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.
Graduate student. Cartographer. Published researcher.
Heather
Anne
Swienton
What am I up to currently? Following my research presentation in Australia in May of 2019, I have started my Master's in Geography at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas in August 2019. While strengthening my skills and literacy in courses like Geovisualization, Advanced Cartographic Design and Theoretical Cartography, I am also leading the Historical Geology labs as a Graduate Assistant, as well as conducting research in the field of cartography for my thesis.
As of March 2021, my undergraduate research on tornado outbreaks was published in the Professional Geographer journal.
What's next? Begin my PhD in Geography, continuing research related to cartographic design and children's mapping.
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.
Summer 2017
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Summer 2016
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.
Education & Experience
Texas A&M University
Aug 2014 - Dec 2018
Texas State University
Aug 2019 - Dec 2021
Bachelor of Science 3.68 GPA CUM LAUDE
Geographic Information Sciences & Technology,
concentration in Earth Systems Analysis
Minor in Geology
Master of Science 4.00 GPA
Geography, focus in Cartography
Graduate Assistantship
DEVELOPING IN:
NOVICE SKILLS IN:
Essential Skills
PROFICIENT IN:
ArcGIS Suite
2.5 years of experience with ArcGIS including ArcMap, ArcScene, ArcCatalog, ArcOnline, and ArcCollector.
Microsoft Office
Proficient in PowerPoint, Excel, Access, Word, etc.
ArcGIS Pro
Building skills in ArcGIS Pro in Advanced Cartographic Design course, Spring 2020.
Adobe InDesign
Building skills in Adobe InDesign in Advanced Cartographic Design course, Spring 2020.
Adobe Illustrator
Building skills in Adobe Illustrator in Advanced Cartographic Design course, Spring 2020.
Inkscape
1 year experience with Inkscape in conjunction with ArcMap 10.5.
ENVI
Developed skills in ENVI in Remote Sensing in the Geosciences coursework.
Python
Learned basics of Python throughout Fall 2018 programming coursework.
Texas State University
Aug 2019 - May 2021
Graduate Assistant
Funded graduate teaching assistantship with responsibility to conduct undergraduate labs in Historical Geology. I also serve as a Master's Student Representative as a liaison between faculty and masters students, as well as a committee member of the student-run Geography Student Research Symposium.