Tyler is a senior studying geography and environmental planning with a geospatial information systems minor at Towson University, where he also works for the Center for GIS (CGIS). Tyler provides assistance to CGIS by collaborating with the State Highway Administration to update Maryland Department of Transportation’s online applications. “I have learned many marketable skills while working alongside the employees of CGIS, but the biggest thing I’ve learned is how effective collaboration between a team can make projects go much smoother. An effective team allows for a friendly work environment and increased productivity which ultimately produces a much higher quality of work,” said Tyler.

CGIS works with the government, business, and non-profit sectors across the state. They work to provide accessible GIS technology, as well as geospatial data development and analysis, application design and development, and GIS training to promote a vibrant GIS community. Throughout his time with CGIS, Tyler has worked on various projects, many of which he considers rewarding. “The most rewarding project I have worked on is updating TU’s floor plans for the buildings on campus. These updates serve administrative purposes for scheduling and room availability as well as emergency management for fire safety, active shooter scenarios, and overall wellbeing of Towson University students, staff, and guests,” said Tyler.

Tyler’s advice for other students looking to gain real-world experience during college? “Building a network within this field is essential to success. Having various outlets that you can depend on makes your daily life much easier. Upon building this network, it is important to remember individual strengths. These different strengths will help you down the road when looking for troubleshooting advice, data sets, or simply field expertise.”

After graduating, Tyler will begin working for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. He will be moving to Virginia and is looking forward to making the transition from full-time student to full-time employee.

Fun Stuff about Tyler

  • What are two apps you can’t live without? The ones I use most are Groupme and Apple music. I use Groupme to talk to different friends groups. I can’t go through the day without listening to music.
  • If your life was a movie, what would the theme song be? Don’t Stop Believing by Journey
  • What would your superhero power be? If I could pick a superpower it would be super speed because it would make my daily life so much more convenient.
  • What is a fun fact most people don’t know about you? I really enjoy being involved with the community. I enjoy giving back to the communities that I am a part of, to include Towson University and my hometown. I strive to always make time for community involvement.