Why I Love Geography

I’ve been working in geography field since 2009 and it has provided me the opportunity to work on a variety of projects in different capacities across both the private and public sector. Design, data visualization, statistics, analysis, processing, web UI, cloud infrastructure, and project management are roles I have played while working in my “geo-centric” career. Geography is an interdisciplinary field which touches all aspects of the world and provides a diverse set opportunities. When I say “I’m a Geographer”, people equate it to a class they took in high school or just points on map, but it’s so much more.

From its ancient roots to understand the world to the pioneering geographic analysis by the likes of John Snow, not that Jon Snow, and W.E.B. Du Bois, geography is only just getting started. The rise of autonomous vehicles, drones, small satellites, IoT, open data, and open source software are proliferating the collection, analysis, distribution, and appreciation of all things spatial. As governments, businesses, and individuals continue to collect and interact with more and more location data, geography will become a more integral part of our society and economy. The outlook for interpreting this information and building the future looks bright. It’s so far beyond just points on a map… And that’s why I love geography.