GSS SPOTLIGHT!
MICHELE REMER
What is your education and/or professional background?
I am a senior Environmental Biology major with minors in Psychology and Zoology. I worked as a park ranger at Turtle River State Park in Arvilla, North Dakota for a summer and was a science intern at SMUMN the following summer. This past summer was my first at GSS. Currently, I am continuing working at GSS and am also a tutor in the Writing Studio. After graduation, I will be going to Senegal to be a Forestry and Environmental Specialist in the Peace Corps.
What led you to GIS? More specifically, how did you get to Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (SMUMN) in Winona?
I first heard about Saint Mary's through basketball, as I was recruited to play here. Once I visited the campus, I fell in love with the bluffs and the views around Winona, which also fit well with my Environmental Biology major. For that E. Bio major, I needed to take GIS, so the class was my first experience with GIS, which then led me to apply to work at GSS for the summer of 2019.
Explain briefly a project at GSS you've done that contributed to your overall knowledge and educational experience.
I've been working mostly on updating the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) in Alaska throughout my time at GSS, but one other project that I've grown to enjoy is orthorectifying photographs throughout various watersheds in Alaska. This allowed me to learn some new skills and solve any problems that the software was giving me. It also allowed me to learn a bit more about how governmental projects are carried out, which will be very helpful for any state or federal government jobs that I apply for in the future.
How do you see GIS fitting into your future?
Even if I don't have a job that requires me to use GIS software, working at GSS has provided me with valuable tools for whatever trajectory I decide to take in future careers. Not only have I become a more independent worker and a better problem-solver, but I have also learned more about the flow of freshwater, where it can be found, and how to transition through software and layout updates. All of these lessons will be useful for any environmental biology or sustainability career, and also show that GSS interns are able to adapt with new technology.
Where can we find you outside of GSS?
Outside of GSS, you can find me shooting some baskets in the RAC and hopefully outside once the weather warms up. You can also catch me hiking or canoeing in the canoe that I bought at the big Wenonah Factory sale last semester, once I finally set up the canoe rack. Sadly, those are the places you can find me when I don't have homework, so most of the time I'm actually in the library or the SLC. And since I'm a bit of a book fanatic, you might find me in the library or at home reading for fun and not for a class.