About Me | GISwienton

My path in Geographic Information Sciences at Texas A&M University has

led me to a myriad of opportunities. Whether it be in participating in the oil and

gas industry or conducting academic research, I have yet to find a field where GIS is

not valuable. Throughout coursework and experience, I have found a special niche in cartography.

This as well as my passion for the arts allows me to transform what is understood with logic into creative

visualizations that inspire a new perspective and understanding of the dynamic world around us. I believe there is great value in being able to communicate large concepts with creative visual designs such as maps, infographics, diagrams, charts and much more.

I consider myself a creative person. When I am not studying, I enjoy painting with acrylics or experimenting with pastels, and I love playing the piano. I also practice boxing and crocheting as a way to keep busy. Born and raised in Texas, I appreciate family-style barbecue and the occasional night out two-stepping with friends.

I originally found my way to studying geosciences through an Intro to Geology course, when I was absolutely captivated by the chapter on soils in my textbook; following my graduation in December 2018, I achieved a minor in Geology. In addition to a deep appreciation for earth systems and geologic processes (as seen here), my international travels have also given me diverse cultural experiences. Having awareness and passion for both the earth and the people in it gives me a unique point of view of what and who we are mapping.

The world is constantly changing, and studying GIS helps me to tackle new challenges with a spatial perspective,

while creating a keen skill set for critical and creative problem solving.

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Graduate student. Cartographer. Published researcher.

Heather

Anne

Swienton

Reseach Gate

CV PDF

ORCID

What am I up to currently? In March 2021, my undergraduate research on tornado outbreaks was published in the Professional Geographer journal. As of December 2021, I graduated with my Master's degree in Geography at Texas State University and am continuing here for a PhD in Geography as of January 2022!

What's next? Continue progress on my PhD in Geography, expanding on thesis research related to cartographic design and children's mapping. My current aspiration is to stay in academia and become a Professor of Geography with a focus in Cartography.

Texas A&M University

Jan 2019 - June 2019

ConocoPhillips

Summer 2018

Post-Graduate Researcher

Conducted geoscience research with a focus on paper writing and publishing. Projects include: personal research, data visualization, analysis of GeoJobs in today's industry, and more.

Land GIS Analyst Intern

Summer internship at company headquarters in Houston, Texas. Expanded core knowledge of oil and gas lease and land skills with a spatial analysis perspective. Collaborated across multiple departments to ensure shared vision of projects such as designing enterprise-wide webmaps utilizing ArcMap and web servers.

Texas State University

Aug 2019 - Present

Graduate Assistant

Funded graduate teaching assistantship with responsibility to conduct undergraduate labs in Historical Geology and Maps and Mapmaking. I also serve as the PhD Vice President of the Graduate Forum, as well as a committee member of the student-run Geography Student Research Symposium.

Education & Experience

Texas State University

Jan 2022 - Present

Texas State University

Aug 2019 - Dec 2021

Texas A&M University

Aug 2014 - Dec 2018

Doctor of Philosophy 4.00 GPA

Geography, focus in Cartography

Graduate Assistantship

Master of Science 4.00 GPA

Geography, focus in Cartography

Graduate Assistantship

Bachelor of Science 3.68 GPA CUM LAUDE

Geographic Information Sciences & Technology,

concentration in Earth Systems Analysis

Minor in Geology

CyberHealthGIS REU

Summer 2017

Perot Museum of Nature and Science

Summer 2016

Research Experience for Undergraduates

Multidisciplinary research program at Texas A&M University in the fields of computer science, public health and GIS. Abstract was accepted at the IPRED V Conference in Tel Aviv, Israel for an oral presentation that took place in January 2018.

Exhibits Department Intern

Summer internship in Dallas, Texas. Collaborated with multiple museum departments to identify and resolve exhibit issues, and evaluated museum design and functionality to enhance visitor enjoyment.