Senior Environmental Employment Program. After doing extensive research and interviewing many individuals, Pauline wrote a dual-biography which was published in April 2021. It is about an environmental activist, James F. Phillips (1930-2001), and a current animal rights activist, Steve Hindi. The book is available on Amazon and can be ordered at Barnes & Noble.
"'The FOX FEATS and SHARK TALES' is an extensive and absorbing look at the lives and achievements of two courageous and fearless individuals: Pollution fighter and environmentalist, James F. Phillips (1930-2001), who was known as “the fox;” and current animal rights investigator, Steven Hindi, the founder of the animal rights organization: SHARK (Showing Animals Respect and Kindness).The book delves into the early lives of these individuals and what drove them to become so fierce and dedicated to their cause. Their journeys were not without their encountering serious and unrelenting obstacles and in Hindi’s case, even physical harm. In addition to the telling of their intriguing journeys, the photos provide an important visual view of their lives and their work."
Pauline welcomes any inquiries.
Pauline Gambill
2 Wheaton Center, Apt. 303
Wheaton, IL 60187
Email: pmgwheaton@yahoo.com
March 2021
Aqsa Junagadhwala (Graduate GIS Certificate '18)
Aqsa Junagadhwala started a position as Project Planner at Friends of the Chicago River. She will primarily support the creation of a GIS based Strategic Watershed Land Use Plan with the help of the newly created Chicago River Watershed Council and provide mapping and analysis for Friends' other major projects like the Wildlife Corridor Connectivity Action Plan and the River Recovery and Conservation Plan.
December 2020
Megan Gavin (B.A. Environmental Studies)
Megan Gavin is working for the U.S. EPA Region 5 as the Environmental Education Coordinator.
November 2020
Marco Lopez (B.A. '20 Geography, Minor in GIS)
Marco Lopez works as a GIS Analyst for RJN Group since November 2020. RJN Group is an engineering consultant primarily for sewer and water lines, based in Wheaton, Illinois. There Marco is on the GIS team, using ArcGIS to create maps and reports, and also does field work.
October 2020
Robert Senow (M.A. '18 Geography and Environmental Studies, Graduate GIS Certificate)
Robert Senow accepted an IT Specialist-GIS position with U.S. EPA Region 5. Senow assisted in research and created a variety of GIS-related maps for a wide array of clients.
August 2020
Valerie Fedoruk (B.A. '19 Environmental Studies)
Valerie Fedoruk in currently working towards her M.A. in Cultural Heritage Management at Johns Hopkins University.
October 2019
Aqsa Junagadhwala (Graduate GIS Certificate '18)
Aqsa Junagadhwala accepted a GIS Analyst position with the Davey Tree Experts on their environmental consulting/vegetation management team.
Antonia Senz (B.A. '19 Environmental Studies; B.A. '19 Geography, Minor in GIS)
Antonia Senz is working for Friends of the Chicago River, at the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum, as a Museum Associate.
September 2019
Ashley Baber (Graduate GIS Certificate '19)
Ashley Baber co-authored a paper "Student Based Budgeting Concentrates Low Budget Schools in Chicago's Black Neighborhoods" published by The Project for Middle Class Renewal at U of I.
August 2019
Nina Tilley (B.A. '19 Environmental Studies, Minor in GIS)
Nina Tilley is working for Florida International University in an Aquatic Ecology Lab as a Lab Technician. During her senior year, she completed an internship with the Forest Preserves of Cook County and was also featured in their volunteer newsletter.
July 2019
Destinie Green (B.A. '19 Geography, Minor in GIS)
Destinie Green has been accepted into the master's program in Public Health at Purdue University and will start the program in Fall 2019. Destinie also has been accepted into the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Fellowship, which is a two-year fellowship that aims at providing health care to underserved populations along with educating populations about health problems.
May 2019
Matt Anderson, Ph.D. (M.A. '08 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Anderson has published two more peer-reviewed articles. He earned his Ph.D. in Geography from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is on the faculty at Eastern Washington University.
- Anderson, M. B. (2019). Class Monopoly Rent and the Redevelopment of Portland's Pearl District. Antipode, 0(0).
- Anderson, M. B., & Radil, S. M. (n.d.). A hard binary to shake: The limitations and possibilities of teaching GIS critically. The Canadian Geographer / Le Géographe Canadien, 0(0).
March 2019
Lazar Ilic (B.A. '08 Geography and Environmental Studies, M.A. '10 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Lazar Ilic is currently a Ph.D. student in the Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics at the University of Ottawa. Lazar published an article in PLOS ONE. Congratulations!
Ilic L., Sawada M., Zarzelli A. (2019) Deep mapping gentrification in a large Canadian city using deep learning and Google Street View. PLOS ONE 14(3): e0212814.
Lazar Ilic's article has made quite a splash in popular media!
February 2019
Dorceta E. Taylor (B.A. '83 Environmental Studies)
Dorceta E. Taylor is a James E. Crowfoot Collegiate Professor of Environmental Justice and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at University of Michigan. Her current research includes an assessment of food access in Michigan and other parts of the country. A recently-published article on food justice in Detroit entitled, “Food Availability and the Food Desert Frame in Detroit: An Overview of the City's Food Systemstates” (Environmental Practice), exemplify this work.
Other recent research activities include the 2014 national report analyzing racial and gender diversity in the environmental field—see "The State of Diversity in Environmental Organizations: Mainstream NGOs, Foundations, and Government Agencies." Her 2009 book, "The Environment and the People in American Cities" (Duke University Press), is an award-winning urban environmental history book. She published an edited volume in 2010 entitled, "Environment and Social Justice: An International Perspective" (Emerald Press). She published "Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility" (NYU Press) in 2014. Her newest book, "Power, Privilege, and Environmental Protection: Social Inequality and the Rise of the American Conservation Movement" (Duke University Press) is currently in press; it is slated for publication in 2015.
Brittany Harthan (B.A. Environmental Studies, Minor in Geography)
Brittany Harthan is working as a Program Manager and Garden Educator at Gardeneers, a non-profit that provides ongoing, full-service garden programs with schools on the South and West sides of Chicago.
January 2019
Derick Anderson (B.A. '11 Geography)
Derick Anderson has been accepted into the Ph.D. program in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago and expects to start the program Fall 2019. Derick is Director of Development at Northside Community Resources in Chicago.
Joan O'Shaughnessy (M.A. '94 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Joan O'Shaughnessy is Ecologist for the Prairie & Skokie River Corridor in the Restoration Ecology Department for the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe. She got this position in 1994, just out of our program. She's been Chicago Area Program Director for the Illinois Environmental Council, and received a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law.
Briana Jarnagin (B.A. '17 Geography, Minor in GIS)
This past fall Briana celebrated her one-year anniversary at the American Library Association (ALA) in Chicago, where she works as the Member Services Assistant in the Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services. In this role, Briana aids the office's member recruitment and retention efforts to diversify the library/information science field, supporting the Spectrum Scholarship Program and liaising with several ALA member groups to provide governance, event management, and member engagement support. You can view her GIS skills in action at http://www.ala.org/
December 2018
Anja Claus (M.A. Geography and Environmental Studies)
Anja Claus is the Senior Development Editor of the Center for Humans and Nature's journal, Minding Nature. Anja searches out stories that help us reimagine our relationship to each other and to planet Earth as a whole. These stories range from deeper philosophical concepts, to reflections of wider-ranging historical perspectives, to the personal story within local places. Anja engages storytellers to share fresh perspectives via the written word or through the visual arts. She has also written/published several articles on the human and more-than-human relationship.
Andrew Waple (M.A. '17 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Andrew Waple is working at Loyola Academy in Wilmette teaching AP Human Geography, among other subjects, and is proud to say his students have a 100 percent pass rate on the APHG exam.
Libby Hill (M.A. '94 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Libby Hill retired from teaching the Belize class after 20 years and now volunteers for environmental projects in Evanston. She is the volunteer steward of Perkins Woods, volunteers at the Clark Street Beach Bird Sanctuary, and works with others to achieve Bird-Friendly Evanston. A revised addition of her book, "The Chicago River: A Natural and Unnatural History," first published in 2000, is coming in January 2019. The revision includes new chapters on green projects in the watershed, the history of the disinfection controversy and MWRD, the Chicago Riverwalk, and Asian carp.
October 2018
Genesis (Reyes) Self-Fordham (B.A. '15 Geography; Undergraduate GIS Certificate)
Genesis is writing code for a green UK energy company called Ecotricity where a percentage of profits goes back into funding conservation and green space. She had the courage to pursue her coding interests whenever she reconnected with some basic coding thanks to GIS Professor Ting Liu's GIS III portfolio building project.
September 2018
Richard Snyder (Undergraduate GIS Certificate '13)
Richard Snyder has been the GIS Analyst for the city of Elgin, Illinois since 2015. He started as the first GIS intern for Elgin in 2014 and was promoted as the city's first GIS Analyst in 2015. Richard manages a team of seven interns and heads multiple projects, including the mapping of all sanitary, storm, streets, and water utilities for all 37.94 square miles of the city. His products serve Elgin employees across many departments as well as Elgin's 110,000+ citizens. Richard is passionate about his job!
Chris Parson (M.A. '97 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Chris Parson's first job after graduation was as Education Director at Friends of the Chicago River where he developed an education program that helped teachers use the Chicago River in their curriculum. Over the next seven years, Chris worked with more than 200 teachers, delivering teacher training, assisting with student field trips. Upon his retirement, Chris became and continued as a Canoe Guide for Friends, taking folks out on the Chicago River. He also increased his involvement in ecological restoration in the Cook County Forest Preserves. Chris is an Assistant Steward at Schiller Prairie and Robinson Prairie as well as St. Paul Woods. Chris is currently trained as a burn boss, chain sawyer and herbicide applicator.
Susan (Goode) Jacobson Edwards (B.A. '73 Geography; B.A. '73 Environmental Studies)
Susan (Goode) Jacobson Edwards worked in the ornamental and orchid industry for 30 years, and has an orchid named after her registered with the Royal Horticultural Society called “Bc. Susan Edwards”. She is currently celebrating her 20th year as a Florida Master Gardener volunteer, maintaining an organic vegetable demonstration garden on the grounds of her county's Cooperative Extension and botanical garden.
Derek Barthel (M.A. '16 Geography and Environmental Studies; Graduate GIS Certificate)
Derek has worked for HERE Technologies as a data acquisition analyst since soon after graduation. In the past couple of years, he has traveled all over the USA for work and all over the world for fun! He recently earned his PADI Advanced Open Water SCUBA diving certification, and he still uses the valuable knowledge and skills he learned during his time at NEIU every day.
May 2018
Nina Roberts (M.A. '16 Geography and Environmental Studies; Graduate GIS Certificate; B.A. Geography)
Nina Roberts will enter the Ph.D. in Geography program at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in August 2018. She has accepted a teaching assistantship under the direction of David Wilson, Ph.D., in the Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science. Roberts' area of specialization will be in Cities and Metropolitan Areas, with emphases on historical and contemporary urban transformation, conflict and development.
Amanda Vander Kelen (M.A. '18 Geography and Environmental Studies; B.A. '15 Geography and Minor in GIS)
Vander Kelen was accepted into the Ph.D. program in Geography at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She will start in Fall 2018. She also accepted an offer for a Teaching Assistant position. She will be teaching two sections of Public Speaking 101 in Communication.
March 2018
Hannah O'Sullivan (B.A. '17 Environmental Studies)
Hannah O'Sullivan is working at Friends of the Forest Preserves, serving on a conservation crew that operates in both Cook and Lake county forest preserves doing year round restoration work.
February 2018
Patrick Sullivan (B.A. '16 Geography; Minor in GIS)
Sullivan works as a GIS specialist at Colliers International in Phoenix, Arizona. It is a global real estate firm with over 500 offices in 68 countries. Currently he is responsible for the busiest California market.
January 2018
Jason LaBrosse (M.A. '17 Geography and Environmental Studies)
LaBrosse authored maps for fellow NEIU faculty Joshua Salzmann's recently published book "Liquid Capital: Making the Chicago Waterfront."
Justin Nicholson (B.A. '17 Geography; Minor in Environmental Studies)
Nicholson accepted an offer working for Arbormetric Solutions as a Consulting Utility Forester/Work Planner. He will be in charge of mapping areas, using GIS equipment, where ash trees have been infected with emerald ash borers. He will also be tasked with creating vegetation management plans.
December 2017
Kevin Sullivan (B.A. '09 Geography)
Sullivan was recently appointed as a GIS Analyst for Naval Facilities Engineering Command Marianas in Santa Rita, Guam. Sullivan was appointed on a two-year special assignment mapping out Munitions
and Explosives of Concern for future data analysis and predictability modeling in order to help reduce the construction costs for the United States Marine Corps' relocation from Okinawa, Japan.
September 2017
Casey Sebetto (B.A. '15 Environmental Studies)
After graduating from NEIU, Sebetto worked for the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance. She is now working on her master's degree in Urban Planning and Policy at UIC with a concentration in Environmental Planning and Policy.
July 2017
Jeremy Firestein (B.A. '16 Environmental Studies; Minor in Geography and GIS)
Firestein is employed as a GIS Technician at engineering firm Construction Cad Solutions.
Joel Flax-Hatch (B.A. '16 Environmental Studies; Minor in Geography and GIS)
Flax-Hatch currently works in administration for the Forest Preserves of Cook County's resource management department. He also works as a GIS technician For the non-profit "protect RP," an immigrants rights group in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood.
Gerry Bakker (M.A. '04 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Bakker is a financial analyst in the Water Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 office, focused on enhancing approaches for financing water and wastewater infrastructure projects.
Kevin Sullivan (B.A. '09 Geography)
Sullivan is a Geographer for Naval Facilities Engineering Command, serving as the in-house Geographer and Geospatial Analyst for Naval Air Station Meridian.
Dave Bateman (B.A. '13 Geography; Undergraduate GIS Certificate)
Bateman is working at Urban GIS as a GIS Field Technician.
Richard Shefferson (B.A. '98 Environmental Studies)
Shefferson is working as associate professor at the University of Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan, in the Organization for Programs on Environmental Sciences. He specializes in evolution, evolutionary ecology, quantitative biology, and conservation.
Hasan Alnesary (B.A. '14 Geography)
Alnesary is working on a Master of Advanced Studies in Humanitarian Operation and Supply Chain Management in Switzerland. His intended thesis will apply GIS to the siting of refugee camps, using Kenya and southern Sudan as case examples.
Derick Anderson (B.A. '11 Geography)
Anderson is Director of the Northside Housing Collaborative in Chicago.
Ann Aler (Graduate Certificate '13 GIS)
Aler became Cartography & GIS Resources Specialist, Northwestern University Library.
Matt Anderson, Ph.D. (M.A. '08 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Anderson has published another paper, "Class Monopoly Rent and the Contemporary Neoliberal City," in Geography Compass, 2014. He is Assistant Professor of Geography at Eastern Washington University, Spokane, Washington.
Andrew Donakowski (M.A. '15 Geography and Environmental Studies; Graduate Certificate '15 GIS)
Donakowski became Policy and Planning Specialist at Friends of the Chicago River.
Troy Brundidge (M.A. '17 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Brundidge received an internship with the American Planning Association.
Paisly Mitchell, GISP (M.A. '13 Geography and Environmental Studies; Graduate Certificate '13 GIS)
GIS Coordinator for the Region 5 office of the EPA received a promotion from Environmental Protection Specialist to IT Specialist in Fall 2016. She is also adjunct faculty member at DePaul University's M.A. in Sustainable Urban Development.
Kat Kocisky (M.A. '16 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Kocisky entered a doctoral program at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Urban Studies Fall 2016.
Jason LaBrosse (M.A. '17 Geography and Environmental Studies)
LaBrosse will be an adjunct faculty at Northeastern Illinois University for the upcoming academic year, teaching classes on computer cartography, introduction to environmental studies, and GIS in the University's Department of Geography & Environmental Studies.
Nick Magrisso (B.A. '10 Environmental Studies)
Magrisso became Associate at CIVITAS Public Affairs Group. He recently was Midwest Legislative Director for the Natural Resources Defense Council where he worked for six years.
Angela Spinasanta (M.A. '13 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Spinasanta is GIS Validation Analyst at CN Transportation Trucking and Railroad.
June 2017
Amelia Evans (B.A. '17 Environmental Studies )
Evans became a Youth Enrichment Instructor on the YMCA Green Creation Team for the after school matters program. She will be focusing on teaching applications of sustainability and conservation in the Chicagoland area (and probably in everyday life) whilst building their knowledge and skills in STEM sustainability professions for possible post-secondary opportunities. She will have a group of 15 teens from the ages of 14 to 18.
May 2017
Rich Snyder (Certificate '13 GIS)
Snyder was an intern with Institutional Research at NEIU. He is the GIS Analyst for the city of Elgin, Illinois. Synder credits his coursework and GES 395 Internship with NEIU's Institutional Research for preparing him for this position.
April 2017
Srdjan Majdov (M.A. '16 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Majdov presented at the 2017 Association of American Geographers (AAG) Annual meeting in Boston. His research was titled, "Taking place, (re)making nation: elite discourse of urban restructuring in Skopje, F.Y.R. of Macedonia."
Jason LaBrosse (M.A. '17 Geography and Environmental Studies)
LaBrosse presented at the 2017 Association of American Geographers (AAG) Annual meeting in Boston. His research was titled, “The Relationship Between Concentrated Commodified Pets Populations and the Urban Environment of Chicago.”
Mohammed Montefaoui (M.A. '17 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Montefaoui presented at the 2017 Association of American Geographers (AAG) Annual meeting in Boston. His research was titled, "Mapping Spatiotemporal Land Sensitivity to Desertification in Biskra, Algeria."
March 2017
Hasan Alnesary (B.A. '14 Geography)
Alnesary is working on a Master of Advanced Studies in Humanitarian Operation and Supply Chain Management (MASHOM) in Switzerland. His intended thesis will apply GIS to the siting of refugee camps, using Kenya and southern Sudan as case examples.
Matt Anderson (M.A. '08 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Anderson, Ph.D., has published another paper: "Class Monopoly Rent and the Contemporary Neoliberal City," in Geography Compass, 2014. He is Assistant Professor of Geography at Eastern Washington University, Spokane, Washington. Previously, he was lecturer at Montana State University in Billings.
Derick Anderson (B.A. '11 Geography)
Anderson is now Director of the Northside Housing Collaborative in Chicago. The organization carries out grant programming, and has recently received an $800,000 grant specifically advocating services for non-English speaking homeowners, who may be more easily taken advantage of by lenders.
Nicole L. Barker (Kamins) (M.A. '01 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Barker is Governance Board Co-Chair at Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition a non-profit organization in La Port Indiana. She works with Dune restoration with the Indiana Lake Michigan Coastal Advisory Board.
Derek Barthel (M.A. '16 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Barthel received NEIU's 2015 Research and Creative Activities Assistantship from the College of Graduate Studies and Research, Northeastern Illinois University.
Derek Barthel (M.A. '16 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Barthel is Executive Paralegal at Credit Advocates Law Firm, LLC in Chicago. He has been a volunteer GIS Consultant with the Alliance for the Great Lakes, and has a “... passion for the visualization of spatial data via GIS and other means …”
Neil Best (M.A. '05 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Best is Senior Application Developer, Information Management at Gogo, which provides wifi connections inflight for major airlines and private planes. He worked five years for the University of Chicago's Computation Institute, and was a Project Analyst for Lanworth, Inc., a remote sensing firm assessing agricultural production near real-time.
Michael Buibas (B.A. '09 Geography)
Buibas is GIS Intern with the Village of Mount Prospect's Public Works Facility. NIPC, Chicago Department of Transportation.
Lazar Ilic (G&ES M.A. 2010) and Keith Yearman (G&ES M.A.) published "Gentrification of Chicago's East Village" Illinois Geographer Spring 2015 Vol 57:1
Alex Compton (B.A. '15 Geography)
Compton was hired as the Environmental Education and Conferences Coordinator at that YMCA Metropolitan Milwaukee - Camp Minikani in Hubertus, Wisconsin.
Paisly Mitchell (M.A. '13 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Mitchell had an adjunct faculty position at DePaul University, in Geography, teaching a class on Brownfields for their Sustainable Urban Development Program Fall 2014.
Paisly Mitchell (M.A. '13 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Mitchell received Geographic Information Systems Professional certification (GISP).
Jeff Earnshaw (B.A. '08 Geography)
Earnshaw works at the Evergreen Supply Company a distributer of energy-efficient electrical hardware which offers onsite energy efficiency audits to clients.
Nicole Fields (B.A. '11 Environmental Studies)
Fields is Health Education Specialist at Linn County Public Health in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Brendan Gross (B.A. '10 Environmental Studies)
Gross has taught horticulture with the city program Greencorps Chicago (WRD Environmental), is an ISA certified arborist and has moved to the Yucatan Peninsula to study plants, traditional plant applications, and deforestation. He has applied through the Mexican Secretary of Foreign Relations to work in Bacalar, Quintana Roo to offer workshops on indigenous plants for local populations.
Paulina Haraburda-Saluda (B.A. '08 Geography)
Haraburda-Saluda is Senior Analyst, Space Management for Walgreens, increasing productivity of merchandisable space.
Christina Harney (B.A. '13 Environmental Studies)
Harney is now Assistant Director for Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership.
Jan Krysa (M.A. '15 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Krysa is employed at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 GIS as a Geospatial Data Libraian and GIS Developer.
Janusz Maka (B.A. '13 Environmental Studies)
Maka, now in NEIU's MBA program, finished fourth place with his team in the Great Lakes District 2015 Student Case Competition.
Rachel Mandel (B.A. '14 Environmental Studies)
Mandel is currently enrolled in the M.A. in Elementary Education program at DePaul University and plans to be involved in Environmental Education programming development at the local or regional level.
Wilfredo Matamoros (M.A. '01 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Matamoro, in the Laboratorio de helmintologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, and Coleccion de ctiologiz, Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas, Libramiento North Poniente, was primary author of “Fish faunal provinces of the conterminous United States of America reflect historical geography and familial composition,” in Biological Reviews, Cambridge Philosophical Society. 2015.
Mohammed Montefaoui (M.A. '17 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Mostefaoui, current M.A. in G&ES student, was selected as one of the eight participants of the Cartography Specialty Group Student Illustrated Paper Competition at the 2017 AAG meeting.
Salvador Montes (B.A. '11 Geography)
Montes, magna cum laude, received a master's degree in Urban Planning in 2014 from UCLS, and now works as transportation Planner at Parsons Brinkerhoff, in greater Los Angeles. He works with many modes of transportation: Air, trucking, and railroad.
Natalie Poveda (M.A. '16 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Poveda is the Development Coordinator at the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association.
Anthony Ross (M.A. '14 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Ross is currently employed at the EPA Region 5 Compliance Division as an Environmental Scientist working with Emissions Inventory.
Alicia Rozgus (B.A. '13 Environmental Studies)
Rozgus took a seasonal position for New Mexico State Parks, with New Mexico's Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department. She then became Park Technician at City of Rocks State Park.
Amanda Smith (B.A. '15 Geography)
Smith received the outstanding Senior in Geography Award from the Illinois Geographical Society, accepting the award at the IGS meeting in Bloomington-Normal May 1, 2015.
Angela Spinasanta (M.A. '13 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Spinasanta now has a job with IDOT as GIS/LARS Specialist for Transit.
Angela Spinasanta (M.A. '13 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Spinasanta is a Realtor for Griffith, Grant, and Lackie in Chicago.
Angela Spinasanta (M.A. '13 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Spinastana was a GIS Specialist at the Illinois Department of Transportation Division of Transportation Safety.
Veerachai Tanpipat (M.A. '97 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Tanpipat is Adjunct Researcher at Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, King Mongkut's University of Technology in Thonburi, Thailand.
Jason Tinkey (B.A. '09 Geography)
Tinkey is now full-time as the Chicago Park District as Special Projects Manager, GIS and Spatial Analysis, Department of Planning, Construction, and Facilities.
Anna Wagner (M.A. '07 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Wagner is Management Analyst in the Planning and Administration Section, Air Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Branch, Air and Radiation Division of the Region 5 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Lynne Westphal (M.A. '92 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Westphal, Ph.D., is Project Leader and Research Social Scientist for the U.S. Forest Service.
Lakeshia Wright (B.A. '09 Geography)
Wright is working for the Chicago Southland Housing and Community Development Collaborative, South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, as Executive Director of Transportation and Infrastructure.
January 2017
Jason LaBrosse (B.A. '12 Geography)
LaBrosse, current M.A. in G&ES student, is presenting a paper at the 2017 American Association of Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting titled, "Modeling the intersection of human and animal geographies in an urban environment: A case study of commodified pet populations in Chicago, Illinois."
Kat Kocisky (M.A. '16 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Kocisky is pursuing a Ph.D. in Urban Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. She is researching the intersection of urbanization and the natural environment.
John J. Malan (B.A. '75 Geography)
Malan has served as a meteorologist in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, area for more than 35 years, announced he is retiring. His last day on air at TMJ4, the Milwaukee NBC affiliate, will be March 1, 2017.
Nick Magrisso (B.A. '10 Environmental Studies)
Magrisso is now Policy Advocate, Midwest Program, for the Chicago National Resource Defense Council.
October 2016
Jason LaBrosse (M.A. '17 Geography and Environmental Studies)
LaBrosse was awarded the 2016 AAG Council Award for Outstanding Student Presentation and the 2016 AAG West Lakes Division Student Presentation Award, 1st Place, Master's Student Paper.
August 2016
Paisly Mitchell (M.A. '13 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Mitchell is employed at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 GIS division as an IT Specialist.
Andrew Donakowski (M.A. '15 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Donakowski has a new job at Friends of the Chicago River.
Nicole Barker (Kamins) (M.A. '01 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Barker has a new job at Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District.
Jason LaBrosse (B.A. '12 Geography)
LaBrosse, current M.A. in G&ES student, was the recipient of the 2016 AAG Council Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Presentation and received 1st Place, Master's Student Paper, 2016 AAG West Lakes Division Student Presentation Award.
July 2016
Ann Aler (Graduate Certificate '13 GIS)
Aler is a GIS/Cartography Resource Specialist at Northwestern's library.
June 2016
Edwin Ayala (B.A. '12 Environmental Studies)
Ayala was accepted into the Master of Arts degree in Biology at Miami University: Global Field Program.
Janusz Maka (B.A. '13 Environmental Studies)
Maka was accepted into the Master of Arts degree in Biology at Miami University: Global Field Program. Maka will study desert and marine landscapes through ecological and social field methods.
April 2016
Nina Gyourgis (B.A. '14 Environmental Studies)
Gyourgis has been accepted into Columbia University's MPA program.
October 2015
Steven E. Lotz (B.A. '10 Geography)
Lotz is a geospatial analyst for the U.S. Army Reserve's 416th Theater Engineer Command and the first member of the unit's newly formed geospatial cell. He was recently featured in a story about the new unit on the U.S. Army's web page.
Lazar Ilic (M.A. '10 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Ilic is a doctoral candidate in Geography at the University of Ottowa.
March 2015
Jamison Miller (B.A. '08 Geography)
Miller was the recipient of the Bernard J. Brommel Doctoral Scholarship.
February 2015
Michael Martinez (M.A. '98 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Martinez recently had an article published by The American Bar Association in its section on environment, energy and resources' magazine, Natural Resources and Environment (Winter 2015). Titled "Working Lands for Wildlife: Targeted Landscape-Scale Wildlife Habitat Conservation," the article describes a partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, several states and NGOs, and farmers and ranchers to preserve and restore habitat at an ecosystem scale for species subject to Endangered Species Act (ESA) jurisdiction. This effort is one element of the Obama Administration's strategy to modernize federal ESA programs. Martinez has served in the Administration since 2009.
June 2014
Howard J. Hill (M.A. '05 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Hill, a science teacher at Highland Park High School, was one of four high school teachers honored with the Northwestern University Distinguished Secondary Teacher Award because he had a "transformative effect" on the life of a graduating Northwestern senior, who had previously studied with him and nominated him. Recipients of the award received a cash award, were honored at the Northwestern University Academic Honors Ceremony, and participated in Northwestern's commencement.
January 2014
Michael Martinez (M.A. '98 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Martinez received a Bronze Medal Award from the US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water in recognition of his contributions towards development of the Obama Administration's National Ocean Policy in December 2013. Martinez was appointed as a Special Assistant at the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., by President Obama in May 2009 and currently serves in the USDA Office of General Counsel, Natural Resources and Environment Division.
December 2013
Matthew Kauth (B.A. '13 Geography)
Kauth is the new Junior GIS Analyst for Patrick Engineering in Chicago.
November 2013
Jamison R. Miller (B.A. '08 Geography)
Miller was recently accepted into the Ph.D. program at the College of William & Mary Higher Education Program. He also received the Barton Malow Fellowship and was featured on the William & Mary School of Education website.
June 2013
Daniel M. Fink (M.A. '12 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Fink was featured in the Medill Reports Chicago article "Mystery of the bog: Indiana Dunes and the case of the carnivorous plant-napping." He is a member of a citizen science-based rare plant monitoring program called Plants of Concern. Source: Medill Reports Chicago
April 2013
Paisly Mitchell (M.A. '13 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Mitchell was elected as Vice President of the Chicagoland Chapter of URISA.
Paisly Mitchell (M.A. '13 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Mitchell was selected for Active Group membership to the Society of Women Geographers.
Paisly Mitchell (M.A. '13 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Mitchell attended the AAG Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. She presented a poster on her master's thesis. She also was on a panel called "Internships and Work-Based Learning as Career Preparation" where she discussed her experiences as an intern with the US EPA. She served as a Diversity Ambassador and as a Career Mentor for people interested in federal employment.
March 2013
Daniel M. Fink (M.A. '12 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Fink was featured in the Medill Reports Chicago article What bites Chicago? Spring awakens carnivorous plants. By Neel Tandan. Professor Fink traveled to sphagnum bogs and sandy swales to perform research on these rare species.
January 2013
Paisly Mitchell (M.A. '13 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Mitchell presented her master's thesis research at the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities (HICAH) in Honolulu, Hawaii, in January 2013. Her presentation was titled, "A Comparative GIS Analysus of Tokyo Metro Train Stations and Chicago Transit Authority Train Stations."
Sidney L. Blustain (B.A. '78 Geography)
Blustain recently retired from his firefighter duties in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. He plans to travel and stay active by teaching jiu-jitsu, and competing in judo competitions.
September 2012
Aaron N Durnbaugh (M.A. '05 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Durnbaugh is the Director of Sustainability at Loyola University Chicago's Center for Urban Environmental Research & Policy. He received a grant to work on a energy efficiency project at area universities including Columbia, UIC, UC, and Loyola.
June 2012
Nicole L. Barker (Kamins) (M.A. '01 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Barker worked in marketing and for the Chicago Department of the Environment on the Calumet project before being hired in 2010 as executive director of Save the Dunes. Source: Meltwater
March 2009
Paul L. Nickles (B.A. '92 Environmental Studies)
Nickles is a Senior Hydrogeologist at URS Corporation in Chicago. His work involves applied groundwater flow and transport modeling using one, two, and three-dimensional analytical and numerical modeling. He also works with remediation design and optimization modeling, and is involved with DNAPL/LNAPL free phase hydrocarbon modeling. Other work on any day at URS might be hydraulic aquifer testing and analysis or mentoring junior staff on field techniques. On a personal note, Paul enjoys riding his 2003 100th anniversary Harley Davidson in charity events and any place else where rock outcrops and scenic highways can be found. By the way, he's always looking for other "sane" bikers to ride with. He says, "Send me an email and let's hit the highway!" Write him at paul_nickles@urscorp.com. (Updated June 15, 2005)
November 2005
Lillian M. La Santa (B.A. '95 Environmental Studies)
La Santa earned a Master of Arts in Chicago Studies: Urban Development, Economics and Politics from Loyola University Chicago. She also earned a paralegal certificate in real estate from Loyola University Chicago. She is an information coordinator at Carlson Environmental, Inc. in Chicago, Illinois.
October 2005
Margaret A. Newell (B.A. '77 Geography)
Newell is manager of project development for Lions Clubs International in Oak Brook, Illinois. She introduced an International Performance Festival that is now in its fifth year. She also introduced an Environmental Photo contest. Members from 194 countries participate in these programs.
September 2005
David K. Ward (M.A. '98 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Ward is principal geographic information systems (GIS) consultant at Peter Brett Associates in London, England. He is responsible for pushing GIS throughout the firm and developing new applications for the use of GIS.
July 2005
Ana M. Correa (B.A. '00 Environmental Studies)
Correa is a health advocate at the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center in Chicago.
June 2005
William Maheia (B.A. '92 Environmental Studies)
Maheia is the Founder and Executive Director of the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) in Toledo, Belize, Central America. TIDE was one of seven recipients of the United Nations Development Programme Equator Prize 2002, in recognition of outstanding community efforts for poverty reduction and biodiversity conservation, given at an awards ceremony held at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa. TIDE was drawn from a pool of over 420 nominations and 27 finalists for the UNDP Equator Prize 2002.
December 2004
Keith Yearman (M.A. '00 Geography and Environmental Studies; B.A. '98 Geography)
Yearman received tenure at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn. He is assistant professor of geography at the College of DuPage.
Arthur V. Bourlard (B.A. '89 Environmental Studies)
Bourlard is the overall project manager for the electric resistive heating soil cleanup project, the largest attempted in the United States, at the Lockformer Company site in Lisle, Illinois. He is Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator at The Lockformer Company.
November 2004
Wilfredo A. Matamoros (M.A. '01 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Matamoros has been accepted for a PhD program in biology at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Scott D. Levin (B.A. '94 Environmental Studies)
Levin is a Project Manager at ATC Associates, Inc. in San Diego, California.
July 2004
Michael S. Krzak (B.A. '92 Environmental Studies)
Krzak was promoted to partner at Clifford Law Offices, a nationally-renowned personal injury/wrongful death firm in Chicago.
December 2003
Paul E. Clarkson (B.A. '77 Geography)
Clarkson was appointed as Director of Community Development of Teller County, Colorado, the Pikes Peak area, for the Community Development Services Division (CDSD) in Woodland Park, Colorado.
October 2003
David K. Ward (M.A. '98 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Ward was promoted to GIS business development manager at WSP Sweden in Stockholm. He recently transferred to WSP Sweden from WSP UK in London to manage a Sweden/UK GIS partnership. WSP is one of the biggest consulting engineering corporations in Europe and one of the ten largest in the world.
December 2020
Robyn Flakne
The Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI) has honored Geography and Environmental Studies Instructor Robyn Flakne with the Forester of the Year Golden Shovel Award, a CRTI Urban Forestry Award reserved for the most dedicated forestry professionals. She is receiving this award for her work as the Natural Resources Manager at the Village of Glenview and also as an instructor at Northeastern. Flakne’s award has been reported by the Daily Herald, Patch and the Village of Glenview.
August 2020
Ting Liu
Dr. Liu earned tenure and a promotion to Associate Professor.
Ting Liu
Dr. Liu co-authored an article, “Mapping behaviorally relevant light pollution levels to improve urban habitat planning,” that was given the designation of Ecology's Top 100, which highlights the most downloaded papers published in 2019.
March 2020
Alex Peimer
Dr. Peimer, Assistant Professor, was awarded the Summer 2020 Research Project Stipend. Dr. Peimer's summer research funding will help him complete research on Chicago River recreation management and governance. Using survey, interview, and literature data, he is analyzing professional opinions and approaches to river recreation management on the Chicago River system.
August 2019
Ting Liu
Dr. Liu co-authored a paper on the behavioral impact of light pollution in Chicago.
Schirmer, A.E., Gallemore, C., Liu, T. et al. Mapping behaviorally relevant light pollution levels to improve urban habitat planning. Sci Rep 9, 11925 (2019) doi:10.1038/s41598-019-48118-z
April 2019
Alex Peimer
Dr. Peimer was awarded a 2017-2018 Teaching Professional and Resource Professional Excellence Award for Teaching/Performance of Primary Duties.
January 2019
Derick Anderson (B.A. '11 Geography)
Derick Anderson has been accepted into the Ph.D. program in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago and expects to start the program Fall 2019. Derick is Director of Development at Northside Community Resources in Chicago.
Ting Liu
Dr. Ting Liu published a book chapter, titled "Monitoring Urban Growth and Land Changes in Beijing, China's Capital City by Remote Sensing: Progress and Challenges" in the edited book "Challenges Towards Ecological Sustainability in China: An Interdisciplinary Perspective."
September 2018
Melinda Storie
Dr. Melinda Storie, along with co-author Dr. Joanne Vining, published an article titled, "From Oh to Aha: Characteristics and Types of Environmental Epiphany Experiences" in the most recent volume of Human Ecology Review.
May 2018
Melinda Storie
Dr. Melinda Storie earned tenure and a promotion to Associate Professor.
Ting Liu
Dr. Ting Liu, Assistant Professor and GIS Coordinator, and Dr. Ryan Gallagher of Economics were awarded a Research Communities grant for a project titled, "An Historical Investigation into the Evolution of Land-Use Patterns and Residential Segregation in the Chicago Metropolitan Area and their Relationship to Land-Use Zoning, 1920-2010."
April 2018
Melinda Storie
Dr. Storie, Assistant Professor and G&ES Coordinator, was awarded the Committee on Organized Research Grant for the 2018-19 academic year. Her project is titled "Exceptional experiences in nature: Working toward theoretical stability and diverse perspectives.”
March 2018
Ting Liu
Dr. Liu, Assistant Professor and GIS Coordinator, was awarded the Summer 2018 Research Project Stipend. She will be conducting an urban remote sensing project in Beijing, China.
January 2018
Jason LaBrosse (M.A. '17 Geography and Environmental Studies)
LaBrosse authored maps for fellow NEIU faculty Joshua Salzmann recently published book "Liquid Capital: Making the Chicago Waterfront."
July 2017
Robyn Flakne (M.A. '91 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Dr. Flakne was instrumental making NEIU a "Tree Campus USA" in collaboration with the Department of Biology. Tree Campus USA is a national Arbor Day Foundation recognition since 2008 for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Dr. Flakne, a 1991 G&ES M.A., Ph.D. in Forestry, University of Minnesota, is Natural Resource Manager for Glenview, Illinois, and a G&ES faculty member since 2006.
June 2017
Kari Burnett
Dr. Kari Burnett was promoted to Instructor in the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies.
Thomas Brecheisen
Dr. Brecheisen, G&ES Instructor, received his PhD in Geography from UIC.
April 2017
Erick Howenstine, Chair of G&ES and Economics, was named American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow for the 2017-2018 academic year.
March 2017
Judith Bock (M.A. '82 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Bock, G&ES instructor, organized a two-day ESRI/Illinois Geographic Alliance workshop on GIS for teachers in Elementary and High School, held at NEIU June 2015.
Robyn Flakne (M.A. '91 Geography and Environmental Studies)
Flakne, G&ES Instructor and Natural Resource Director for Glenview, put in a proposal with the EPA to recognize NEIU for rainwater management. This was a class project in her “Urban Environmental Infrastructure” course. The proposal was ranked 16th of more than 60 applicants. Laura Sanders (ESCI) and Nancy Medina (Facilities Management) participated.
Erick Howenstine
Howenstine, Chair of G&ES and Economics, was elected in September 2014, 2015, and 2016 as Chair of the NEIU Faculty Senate. He had served as Vice Chair in 2013. He also chairs the Senate sub-committees for Shared Governance,Constitution and Bylaws.
Michael Partipilo (M.S. '13 Exercise Science)
Partipilo was the recipient of the 2016 Employee Excellence Award from Northeastern Illinois University for outstanding performance and lasting contribution.
Michael Partipilo (M.S. '13 Exercise Science)
Partipilo was elected and currently serves as Vice Chair of the University Advisory Council (UAC), a shared-governance council at Northeastern Illinois University.
April 2016
Erick Howenstine
Dr. Erick Howenstine received a 2015-16 Chair Meritorious Award from the NEIU President.
Caleb Gallemore
Dr. Gallemore, former assistant professor, was awarded the Indelible Mark Award (Advisor Award) by Student Affairs. It is given to a student organization advisor who has helped empower student members, actively participated in organization events, demonstrated enthusiasm and support for the group and who has helped the group successfully transition between membership cycles.
July 2015
Ting Liu
Liu, Assistant Professor, Geography and Environmental Studies, along with Aaron Schirmer, Biology Department, and Caleb Gallemore, former G&ES assistant professor, was awarded $5,000 for overseeing the Research Community, "Behavioral and Spatial Patterns of Light Pollution in Chicago, Illinois."
2013-14
Melinda Storie
Dr. Storie was awarded a 2013-14 Teaching Professional and Resource Professional Excellence Award for Service to the Department and to the University.
Dennis Grammenos
Dr. Grammenos is the author of "Chicago's Geographies: Metropolis for the 21st Century." He is assistant professor in the department of geography and environmental studies at NEIU.
March 2023
Eric Rivas (B.A. in Environmental Studies, B.A. in Geography) was selected as a recipient of the 2023 Illinois Geographical Society Outstanding Senior Award representing Northeastern Illinois University!
Eric Rivas (B.A. in Environmental Studies, B.A. in Geography) was offered a summer internship as Illinois Blanding’s Turtle Field Technician.
February 2023
Jeremiah Hunt (B.A. in Environmental Studies, Undergraduate GIS Certificate) was offered the IDEM Governor's Summer Internship position.
October 2022
Ryan Hauser (B.A. in Environmental Studies) received a 2022 IAEP (Illinois Association of Environmental Professionals) Student Scholarship.
April 2022
Congratulations to Robert Strzok (B.A. in Geography, B.A. in Environmental Studies, Minor in GIS) on being chosen for the 2022 Illinois Geographical Society Outstanding Senior Award representing Northeastern Illinois University!
March 2022
Alec Solberg (M.A. in G&ES, Graduate GIS Certificate) is working with advisors from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information and with partners from the Minnesota Agriculture Department, Michigan State University, USDA Midwest Climate Hub, and National Integrated Drought Information System to improve the understanding of seasonal water variability in the Midwest. Alec is using remote sensing technology and creating a program to help with understanding this variability.
September 2021
Amador Castro (M.A. in G&ES, Graduate GIS Certificate) started a new position as GIS Mapper with MALDEF's Chicago office and their redistricting projects.
July 2021
Phoebe Lind (M.A. in G&ES, Graduate GIS Certificate) and Daryl Dukes (M.A. in G&ES, Graduate GIS Certificate) are currently working as interns for Peter A. Creticos, LTD who has been retained to advise the Cook County Board Redistricting Committee on development and final design of a map establishing 17 single member districts. One of the duties of Phoebe and Daryl include providing technical assistance to County Commissioners, their staff, and to the public on the use of mapping systems. They are also assisting in the production of maps depicting the boundaries and demographics of proposed and final districts in addition to smaller research projects to identify possible communities of interest.
April 2021
Simone Padron-Glass (M.A. in G&ES) is working with Dr. Ryan Gallagher (Economics) as a GIS research assistant. She will be digitizing and georeferencing raster data to create vector layers for analysis and creating building footprint layers from Chicago historic zoning maps.
February 2021
Joel Porterfield (M.A. in G&ES) presented his research at conferences
- "Assessing the effects of 2019 Missouri River flooding on agricultural lands" - AAG 2020 Annual Conference student poster presentation (ultimately presented apart from the official AAG in a self-organized session with other students)
- "Demographic Indicators of Continued Transit Use in Chicago During the Spring Pandemic Shutdown" -West Lakes Division AAG annual conference poster session - 2nd place in the graduate poster competition
- "Demographic Indicators of Continued Transit Use in Chicago During the Spring Pandemic Shutdown" IDOT GIS day presentation
Congratulations to the G&ES Students who made the Dean's List for Fall 2020!
- Lucas Bernardi
- Cecilia Griggs
- Jeremiah Hunt
- Jake Kessel
- Dayna Matusek
- Katelyn Ruane
- Willow Stroede
- Rob Strzok
- Hayley Taylor
- Ryan Wiesbach
- Marjorie Woolard
April 2020
Congratulations to Marco Lopez (B.A. in Geography, minor in GIS) for receiving the competitive Illinois Geographical Society Award for Four-Year College Outstanding Senior Geographers!
October 2019
Sonia Morales (M.A. in G&ES) was selected as one of the recipients for the competitive 2019-2020 Illinois Geographical Society (IGS) Research Grant Award. Congratulations! She is working on a research project entitled "Analyzing Informal Settlements in The Periphery Of Latin-American Cities Using Remote Sensing."
August 2019
Congratulations to the G&ES Students who made the Dean's List for Spring 2019!
- James Dendor
- Destinie Green
- Joe Jurado
- Dayna Matusek
- Christopher Mikos
- Kellie Miller
- Emerys Murray
- Marilyn Pianko
- Paul Robinson
- Nina Tilley
May 2019
Congratulations to the G&ES students who made the Dean's List for Fall 2018!
- James Dendor
- Valerie Fedoruk
- Brian Garoutte
- Destinie Green
- Joe Jurado
- Cathryn Miller
- Kellie Miller
- Paul Robinson
- Patrick Swenie
- Nina Tilley
April 2019
Three G&ES students presented their research at AAG 2019 in Washington, D.C.
Ashley Baber (Graduate GIS Certificate) - "Growing labor market precarity: an exploratory investigation of the uneven development of contingent labor in the United States"
Geoff Brown (M.A. in G&ES) - "The truth is out where? Rurality and heterotopia in two decades of UFO sighting reports"
Troy Brundidge (M.A. in G&ES) - "A capacious historicism of NFIP risk modeling: Exploring themes of monism to negotiate dualistic critical perspectives of hazard risk finance"
March 2019
Sean Larsen, Andrew Crane, and Steven Hertel
Team G&ES participated in a 3-on-3 basketball tournament at the Physical Education Complex on March 13. The team made the finals after many grueling rounds of competitive play with the best that Northeastern has to offer in the co-ed competitive sports arena. Sean Larsen, Andrew Crane and Steven Hertel competed with style and substance, sportsmanship, and humor while proceeding through the matches.
January 2019
Neha Rao
Neha Rao, current M.A. in Geography and Environmental Studies and Graduate GIS Certificate student, is a GIS intern for the Research and Analysis Team at The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), the region's comprehensive planning organization. The internship deals in a variety of GIS-based data development activities to support long-range population forecasting work at CMAP.
October 2018
Steven Hertel
Steven Hertel, current B.A. in Environmental Studies, is doing an internship at the not-for-profit, educational, urban, organic farm! "The Talking Farm has been working my body and brain over the last six weeks. The internship has been very broad in scope with all the duties that need to be completed at a high functioning working farm and non-profit." At 3669 Howard Street just three miles due north of the Main Campus, The Talking Farm is located on Skokie Park District land. Drop in for a tour if you have time.
Aqsa Junagadhwala
Aqsa Junagadhwala, current Graduate GIS Certificate student, is a GIS fellow with the National Audubon Society where she supports bird conservation projects across the U.S., with a special focus around the Great Lakes region.
September 2018
Monica Zakariya
Monica Zakariya, current M.A. in GES with B.A. in Geography, is interning at the Field Museum under supervision of Dr. Mario Longoni and Dr. Tomomi Suwa, in order to create field guides dispensed among conservationists. She is also assisting with climatic projects that include organizations such as Chicago Wilderness. Her journey with these internships started with her summer internship, The Urban Ecology Field Lab. This entailed utilizing field methods of research within ethnography, soil infiltration, and pollination on remnant and restored prairies.
Robert Senow
Robert Senow, current M.A. in GES, with B.A. in Geography & History and Graduate GIS Certificate, has completed a summer internship for the Department of Energy at Argonne National Laboratory. Senow assisted in research and created a variety of GIS-related maps in both 2D and 3D. The project focused on studying the relationship between bee pollinator population and existing solar power facilities across the United States.
September 2017
Hannah O'Sullivan
O'Sullivan, current B.A. in Environmental Studies student, earned her interpretation certificate from the National Association for Interpretation on September 29, 2017, and is now a Certified Interpretive Guide.
July 2017
Leia Ui Dhalaigh
Ui Dhalaigh, minoring in Environmental Studies, is working as a mammalogy research assistant at the Field Museum of Natural History.
May 2017
Troy Brundidge
Brundidge, current M.A. in G&ES student, received an internship with the American Planning Association.
Destinie Green
Green, current B.A. in Geography and GIS minor student, is Intern at Washtenaw County Public Health Department and has been accepted into the Future Public Health Leaders Program at the University of Michigan.
April 2017
Nicole Thomas
Thomas, current M.A. in G&ES student, presented at the University's 25th Annual Student Research & Creative Activities Symposium. Her research was titled, "Spatiotemporal Analysis of the Physical and Social Structures in Chicago: The Recent Urban Dynamics."
Russell Injerd
Injerd, current B.A. in Geography student, presented at the University's 25th Annual Student Research & Creative Activities Symposium. His research was titled, "GIS for Pre-Flood Inundation Mapping of Unprotected Communities on the Mississippi River."
March 2017
Elizabeth (Beth) Arthur
Arthur worked in a 2013 internship with the Chicago Transit Authority's Real Estate Planning Department, using GIS to inventory car parking parcels beneath el lines. Now she is full time Records Coordinator for the CTA's Engineering Department.
Marcin Dabrowski
Dabrowski is working at NavTech.
Daniel Dempsey
Dempsey is Adjunct Lecturer in Geographic Sciences at the College of the Redwoods in Northern California. He also works for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Joel Flax-Hatch
Flax-Hatch is Resource Manager at Cook County Forest Preserves.
Samniqueka Halsey
Halsey, Biologist and former GIS Certificate student, is now working on a Ph.D. in Ecology, is also a Research Assistant doing GIS for the Morton Arboretum.
Michael Senft
Senft, current B.A. in Environmental Studies student, successfully secured an internship in the country of Belize.
Nicole Thomas
Thomas, current M.A. in G&ES student, has been awarded the Graduate Dean's Research and Creative Activities Assistantships for the 2016-17 academic year from the College of Graduate Studies and Research and the Research and Creative Activities Advisory Group at NEIU.
