Charles Gowdie

[gowdie96]

Get to know me!

My name is Charles Gowdie! I was born and raised on the small Caribbean island of Jamaica, where I first developed my interest in geography.

I am currently a final year student at the Kennesaw State University (KSU), completing a B.Sc. in Geospatial Sciences with a concentration in Land Surveying.

My tenure at KSU has afforded me numerous opportunities to explore the practical aspects of my degree, through various activities such as;

Topographical Surveying

GIS

Cadastral Surveying

Road improvement Surveying

I have been a staple on the institutions Dean’s list since Spring 2018 and the President’s list since Fall 2019.

Outside of my work at KSU, I have been a part of multiple internship teams in my field, with internship experience at both Leica Geosystems and The City of John’s Creek.

When not studying and actively engaged in my degree program, I enjoy watching and playing a good game of football (soccer), and listening to local Caribbean music.

A popular Jamaican quote that I often use as motivation is:

“Affi move wise a dat a di key, new heights dat a d pree”

Translated: One must work and act smartly and intelligently and always aim for the best.

[gowdie96]

Professional Self Reflection

What are my current practice area(s) and/or professional interests?

I am currently a geophysical project and technical support intern at a small geophysical firm in Duluth Georgia. I have professional interest in GIS, Surveying and Mapping.

Within my area(s) of practice and/or professional interests, what roles or responsibilities do I perform now?

In my current intern position, I have the following responsibilities,

·       Collecting and processing data for geophysical surveys

·       Utility locating

·       Concrete and structural evaluations

·       Environmental and archeological assessments

·       Magnetometer surveying

·       Rebound hammer tests

What external factors or trends (professional, societal, environmental) are affecting or will affect my professional practice?

The current COVID-19 pandemic has directly affected my professional practice as I am unable to conduct physical surveys and instead I’m only able to conduct indoor assignments such as GPR data processing with a limited number of individuals in office. Other non-pandemic related factors would be associated with environmental changes and variation in weather patterns in site areas.

What areas of my profession do I enjoy?

I enjoy all areas of my current internship, but I particularly enjoy working in the outdoor environment and learning how to use the geophysical equipment.

What are my current leadership responsibilities?

Due to the nature of my assignment at the firm, I have no major leadership responsibilities at this time.

What do I want my future practice area to be?

I hope to work more in the GIS field; however, I am not against staying in the current field I am in (geophysical field).

What are my professional strengths? What are my professional areas for improvement?

My strength is my willingness to learn and adapt to all aspects of my internship/career. My inexperience in the field is my biggest professional area of improvement.

What are my professional goals?

For my short term goal (1-3 years), I see myself gainfully employed in the GIS/engineering field working as a certified Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP), and gaining the necessary experience needed to become a productive member of a team. My long-term goal (3-5 years) would include me still working while seeking to complete further education (i.e. a Master’s level degree).

[gowdie96]

Research and Projects

View this information as a Word Document.

Throughout my tenure at Kennesaw State University, and my journey to a B.Sc. in Geospatial sciences, I’ve completed numerous projects, activities and discussions aimed at enhancing my knowledge on topics related to my field. A project I am most proud of is my final project for Advanced GIS class (GEOG 4405).

The project included an evaluation of crime in metro Atlanta and its relationship to household income and police presence in the specific areas. The data collected was analyzed and presented in the form of choropleth maps using Network Analyst extension. This data is open source and readily available to the public, as such I have included images of the maps presented in my original research project. These first maps show data for household income by Census tract in the Metro Atlanta Area in Georgia. To create these maps, I created a excel file with the appropriate data and using the skills I learnt from my, Introduction to GIS class (GEOG 3315), I was able to spatially join the data to my basemap, then created choropleth maps.

Map viewable at: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhmP7eqJiaYQiXYCaxtDCEjRqtNg

 This map shows the distance and routes from crime hotspots to the nearest police stations in South Fulton County. Using the skills I learnt in my Advanced GIS class, I was able to utilize the Network Analyst extension to produce this map to evaluate police presence in the area.

Map viewable at: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhmP7eqJiaYQiXWXXBa7Qh9tmGkL

  I have been fortunate to have my surveying/GIS experience enhanced by multiple internships. While interning at Leica Geosystems I was able to help with a number of projects. Two main projects were especially beneficial to my growth and competence in the field.

·       Collecting and scanning data using MS60 total station for training and data testing flow.

The image below was captured using MS60 and used for training purposes.

Scan viewable at: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhmP7eqJiaYQiXhd38pnOmeBm7Dw

·       Competition Analysis

This was work that involved comparing and mapping locations of know competitors of the company using GIS software. Due to privacy and confidentiality concerns, I am unable to share images of the maps I created for this analysis.

 During my internship at the city of Johns Creek, I completed a project that focused on the vulnerability categories of the river corridor along the Chattahoochee river. An analysis of these corridors is of vital importance to the ecosystem of Georgia as they help preserve the qualities that make a river suitable as a habitat for wildlife, act as a site for recreation, a source for clean drinking water and help control erosion and river sedimentation. To produce the maps below I georeferenced Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) certificates, created polygons of each parcel, then used the information to edit and split the polygons into their different vulnerability categories. 

Maps viewable at: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhmP7eqJiaYQiXcilhxBFgTmjvK8

 In my current internship position at Bigman Geophysical, I’ve been fortunate to be a part of numerous projects dealing with ground penetrating radar surveying, utility locating and data processing. The major project that really stands out so far was utility picking for a client in New Zealand. I identified possible utilities, compared it to the as built survey data, and ranked the possible utilities by confidence level. Due to the confidential nature of most of these projects, I am unable to share screenshots and images of the projects completed.

I have also been afforded the opportunity to complete certificate courses in structural inspection with ground penetrating radar and ground penetrating radar basics. As I edge closer to graduation and the working world, the more experience, and certifications I have on my resume the more marketable I will be, thus I jumped at this opportunity.

Certificate viewable at:

GPR Basics: https://kennesawedu-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/cgowdie_students_kennesaw_edu/EfTRv2rqDAlGorMGXm2b5isBzEs9ldEbxgntZ6eaMkygBQ?e=dJq7xb

Structural inspections using GPR: https://kennesawedu-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/cgowdie_students_kennesaw_edu/EeOcRKRgjI5FkmViI8RHxg8BSH08TWolRJ26iLZzO2M5sQ?e=aHH1tH

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Connect with me on Linkedin!

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My views on Ethics

Ethics can be defined as a system of moral principles. Guidelines to facilitate the equitable and fair treatment of individuals, data and resources. The GIS field, like most others, is one that prides itself in ensuring that information presented and collected is done so in an ethical manner.

Kerski (2020), highlights two main reasons why ethics matter in GIS, and the role of determining the authenticity of maps. The article further highlights, when the social implications for GIS began while presenting helpful links and resources that expound on the ethics in GIS.

My views on ethics greatly align to the views and opinions of Kerski (2020). As a budding geospatial science professional, I feel it is imperative to ensure that data, particularly those used in mapping, is procured and distributed in an ethical manner.

My personal code of ethics is aimed at ensuring my data was collected in a manner that was not harmful to the environment in anyway, and that said data is not offensive or detrimental to individuals.

Below is a list of some key ways I hope to ensure my work in the GIS field is ethical:

·      I aim to ensure there is no bias in my symbols while creating maps.

·       I strive to ensure my work is free of plagiarism, and all sources are cited and accurate.

·      I aim for my work to be free of any intent to deceive and completed in a manner that is representative and appreciative of varying backgrounds and cultures.

GIS mapping and other such activities must also be completed in a manner that allows for appropriate replication by others in the field, as that also plays a role in ensuring the work completed can be considered ethical.  

 Kerski, J. (2020). An introduction to Ethics in GIS. Retrieved 12 November 2020, from https://spatialreserves.wordpress.com/2019/11/10/an-introduction-to-ethics-in-gis/