Alumna Christine Gangl - MSc Geo-information Science

Education

My first encounter with Geo-information I had with my studies at the University of Applied Sciences in Germany. During those three years, I specialised in Geo-information and Public Works which included subjects such as Geo-information, Land Surveying, Remote Sensing, Statistics and Business Sciences. My dissertation was on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for spatial data acquisition on which I worked closely together with a commercial GIS (Geo-information Science) company. After doing my Bachelor I wanted to expand my experience on a more international level without narrowing down on one particular subject. So I came across the master Geo-information Science at the University of Wageningen. I chose this master programme because of its variety of courses in the Geo-information and Remote Sensing field and the additional opportunity to obtain a Minor degree, which I did in Land Degradation and Development. This gave me the chance to meet like-minded people in two different programmes and gain knowledge in a variety of subjects.

I really enjoyed the international atmosphere at the University and joined during my second year the board of an international student organisation. This gave me the chance to experience the full diversity of students and their research fields at University of Wageningen.The last leg of my Masters degree was an internship in San Diego, USA. I spent four months working for an NGO focusing on climate change and renewable energy potential. I did a project focusing on researching and mapping the renewable energy potential of Russia. For this I used material freely available from research institutes and universities and open source GIS tools. I enjoyed applying my knowledge in a different field of expertise and get to experience how diverse the fields are in which GIS can be used. 

Job

After the master I got my first job as a GIS Analyst in a startup company in Scotland. In this small-sized setting I supported the project management process of several projects including a data driven subsidence model for planning future mining activities and developing a Geospatial Viewer for the water sector; an interactive, browser based map to make day by day tasks such as planning or investigating incidents easier to accomplish. It was very helpful that during Geo-information Science we worked on various projects in different group settings, this way I was able to adapt to different situations and positions very quickly. The use of various GIS tools during Geo-information Science made it stress-free to adapt to different open source and commercial tools we used in the projects.

My current job I started beginning of this year. I am now working as a Data Analyst in the operations department of a multi-channel communication company. Due to the wide area covered during my studies, it was easy to adapt to a new field and I am focusing now on the analysis of performance; considering different variables that influence it. For the analysis I use statistical methods learned and applied throughout my education. The results will support the production department in its day to day work. MGI provided me with extensive experience working on team based projects in various fields. This multicultural study and work experience combined with an international atmosphere, provides me with a diversity of working opportunities.

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