Boriana Pangelova
GISDE/M.A. '05
 
1. Please describe your present professional position? Please include the URL of your organization:

Currently, I am working as GIS Analyst / Specialist / Scientist I for Cabrera Services, Inc. in East Hartford, CT.

I support projects dealing with spatial analysis of environmental data and I produce detailed cartographic products for a diversity of projects using ArcGIS 9.1, IDRISI and AutoCAD 7.0. I am responsible for cartographic design, analyzing spatial and tabular data, managing and editing spatial data, creating maps, tables, and figures for remediation projects; performing analysis of vector and raster data using ArcGIS 9.1 or IDRISI; working with engineers and scientists to assess environmental issues; creating presentations for clients, public agencies; obtaining GIS data from multiple public and private sources; and instructing other professionals about GIS techniques.

I also provide GIS support to field technicians who conduct environmental surveys using Trimble GPS units, which creates and develops mapping techniques for systematically locating sample points within survey unit, according to MARSSIM standards for radiological characterization. I am involved in projects using GIS for environmental modeling.

2. What do you find satisfying about your position?

I like my position, because it combines my engineering and GIS background. It gives me the opportunity to develop my GIS expertise and professional skills. I am exposed to different GIS projects and I have the freedom to apply different methods, approaches and a lot of creativity. I have applied skills in the fields of Geodesy, Cartography, Remote Sensing, Spatial Analysis, Decision Science, Global Positioning Systems, Digital Image Processing, Dynamic Modeling and Geostatistics.

3. How did the GISDE program at Clark University help to prepare you?

The GISDE program at Clark University gave me practical geospatial expertise and applications knowledge, in addition to professional skills valued by the industry. The reason I was hired at Cabrera Services, Inc. as a GIS professional was because of my degree and experience from my education during the GISDE program at Clark University. (The hiring manager told me that it is well known that this is "the best program for remote sensing and GIS.")

4. Why should prospective students enroll in the GISDE program at Clark University ?

Prospective students should enroll in the GISDE program at Clark University to develop themselves as GIS professionals and achieve high results in their GIS career.

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 had an internship as a GIS Image Specialist with Winrock International. I was responsible for image interpretation and finding suitable points for creating digital elevation models of the Amazon forest. I was also responsible for layout and the matching of aerial photographs in the sequences taken, looking for missing areas using ERDAS 8.5, ArcGIS 9.0 and MS Access.

6. What was the topic of your research while at Clark University?

The topic of my thesis research was "Land Cover Change Detection and analysis in Plovdiv, Bulgaria between 1986 and 2000." My thesis advisor was John Rogan and I am very grateful for his help and excellent guidance. The knowledge that I gained from the two remote sensing classes that he taught (Advanced Remote Sensing-GEOG 382 and Landscape Ecology-GEOG 332) help me a lot in my current job.

My master thesis paper examines three remote sensing techniques to quantify and measure landcover change spatially and link these changes to other spatially referenced datasets to determine the causal factors behind deforesetation and forest cover regrowth. I presented my thesis at 2006 ASPRS Annual Conference in Reno, Nevada.