Geographers without Borders

Shannon earned her BS in Geology from Michigan Technological University and her PhD from the University at Buffalo, with a focus in physical volcanology. She’s a professor and department chair in the Department of Geosciences at Idaho State University, where she likes to claim that her research is like professional grade “the floor is lava” thanks to her work on volcanic analogs. She brags that ca...

Pratikshya is originally from Jaljala, a remote village in Nepal. Her journey in geospatial science began with an undergraduate degree in Geomatics Engineering from Kathmandu University, followed by a master’s degree in Geospatial Systems Engineering from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. She is currently a PhD candidate in Geospatial Analytics at North Carolina State University. Her resear...

Michelle combines passion and experience in public health, climate change, community development, food systems, and policy. her niche is in quantitative methods and urban data science, including GIS and machine learning/Artificial Intelligence applications. Her research interests are in health and the built environment, food systems, applied epidemiology for public policy, climate resiliency, comm...

Gabrielle Capone is a senior a the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign studying Geography and GIS, with minors in Computer and Political Science. She channels her passion for global issues into action by leading Illinois YouthMappers and the Geographical Honors Society. Caroline Petersen is a student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville pursuing a major in Geospatial Information Science a...

Dr. Alameh is an award-winning industry-recognized geospatial leader and visionary withproven business building and scaling experience in industry and nonprofits. She focuses in bridging technology and policy at a national and global scale. She has an extensive global network across industry, government, academia, and non profit sectors, spanning geospatial, earth observations, data science, AI, a...

Danielle is the Director at the Center for GeospatialScience and Technology at California State University- Northridge, and the founder of Women in GIS. Danielle is GIS leader and professional with more than 25 years experience in the field. Early in her career Danielle noticed that there weren’t much resources for women in the field, and found herself at a conference with a group of women who wer...

In our third episode of the Award Series, I speak with Devika Jain, the recipient of the Distinguished Contributions Award from Women in GIS for 2025. Devika tells me about why she came to GIS and how her interest in systems to address real world problems drove her pursuit of knowledge in the geospatial realm. We also discuss her work applying Machine Learning to millions of tweets and what the da...

Kris Manske is an emerging GIS Professional, with extensive experience in data management and communications. She discusses with us the challenges faced when laid off from a job, how jiu jitsu has helped her job hunt, and what advice she has for those who might be interested in changing their career trajectory.

In our second episode of the Award Series, I speak with Dolphine Mogina and Hannah Permaul Flores, who were both selected for the Young Professionals Award from Women in GIS in 2025. Together we discuss Hannah's lifelong fascination with maps and how Dolphine's grandmother affected her decision to pursue GIS as a tool. We also talk about tools they use to share their results, the impact of...

In this special episode I am speaking with Rakhat Zhanuzakova and Siqin 'Sisi' Wang, recipients of grants for their geospatial work from Women in GIS in 2025. Rakhats work focuses on using GIS to help rural communities make decisions and to measure the effectiveness of projects and their implementation. Sisi's work focuses on leveraging AI in rural communities in Tanzania to teach GIS...

Veronica Nixon, GISP, is a GIS professional in Phoenix, Arizona, whose work sits at the intersection of Geographic InformationScience, citizen science, and human-centered tech innovation. She holds a Master’s degree in Geography from the University of Iowa, where she focused on qualitative spatio-temporal reasoning. As a grad student craving practical applications, she once described her GIScience...

Dr. Golnaz Badr is a GIS & Data Systems Specialist withover 15 years of experience spanning geospatial analytics, smart mobility, environmental modeling, and enterprise data solutions. She currently supports statewide geospatial systems and data modernization efforts at the WashingtonState Department of Transportation (WSDOT), where she applies her expertise in GIS, remote sensing, and data an...

Olivia (Hughes) Morris, GISP, is a GIS Developer and GISS at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. She specializes in environmental GIS and volunteers as a responder to wildland fire emergencies with the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. Olivia has a Bachelors of Science in Biology with a Chemistry minor from Washington College, and a Certificate of Data Science and Visualizati...

Aisha Jenkins, PMP, CTT is a tech equity consultant, specializing in GIS & Digital Strategy, Academic and Workforce development, podcasting, and more. Aisha is guided by a need to be part of the solution, rather than stay comfortable or silent. GIS has been her tool for truth-telling, innovation, and equity. Aisha believes when we center Black and marginalized voices, we open the door for true...

Mamata is Head of Cartography at Felt. With over 15 yearsin the geosciences, Mamata has experience in cartographic systems, design, developing cartographic tools and products, and started her career in basemaps, and transitioned into thematic cartography and building cartographic thinking into tools. You may have seen her work if you’ve used ESRI’s dark basemaps or are familiar with the web maps p...

Catherine DuBreck, GISP, is an experienced change designer, facilitator, manager, and guru. She has a passion for GIS and it’s more people-y as a board member, teacher, volunteer, author, and consultant. Catherine is especially devoted to connecting with young people through teaching, presenting at conferences, and sharing her story. As a GIS change manager for TRC Companies, Catherine helps clien...

Raquel’s unique blend of strategic marketing, community engagement, and commitment to servant leadership makes her a standout in the GIS and geospatial field with a passion for elevating the next generation in GIS. Raquel Pérez is a marketing leader with over 13 years at Esri, where she currently serves as Senior Industry Marketing Manager for the National Government - developing high-impact marke...

Join us to talk with Women in GIS outgoing President Sam Dinning about what WiGIS accomplished in 2024 and what's in store for 2025!

Jami Dennis has over thirty years of experience in GIS, socio-economic research, data analytics, and data visualization. She has been a GISP for 20 years and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the GIS Certification Institute. She has worked in both state and regional government. She now owns her own small consulting firm where she works on GIS, data analysis, and data visualization pro...

Dr. Sapana Lohani is a geospatial data scientist at the Institute for Integrative Conservation at the College of William and Mary. Sapana started her work in Nepal, helping to publish The Earth Preservation, and supported the Asia Pacific Mountain Network through engaging content generation. Sapana’s current endeavors have led her to connect with local elementary schools to help young students and...

Claire is an OG photogrammetrist, passionate about geospatial technology and digital mapping. She founded KAPPA Mapping in 2003, and currently leads CornerstoneEnergy Services to new markets with her expertise and breadth of knowledge and skills. Claire is an American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing certified photogrammetrist, which is taking photographs and very precise measurements...

Carley has more than 15 years experience in the geosciences and specializes in emergency management. She leads the management of a county-wide enterprise GIS system, providing crucial support during emergencies such as Hurricane Dorian (2019), the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurricane Ian (2022), Hurricane Nicole (2022), and most recently Hurricane Milton. Carley facilitates important information dissemina...

Carley has more than 15 years experience in the geosciences and specializes in emergency management. She leads the management of a county-wide enterprise GIS system, providing crucial support during emergencies such as Hurricane Dorian (2019), the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurricane Ian (2022), Hurricane Nicole (2022), and most recently Hurricane Milton. Carley facilitates important information dissemina...

Kat James is the founder of Four Hundred Feet, a social enterprise that helps individuals and organizations leverage drone technology to amplify impact in the global health, environmental, and humanitarian sectors through consulting, one-on-one coaching, and educational resources. As a consultant, she helps organizations navigate the local regulatory environment, identify technical solutions and p...

Jazzmen is an experienced GIS Technician and geospatial podcast host who can attest to the winding path that GIS sometimes takes in our lives. Jazzmen came to the geospatial world nearly by accident and once she realized she found her niche, she pushed full steam ahead! Jazzmen specializes in electric utilities and is passionate about the geospatial community and connecting through storytelling. J...