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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
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- 2023 Distinguished Speaker Presentation with Dr. Deb Cowen
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- 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
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- Geography Student Union recipient of the FENV 2024 Changemaker Awards
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- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Bright Addae
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- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Marina Chavez
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- Dr. Tracy Brennand honoured with the Canadian Association of Geographers (CAG) Award
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- Human Geography October: What is Human Geography?
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- Human Geography October: What is Urban Worlds?
- Ajay Minhas Receives 2024 Warren Gill Award
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- GIS Month: What is Geographic Information Science (GIS)?
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Joy Russell
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Co-op Term: Summer 2020
1. Where did you work (Department/Organization name and location)?
I worked at the BC Ministry of Agriculture in the Resource Management Unit, located in Abbotsford, BC.
2. What was your role (what type of work did you do)? What were some of your responsibilities?
I worked as a GIS Analyst and worked with Soil Scientists, Nutrient Management Engineers and Water Engineer. My work involved developing Agriculture water demand model maps for all the provinces in BC, querying the Agriculture land use inventory database and creating web applications and dashboards for the nutrient management engineers. I also worked on the Nooksack Transboundary project in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and developed a custom map on fecal coliform contamination and a dashboard for the Environment compliance officer to assess potential sources of E.coli contamination in the watershed.
3. How did the skills/knowledge developed in the classroom apply to your job? What did you learn?
The knowledge of working with ArcGIS software was definitely an asset. I gained proficiency in working with all ESRI software, and programming, as a part of my courses at SFU. Knowledge of working with SQL and python proved really helpful in querying databases.
4. Can you share a challenge you faced in your Co-op and how you overcame it?
One challenge I faced during my co-op term was that I could not work with my teammates at the office, due to covid. Working and associating with the team remotely was quite challenging, especially when I got stuck while working on a project. There were lags in communication, but my supervisors were always cooperating and went above and beyond to assist me to the best of their capabilities.
5. What was your most memorable Co-op experience?
The most memorable Co-op experience while working with the Government was that I was given the opportunity to know and work with people beyond my Ministry. I was able to associate and build good terms with people in the Ministry of Forests as well as the Ministry of Environment. I was able to learn about their work through weekly calls, which was an asset for me.
6. What have you learned through your Co-op experience?
One key thing I learned through Co-op experience, is the importance of networking. It is essential to build contacts as much as possible. You never know when someone can come forward to help you in the future. Also, I gained valuable skills from my supervisor through their comments on my work. A key takeaway was attention to detail and writing skills along with enhanced GIS knowledge.
7. What advice do you have for future Co-op students?
My advice to future Co-op students is that Co-op placements are very essential for academic success. They look excellent on resumes and will definitely add innumerable skills on your resume before you graduate. Therefore, seize the opportunity when you can. Also, when applying for jobs, add a personalized cover letter, and tell the employer what you have to give to the job. Don't use template cover letters.