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- 2023 Archives
- Scientists dig deep and find a way to accurately predict snowmelt after droughts
- Cracking the Case of Missing Snowmelt After Drought
- 2023 Esri Canada GIS Scholarship for SFU
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Daniel Murphy
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Kyle Kusack
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Matthew Taylor
- Anke Baker Wins Staff Achievement Award
- Spring 2023 Virtual Geospeaker Event with Ginger Gosnell-Myers
- CAG Paper Presentation Award - Congratulations to Alysha van Duynhoven!
- Informing & Engaging Urban Youth on Public Hearings: GEOG 363 Final Showcase
- Research Talk: Modeling Urban Wetland Complexities
- Highlight Paper: Quantifying land carbon cycle feedbacks under negative CO2 emissions
- Bright Addae winner of the 2023 SFU ECCE GIS Scholarship Award
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Jonny Cripps
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Diandra Oliver
- 2023 Geospeaker Presentation with Dr. Pauline McGuirk
- Congratulations to Our Graduates - October 2023
- Evaluating the impact of educational goals at SFU
- The Belongings of Precariously Housed People - A Report
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Takuma Mihara
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Adrienne Arbor
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Claire Shapton
- 2023 Distinguished Speaker Presentation with Dr. Deb Cowen
- Cheers to Paul Degrace and his well-earned retirement!
- 2024 Archives
- Professor Nicholas Blomley Honored with the Community-Engaged Research Achievement Award
- Graduate Students Claire Shapton and Marina Chavez Honored with the Community-Engaged Graduate Scholar Award
- Applications now open: 2024 ESRI Canada GIS Scholarship for SFU
- Associate Professor Rosemary Collard achieves 13th place on SFU Altmetric List
- The PEAK feature: GSU hosts inaugural RANGE conference
- Gabrielle Wong wins First Prize in 2023 Student Learning Commons Writing Contest
- Gabrielle Wong receives Warren Gill Memorial Award
- Professor Nick Blomley receives Warren Gill Memorial Award for Community Impact
- Geography Student Union recipient of the FENV 2024 Changemaker Awards
- Senior Lecturer Tara Holland reveals the secret sauce of great teaching
- Senior Lecturer Tara Holland Receives SFU 2023 Excellence in Teaching Award
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Bright Addae
- GIS undergraduate students participate in the Canada-wide 2024 AppChallenge competition
- Senior Lecturer Andrew Perkins Receives SFU 2024 Dean's Award of Excellence in Teaching
- Congratulations to Alysha van Duynhoven, Canada's 2024 ESRI Young Scholar
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Robert Ehlert
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Stephan Nieweler
- Eugene McCann writes on "livable cities" in The Tyee
- Tiana Andjelic wins the 2024 SFU ECCE GIS Scholarship Award
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Marina Chavez
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Mia Fitzpatrick
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Lan Qing Zhao
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Tyler Cole
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Benjamin Lartey
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Olivia Nieves
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Max Hurson
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to John Sykes
- Farewell to Robert "Bob" Horsfall, Associate Professor
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to André Araújo
- SFU Geography welcomes ethnobotanist, Leigh Joseph, as professor of Indigenous geographies
- Physical Geography September: What is Physical Geography?
- Alysha Van Duynhoven communicates award-winning research at international GIS conference
- How Dr. Tracy Brennand’s visionary leadership shaped the Department of Geography - a heartfelt thank-you
- Dr. Tracy Brennand honoured with the Canadian Association of Geographers (CAG) Award
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Jay Matsushiba
- Human Geography October: What is Human Geography?
- MA Student Joy Russell featured on CBC Vancouver
- Human Geography October: What is Urban Worlds?
- Ajay Minhas Receives 2024 Warren Gill Award
- Dr. Nadine Schuurman featured in SFU news article on Runnability
- GIS Month: What is Geographic Information Science (GIS)?
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Joy Russell
- Hallway Screens Slides
- 2023 Archives
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Mapping & Geomatics Technicians
Position Overview/Description
Mapping & Geomatics Technicians use spatial data to produce maps, process and analyze images and identify geospatial features. Using a variety of different software platforms (GIS, CAD, GPS, etc.) they produce and transform spatial data into a more easily understandable format and help others to interpret its meaning. Much of the work done by Mapping & Geomatics Technicians takes place in an office setting and involves the use of a computer to manipulate and visualize data. Depending on the position, they may also take part in field work, client meetings and/or primary data collection using surveys, aerial images, remote sensing, and/or global satellite systems, etc.. Professionals in this field work in a variety of government, private and non-profit settings. They typically have educational background in Geography (or a related area) and experience with a variety of mapping, remote sensing and data analysis-related software platforms.
Education, Skills & Experience
As part of his undergraduate degree in Geography, Cory developed a solid understanding of GIS and remote sensing, learned how to identify geographical features and landforms and had the opportunity to work with several different GIS and remote sensing platforms. He gained real-world experience by participating in three, 8-month Co-op placements which contributed to his ability to communicate effectively and provided opportunities to gain additional technical skills, trouble shoot problems, and build experience in the field. After working in the field for a few years, Cory took additional training in GIS to further refine his remote sensing skills.
A Day in the Life
It's November 2021. The Fraser Valley has just been hit by what climatologists are calling an "Atmospheric River", a series of concentrated storm events which have led to torrential downpours in parts of southwestern BC and northern Washington. The storms have caused widespread flooding, wiping out roads, submerging farmland and causing massive destruction of property within the affected area. In the aftermath of this event, the BC Government has asked Terra Remote Sensing, the company for which Cory Cheung works as a Geomatics Mapping Technician, to conduct aerial surveys of impacted towns and infrastructure.
Back in the office, Cory is working to organize aerial surveying of a flooded section of Highway 1 stretching between Hope and Spences Bridge (140km). Over the next several days, he will compile the resulting photos into a list and then process the colours and tie points in order to create a seamless 3D visualization of the area. With this visualization, Cory is able to provide an extremely accurate picture of the impacted landscape and infrastructure along this area of highway. This visualization will then be provided to the provincial government in order to guide its response and rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of the flooding in this area.
A Typical Day
During a typical day, Cory spends much of his time in the office. His role is quite technical in nature and involves working with and manipulating a variety of remote sensing data. In order to use the data, it first needs to be processed, so Cory works on calibrating the data and correcting distortion in the images. He will then use the data to create digital maps, models and 3D visualizations, which can be used to plan and implement practical solutions to environmental problems like rebuilding infrastructure in the wake of a natural disaster, managing forest resources and utility assets, and monitoring the health of agricultural crops, etc.
Throughout the day, Cory interacts with clients and colleagues in other areas (such as field crews and project managers) to obtain, process, and deliver the data, while troubleshooting any issues along the way. He uses his technical communication and interpersonal skills to help others understand and intrepret the information within his visualizations and uses his organizational and multitasking skills to keep projects running smoothly and on time.