GSS SPOTLIGHT!
JASON HALL
What is your education and/or professional background?
After graduating from Rushford-Peterson H.S., I attended Rochester Community and Technical College where I played football and earned my Associates of Sciences degree. After deciding on a business major, I transferred to Winona State University where I earned my B.S. in business administration. Soon after graduating, I relocated to the Twin Cities to work in the pharmacy at the Veterans Affairs Hospital located in Minneapolis. While working there I began looking at master’s programs and eventually settled on Saint Mary’s GIS program. Originally seeking the certificate, my interest grew into pursuit of the master’s degree.
What led you to GIS? More specifically, how did you get to Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (SMUMN)?
My journey to Saint Mary’s DIGA program was a combination of many variables. Growing up in Rushford, the local universities gained many of my peers as students (my sister is a recent graduate of SMUMN’s Ed.D. program). While attending both high school and college I would spend most of my free time outdoors. After researching programs and consulting friends and family, I touched down at Saint Mary’s University.
Explain briefly a project at GSS you've done that contributed to your overall knowledge and educational experience.
Most recently, I’ve been working on a project located in Western Alaska’s coastal region, digitizing wetland features that will be used by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. One of the more challenging aspects of mapping wetlands in Alaska is its inundation of water. I believe all of my time spent studying aerial imagery, planning trips on or near the water, from hiking miles of trout streams, navigating hundreds of miles of local rivers and lakes as well as coastal brackish and offshore waters, has aided my image interpretation of wetlands.
How do you see GIS fitting into your future?
GIS is wide-reaching and ever-evolving. It plays a part in the lives of countless people every day, probably without many of them knowing. In addition, it will be used to guide future decisions, sectors including but not limited to natural resource management, business modeling and medical breakthroughs, which will affect our quality of life for generations to come.
Where can we find you outside of GSS?
Outside of GSS, you can find me in multiple locations depending on the season. From Florida to Wisconsin, North Dakota to Colorado, and of course Minnesota; I enjoy spending time with my wife, family, and friends, which usually entails outdoor adventures exploring the myriad of sights, sounds, and tastes nature provides.