"The ESRGC was a great opportunity to get real experience, starting as an intern then staying on for 2 years as a technician."
Name:
Anthony DiBartolo
Graduation date / School:
University of Maryland, Environmental Science Bachelor's - 2015.
Salisbury University, GIS Management Master's - 2018.
Hometown:
Salisbury
When did you first use GIS?:
I briefly used GIS in a design course during my Senior year at UMD. I then took an intro to GIS course at Salisbury in the Spring of 2016, then started the Master's of GIS Management Program that Summer.
What is something you wish everyone knew about GIS?:
Just how common it is in many things people use daily.
What interested you in working with the ESRGC?:
I was about halfway through the GISM program living in Salisbury, and hadn't worked in GIS yet professionally. The ESRGC was a great opportunity to get real experience, starting as an intern then staying on for 2 years as a technician.
What project(s) did you work on at ESRGC?:
A lot of my time was spent on utility digitization projects, mapping stormwater and other utilities. I also completed a shoreline erosion study for Dorchester County, as well as helped to create an economic dashboard for the Delmarva Index project. There were many other smaller projects as well.
Where are you working now? And what are you working on?:
I am currently working at the Maryland Environmental Service, having started there about 3 months ago. My duties are related to helping the State Highway Administration maintain and update their One Maryland One Centerline data using the ESRI Roads and Highways extension.
How has working with ESRGC prepared you for your current position?:
From the big picture, my day to day tasks have a good amount in common with the utility digitization work I was doing at the ESRGC. They are both basically collaborating to work on a very large dataset with a team in chunks over a long period of time, and they both are about consulting given outside information to create features in a consistent and connected way.
Have you gone to any GIS conferences? How did they go?:
I attended the virtual Towson University GIS Conference this August. It was interesting, being virtual due to COVID. Having also attended TUGIS 2018, I thought it went about as smoothly as usual.
Dream job? (doesn’t have to be GIS/ESRGC related):
My main goal is to learn some more on the programming side of things and eventually be able to branch out more as a GIS Developer. For a dream job, I'd like to be eventually using those skills to creatively analyze and address environmental problems.
What do you like to do in your spare time?:
I like to jog a good amount in my free time, on the road and on some nearby trails.
The Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative (ESRGC) at Salisbury University quarterly features a current or former intern for our Intern Spotlight. The ESRGC provides geographic information system (GIS) technology, data, technical support, and training to governments, businesses, and non-profit organizations in Maryland and across the Mid-Atlantic. Since launching in 2004, the ESRGC has provided valuable paid internships to hundreds of Salisbury University students, allowing them to learn real-world skills that prepare them for a direct transition to the workforce. ESRGC internships range from analyzing databases for local governments to field verifying broadband access in rural areas, and everything in between. For more information on how your organization could leverage the advantage of this inexpensive, highly-motivated, technical GIS intern, or how to apply for an internship, please contact Lauren McDermott at ldmcdermott@salisbury.edu.