Andrew Alspach
(GISDE/M.A. '99)

1. Please describe your present professional position? Please include the URL of your organization.
 
I currently work as an Information Management Officer with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA – www.ochaonline.un.org) in Nairobi, Kenya.
 
2. What do you find satisfying about your position?

This position allows me to apply the skills I learned at Clark to a field that is slightly different from traditional GIS/ID applications. In the last 5 years the Humanitarian field has recognized the need for GIS and Information Management systems that bridge the gap from emergency relief to reconstruction and finally to development. It has been a pleasure to be involved in this field as it develops.
 
3. How did the program at Clark University help to prepare you?

The faculty at Clark opened my eyes to the potential opportunities and applications of GIS to development and relief work. I was able to gain the technical skills needed to work in this field while learning tangible applications of the technology. This was the key to the success of the program because technology for technology’s sake does not solve problems or get information into the hands of decision-makers.
 
4. Why should prospective students enroll in the program at Clark University?

Clark University is known world-wide for the quality and preparedness of their graduates.
 
5. Did you have an internship as part of your Clark education? If so, how did it help to connect you to your current career?
 
I worked with Clark Labs and the IDRISI project, which reinforced the technical skills that I was learning in classes. The technical underpinnings of my work have always made me more marketable in the workforce. This, combined with a non-technical vision of what the technology can do for an organization, is the most attractive skill-set that current employers are looking for in applicants.
 
6. What was the topic of your research while at Clark University?

Participatory GIS and its Application to Small-Scale Development Projects
 
7. Is there anything else you would like to add?
 
The student dynamics in my program provide me with long lasting friendships as well as technical colleagues in the field.