Amy Nelson
GISDE/M.A. '02
 
1. Please describe your present professional position? Please include the URL of your organization.
 
I am the GIS Manager at the US Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
 
The URL of my agency is www.phmsa.dot.gov.
The URL of the GIS-enabled website I manage is www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov.
 
2. What do you find satisfying about your position?
 
I enjoy several things:
 
The feeling that I am helping to improve public safety with respect to pipelines. The ArcIMS website I manage contains the locations of all transmission hazardous liquid and gas pipelines in the U.S. The data is used by first responders to plan evacuation strategies, and is used by pipeline operators to formulate protection strategies for environmentally sensitive areas close to their pipelines.
 
I have a pretty large degree of freedom in my work. I research new innovations in GIS and can build them into my project.
 
I do a large variety of tasks, and the variety keeps things interesting.
 
I enjoy the benefits of working for the federal government.
 
3. How did the GISDE program at Clark University help to prepare you?
 
Having a degree from Clark has opened some doors for me. I liked the variety of courses and the different facets of GIS that we were exposed to.
 
4. Why should prospective students enroll in the GISDE program at Clark University?

Clark's program is the right program for people who are interested in pursuing GIS for an environmental or development organization. The personal attention is excellent.
 
5. What was the topic of your research while at Clark University?
 
Evaluating the effectiveness of environmental laws with GIS.