Graduate Career Profiles

Rob Hare (Class of 1991)

Manager, Hydrographic Surveys
Canadian Hydrographic Service
Institute of Ocean Sciences
P.O. Box 6000 Sidney, B.C.
CANADA V8L 4B2
http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/
Phone (250) 363-6349
Fax (250) 363-6323
HareR@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

 Rob Hare

As Manager of the Hydrographic Surveys Division for the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS), Pacific Region, I am responsible for planning all data acquisition activities in support of CHS Nautical Charts and Publications under the Canada Shipping Act. These activities include the operation of the West Coast Permanent Water Level Network and Tsunami Warning System as well as conducting modern bathymetric surveys using precise DGPS and multibeam echosounders. In addition, CHS supports the scientific requirements of the rest of Fisheries and Oceans Canada for habitat management and the research needs of other government departments.

In order to progress to management positions in the CHS, a degree is required. In addition to the degree I have obtained my Professional Engineering Registration in BC and a Canada Lands Surveyors Commission. At the technical level, my Surveying Engineering degree has helped me to take a logical approach to problem solving. At a managerial level, courses in communication studies and management of human resources have greatly helped in making presentations to senior management and in communicating with my staff, building teams and helping them to develop their careers. Continuing professional development, for example through membership in professional associations, keeps me abreast of the latest technological and administrative practices.

Mark Budgen (Class of 1997)

Technical Support Engineer
MicroSurvey Software Inc.
110-2300 Carrington Road
Westbank, B.C. Canada V4T 2N6
http://www.microsurvey.com/
Tel: 250-707-0000
Fax: 250-707-0150
E-mail: mark.budgen@microsurvey.com

Mark Budgen Since graduating from the University of Calgary in 1997, I have already had 3 different jobs. Each one unique in experience and equally exciting.

The first two years were spent in the Exploration Geophysics field undertaking very large GPS/Gravity surveys for Major Oil and Mining Companies around the world. I was involved from start to finish in designing the networks, carrying out the surveys and processing the data into useable products.

The next two years were spent in the employ of a British Columbia Land Surveyor. Again, I was involved in all aspects of the business from meeting with clients and government officials to estimating and carrying out the field work. Land Surveying is an excellent profession and one in which University of Calgary graduates excel (See Rob Tupper and Teresa Myrfield�s articles. They happen to be classmates of mine).

Presently I am employed as a Technical Support Engineer with MicroSurvey Software, Inc. This job has been extremely challenging and rewarding. I am responsible for answering any technical question (From our customers and Staff) involving the software products we design as well as our new data collectors. I am also constantly involved with our senior programmers in the development stage of the software design. I help develop the algorithms and math models for implementation in the software. This part of the job has even required pulling out my old notes from university. We presently employ 2 CO-OP students from the Geomatics program.

The Geomatics Engineering program at the University of Calgary was instrumental in preparing me for the challenges I have faced in my career choices.

Hazen Gehue (Class of 1992)

Software QA Manager
SiRF Technology Inc.
148 East Brokaw Rd
San Jose CA, 95006, USA
http://www.sirf.com/
PH: 408-467-0410
Fx: 408-467-0420
e-mail: Hazen@SiRF.com

 

Hazen GehueRecruitment
SiRF contacted me via a recruiter who had found some information regarding GPS software and some paper publications that I had done and posted on the internet ... The key points that interested them were GPS experience in both the user and development domain, software development (particularly in GPS navigation software) and publication / presentation of technical papers (communication capability). The first two skills I attribute to my studies from The Geomatics Department, the latter mainly from my operating my own business and teaching GPS related course for technical institutes (SAIT) and seminars (conferences and private industry).

SiRF activities
In the beginning I used my broad knowledge of GPS and GPS application experience to supply technical support to the sales and marketing departments in their efforts to educate customers new to GPS. In addition to this activity, I was also product manager for our evaluation kit and provided customer support for this. I was also responsible for the technical content (i.e. manuals, spec sheets) and the product road map (design improvements). Follow up support was assisting in customer product design, software integration and trouble shooting of their product. Very often, their issues were a function of our software design.

This prompted a new endeavor into analysis of our software design and functionality plus performance capability and competitive analysis. In order to accomplish this, it entailed the development and coding of many in house tools and analysis software. Additionally, there was substantial study of our embedded code. This has evolved to a very complex set of tests and evaluations that we now use as the qualification requirements for our software before we release. This includes substantial interaction with core software developers.

As the company has grown, there is additional business pressure to become certified (ISO, CMM etc) and certain process and procedures need to be defined, established and managed. I am currently the Software QA manager tasked with responsibilities of process definition for software development, test and release plus process improvement. My group is also responsible for automation of standard test suites (i.e. ALPHA ,BETA, Release test cycles) to improve efficiencies and create GPS simulator fault recover and stress testing environments.

There is also the standard ENG activities such as writing papers, participating in conferences and providing technical backup for other activities in the company.

To date, I am very satisfied with my achievements and my movement within SiRF as well as future opportunities. I attribute my success to the skills I attained in both the undergraduate and graduate program, and the experiences from running my own company for 3 years. The skills that I find that have been the most important have been:

1. understanding of GPS technology (plus practical experience)
2. software development skills (programming is a must)
3. communication skills in both writing and speaking. When you start working on large projects with many engineers communication is the key element to success.

Stephen Green P.Eng., A.L.S., C.L.S. (Class of 1982)

President and C.E.O.
The Cadastral Group Inc.
400, 500 - 4th Avenue S.W.
Calgary, Alberta T2P 2V6
http://www.cadastral.org/
Tel: 403-263-8200
Fax: 403-263-8210
mailto:stephen@cadastral.org

In 1982, upon graduation, I worked for All-Can Engineering & Surveys Ltd. I was eager to get out into industry and use my newly learned engineering skills. My first project was to write a computer program that would calculate golf scores for the president (Wow!). The courses I took, while at the U of C, were conveniently aligned to fit with the Western Canadian Board examinations. This allowed me to fast track my way to an Alberta Land Surveyor�s commission, which I received in January of 1984. I was the first graduate from the U of C Geomatics (Surveying) Engineering program to obtain a commission as an Alberta Land Surveyor. In November 1984 I was registered as Professional Engineer within APEGGA and in October 1987 I received my commission as Canada Lands Surveyor.

The heavy emphasis on computer programming, significantly prepared me for the rapid of growth and use of personal computers during the 1980�s. The courses on least square adjustments allowed me to develop a PC based computer program that was purchased by a local software house. The ability to analyze least square adjustments is a very important tool for any graduate. In 1993, with the development of GPS technology, I wrote software for the transformation of GPS data to local township coordinates.

In 1988 I started The Cadastral Group Inc as a one-person company. The company offered geomatic services to the oil and gas industry within Alberta. The courses in project / business management from the university were very helpful in the development of this business and instrumental in handling its strong growth. Graduate geomatics engineers are given a good selection of tools that empower them to succeed within our industry. Today, The Cadastral Group Inc. has over 100 employees with the head office in Calgary and a branch office in Slave Lake. I could not have realized this dream without my degree in Geomatics Engineering from the University of Calgary.

Jim George (Class of 1987)

Vice President, Geomatics
Cell-Loc Inc.
http://www.cell-loc.com/
W: (403) 569-5700
F: (403) 569-5701
e-mail: jrgeorge@cell-loc.com
 

Jim GeorgeAs a senior leader within Cell-Loc I am involved in many projects and have many responsibilities. On the technical side of the business I am responsible for managing and directing the Geomatics team within Cell-Loc. The Geomatics Team consists of 3 geomatics engineers (including a PhD-level researcher). The mandate of the Geomatics Team is to research, develop and implement new and innovative positioning techniques and algorithms in support of Cell-Loc�s wireless location networks and services. To date Cell-Loc has developed patented Super-Resolution positioning algorithms and is currently developing expert system techniques to more accurately determine position estimates for wireless devices be they cell phones, miniature wireless devices, pcs phones, etc.

On the corporate side of the business, I along with the other members of the Cell-Loc senior leadership team, are responsible for ensuring that Cell-Loc�s overall corporate goals are met. This responsibility requires that I must not only focus on the technical issues surrounding the geomatics development but also that I must understand the overall vision and direction of the company and assist in leading the employees in the desired direction. This may sound easy enough but in uncertain economic and highly volatile technology times (as we find ourselves today), this task is by far the most challenging and demanding. Combine this with the fact that Cell-Loc is developing a new global industry, wireless location services, and it makes for an unbelievably exciting but demanding role.

My education, a BSc. in Geomatics Engineering (or Surveying Engineering as it was called at the time I graduated), has indeed been a key success factor for me. Not only did it provide me with a broad set of geomatics skills that I can easily (and readily do) apply on a daily basis but it also exposed me to a software development function that helped me in the early stages of building my career. The other key element that Geomatics Engineering delivers is exposure to leading edge technologies like GPS and spatial data tools. For companies like Cell-Loc the geomatics engineering education is a definite asset and will go along way in providing a very rewarding technical career. The other part of a career, being a leader within your organization (technical or otherwise), is really a function of desire, vision, work ethic, and integrity, basically all the elements that you need to get through the demanding geomatics engineering courses.

From my perspective the most important courses I took in Geomatics are Geodesy, Statistics, Least Squares, GPS and project management (and believe it or not technical writing).

Jonathan Auld P.Eng.(Class of 1996)

Manager, System Test Group
NovAtel Inc.
http://www.novatel.com/
W:(403)295-4934
F:(403)295-4506
e-mail:mailto:jauld@novatel.com

 

Jonathan AuldAs Manager of Systems Testing at NovAtel I am involved in the testing of all NovAtel products. My group consists of 4 geomatics engineers, 1 computer scientist, 1 computer engineer, and 2 technologists. I supervise all the formal and informal testing of GPS receivers and receiver products from the OEM Sensors, Aviation and Custom Products groups. We are also tasked with evaluating GPS antenna performance for the line of antennas that NovAtel designs. The test group is involved in evaluating all aspects of GPS receiver performance, from measurements and timing to positioning and navigation. We design software and test procedures/scripts to reliably and repeatably collect and analyze data from all different types of GPS receivers. This involves field work, software development, and laboratory activities. Recently we have started to get involved in competitive analysis where we test our products against that of our competition to see how we stack up. In addition to management of test runs, I serve as a geomatics knowledge resource for the other members of the test group and in some cases the development groups.

I see Geomatics Engineering as a very unique field. In the last 6 years I have worked in an software development environment, in the field on seismic survey crews, in the laboratory, in providing training and instruction to new clients and customers, and in providing information for marketing decisions, just to name a few. In each case the knowledge and experience from each aspect has proven invaluable in all other aspects of my career. Since many geomatics engineers have both practical and design experience we can provide the connection between the designers and the people who will actually be using the equipment.

If I had to pick the most important courses I took in Geomatics I would have to say Geodesy, Statistics, Least Squares, Statistics, GPS and Statistics.

John Schlepe P.Eng, CLS, M.Eng (Class of 1981)

Principal Engineer,
Eagle Navigation Systems Inc.
2916B - 19th Street NE
Calgary, Alberta T2E 6Y9
Tel: 403-291-3959
Fax: 403-291-3956
website: http://www.eaglenav.com/
jschleppe@eaglenav.com

 

John SchleppeMy position as Principal Engineer at Eagle Navigation Systems Inc. requires me to be involved in all aspects of the hardware and software design, manufacture and maintenance of our navigation systems. I am responsible for our navigation system�s mechanical and electronic design. I specify the sensors that are necessary for the navigation solution and provide the hardware design for integration. I supervise a team of 3 electronics technicians who test and build the system�s interfaces and power supplies and assemble the final systems. I also work with a pair of senior geomatics engineers, designing and writing software for the navigation systems. One engineer specializes in mapping, while the other specializes in real-time systems and user interfaces. I provide the core geomatics routines for filtering and estimation along the majority of the hardware interfacing routines. Other duties include ensuring that personnel adhere to the companies software and engineering standards and staying current with advances in navigation sensors, estimation techniques, hardware integration and product packaging.

I believe that my Geomatics Engineering degrees give me a perspective unique from the electronic engineers and software programmers that make up the bulk of navigation systems design personnel. My education along with my field experience allows me to see the big picture from the hardware and software points of view as well as the users. My engineering degrees have also provided me the tools to continue learning and advancing my knowledge of electronics, sensors, algorithms, estimation techniques and programming languages. Within my field, geodesy, map projections and estimation techniques are especially important, since these are the tools I use along with programming and electronics design to create navigation systems.

The position of Principal Engineer requires knowledge in geomatics, electronics, mechanical design and extensive field experience. I would be severely handicapped without my 10 years of marine positioning and geodetic surveying experience. In addition I have 10 years experience as a systems development team leader. The accumulated experiences from these 20 years along with my education allow me to provide unique and cost effective navigation solutions.

Craig Glennie (Class of 1996)

Director of Geomatics Engineering/Research and Development
Aerotec LLC
560 Mitchell Field Road,
Bessemer, AL USA 35022
Tel: 205-428-6444
FAX: 205-428-2666
www.aerotecusa.com
cglennie@mindspring.com

Craig GlennieAerotec is a small company of about 35 employees which specializes in providing cost effective airborne laser-scan and digital imagery survey solution for topographical and pathway mapping, airport obstruction analysis, volumetric determination, asset inspection and damage assessment services. The company owns, maintains and operates two helicoptors, and a fixed wing aircraft to deploy our various remote sensing equipment configurations. The focus at Aerotec is to collect, process, and analysis airborne mapping data of engineering quality for engineering projects.

My job at Aerotec is twofold: (1) I am responsible for the quality and consistency of the acquired airborne mapping data. This involve overseeing the processing of the data to ensure correct procedures are being followed. It also involves training of data collection and processing personnel to educate them on the things they need to do to ensure the information Aerotec collects is of the highest quality. (2) I oversee the research and development for Aerotec. Research and development is focused around two key goals, first, to produce the highest accuracy mapping products in the shortest amount of time. Secondly, to develop new mapping and analysis products in response to needs within our target industries.

Being involved in a small company with a rapidly expanding geomatics marketplace has been a rewarding an challenging experience for me. It has allowed me the oppurtunity to travel, attend conferences, meet and respond to the needs of clients, and be involved in a dynamic work environment. Based on my experience, there is a severe shortage of individuals with the background and training to be able to efficiently and accurately collect, process and analyse spatially referenced data.

Aga Tokarczyk (Class of 1996)

Product Manager
Pinpoint Technologies, Inc.
1800 38th Street Suite 200
Boulder, CO 80301 USA
http://www.pinpointtech.com/
Ph: 303 801-1850
Fx: 303 801-0001
email: mailto:ATokarczyk@PinpointTech.com

 

Aga TokarczkyAnd how did I get involved in Cardiology? It all started with Geomatic Engineering.

Two days after my last Geomatic Engineering exam I left for the Southern Pacific without any definite plans while most of my geo colleagues were packing their bags to begin already lined-up full time jobs. After 2 weeks in the Fijian sun I was beating the pavement looking for work in the little town of Christchurch on New Zealand�s South Island. Little did I know that Christchurch was the home of a software development outlet for Trimble Navigation Ltd, the industry leader in GPS based solutions.

With my Geomatic Engineering degree I was hired on the spot and my career at Trimble begun. I started working in the Land Survey division as a QA Engineer working on GPS and software systems for land surveyors. Next I transferred to the GIS and Mapping division where I was promoted to the position of Product Champion for ActiveX software components and GPS based data collection software for Windows CE platforms.

My range of responsibilities increased with time. I started out testing GPS�based software. Soon my responsibilities expanded to writing product requirements, functional specifications, test plans, marketing materials and user documentation. I carried out product training, technical support and, with time, staff supervision. I conducted competitive analysis, did market research, and even got engrossed in VB programming while developing GPS-based sample applications. On a daily basis I worked very closely with a team of software engineers and liased with documentation, translation and marketing staff at the Christchurch and Californian offices. To further my career development I completed several continuing education courses.

During my term at Trimble I represented the company at trade shows and user conferences, where I presented technical papers. This wealth of experience equipped me with GPS expertise but more importantly established my credentials in software development industry.

After four years in New Zealand I moved closer to home and settled in Boulder, Colorado at the foot of American Rocky Mountains. Here I kept an open mind while looking for a job and was eager to embrace a new challenge.

Medical industry has always had a tremendous appeal to me. During my final year of Geomatic Engineering my independent project was on 3-D imaging of mammographic X-ray images. This passion for medicine has moved me to accept a position with Pinpoint Technologies Inc. Pinpoint Technologies is a young and energetic company located in Boulder Colorado. Founded in 1993 it has quickly grown from 3 to 65 employees. Pinpoint Technologies specialises in flexible, feature-rich products for use in the ambulance and public safety industries, including applications for ambulance, fire/rescue and field data collection. Pinpoint is a subsidiary of a much bigger company, ZOLL Medical, one of the biggest defibrillator manufacturers in the world.

Today I am working as a Product Manager co-ordinating data management products for both companies. In my daily agenda I manage software development, devise data leverage schemes and look into business development opportunities. I work in dual capacity keeping taps on R&D and giving direction to sales. The challenges never stop.

And it all started with a Geomatic engineering degree that has launched my career and gave me the courage to follow my dreams.

Rob Tupper BCLS (Class of 1997)

Wright Focus - Duncan Office
http://www.focus.ca/
Tel: 250-748-5883
Fax:250-748-6213
Rtupper@focus.ca

Rob TupperIn the four years since graduating from U of C, I have worked for Focus and obtained my professional land surveying commission in British Columbia. I have also had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects covering many aspects of Geomatics. Some are unique projects, but many come up on a regular basis in the course of my job. Some examples follow.
Mapping/GIS related projects: Using least squares to fit existing survey plan data to geo-referenced control points to create a parcel mapping framework
Targeting and GPS control surveys: for aerial mapping Creating surfaces and calculating volumes from DEMs Deformation Monitoring: Establishing and monitoring a network of points for the Esquimalt Graving dock in Victoria. This project uses least squares and precise survey methodology. A full network pre-analysis was done to ensure that the movements of a certain magnitude could be detected.
GPS: I have been involved in numerous GPS jobs from static control surveys to RTK surveys in the Yukon and central Africa. I processed and adjusted a more that 100 point network on Baffin Island were baseline lengths varied from 1km to 1700km. I also processed and adjusted to the GPS data for the establishment of a BC active control station on Vancouver island.
Legal Surveys: In my capacity as a BCLS, I am involved in many aspects of cadastral surveying, from field work, management of numerous field crews, Crown Land and Land Title office research, to client liaison and project management and cost estimating.
Work with other professionals: On a daily basis I am in contact with and/or work on a team with other land surveyors and geomatics engineers, civil engineers, lawyers, planners... all sorts of people.

Looking back, the most important non Geo courses I took were project management and technical writing. Most important Geo course... can't limit it to two, so I would have to say least squares and geodesy.

Corinna Vester (Class of 1995)

Digital Aeronautical Data Engineer,
Quality and Engineering Unit,
Aeronautical & Technical Services
Mapping Services Branch,
Earth Sciences Sector Natural Resources Canada
615 Booth Street, 1st Floor, Rm. 178
Ottawa, ON Canada K1A 0E9 Telephone:
(613) 947-7653
e-mail : cvester@NRCan.gc.ca

 

Martin Fleming (Class of 1995)

Instructor, Educational Services
Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc.
380 New York St.
Redlands, CA, USA.
92373-8100
http://www.esri.com/
mfleming@esri.com

 

Martin FlemingThe Geomatics industry is growing quickly as more industries realize the value of spatial information. Here at Environmental Systems Research Institute (�ESRI) we are�seeing exponential growth as GIS is incorporated into mainstream Information Technology (IT).�Organizations are spending millions of dollars on spatial databases with tacit assumption that their layers of information will align properly. Relative to the number of users of GIS, there are fewer real experts to turn to who understand positioning and navigation.

Geomatics Engineering gave me mathematical and computer skills unique in the GIS world. My degree from the University of Calgary gave me the skills to help people use their spatial data effectively.  Now I teach people how to distribute spatial data using Internet GIS software,�and being able to explain the importance of accurate coordinates is fundamental to their success as well as mine.  Geomatics has put me in high demand and at the forefront of new technology.  My career has been very fulfilling with lots of�travel, and people are eager to hear what I say.  I have held workshops with up to 400 people in attendance.  My education has given me a lot of satisfaction knowing that I make a real difference.

Daniel Reiners P.Eng. (Class of 1985)

Daniel Reiners P.Eng.
McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd.
L100 - 780 Beatty Street
Vancouver BC V6B 2M1
Tel: (604) 683-8521
Fax: (604) 683-4350
http://www.mcelhanney.com/
e-mail: dreiners@mcelhanney.com 

 

Daniel ReinersI have 16 years experience in the Geomatics and Mapping industry. I am currently a Project Manager in the Mapping Department of McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. and Acting General Manager of Digital Mapping Group Limited (DMG). DMG is a consortium of mapping companies currently involved in the BC provincial TRIM II resource based mapping program. As Project Manager I am responsible for all phases from the initial proposal preparations, defining methodologies, specifications, and quality assurances, budgeting, scheduling, monitoring production quotas to invoicing and client satisfaction. Upon graduating from University I began working for the Alberta Government as a DEM Supervisor where I developed a digital elevation model database and repository for the province. This included the development and implementation of quality control methods, accuracy testing of DEM by various methods including Laser Profiling, Photogrammetric re-sampling and statistical analysis. I revised and implemented accuracy specifications. Developed applications for generalization of large scale DEMs for the creation of other smaller scale digital contour products. Applications for the DEM included creation of 3D perspective views, profiles, contours, and slope and aspect maps.

My University training has given me a new way of looking at problems and the ability to solve them. One of the tasks that I enjoy most is problem solving. I like to figure out how to do a process whether it is software or task orientated and then implement the process and train the technician to use the process to get the job done in the most efficient manner. No two jobs are the same and University has given me the background to soundly manage them.

Teresa Myrfield P.Eng., B.C.L.S. (Class of 1997)

McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd.
L100 - 780 Beatty Street
Vancouver BC V6B 2M1
Tel: (604) 683-8521
Fax: (604) 683-4350
http://www.mcelhanney.com/
Email: tmyrfield@mcelhanney.com

I began work with McElhanney during the summer of third year and was hired as a salaried employee when I graduated. I was articled to my boss and became a British Columbia Land Surveyor (BCLS) as soon as I could. The process was greatly eased by my U of C background, although I found the BCLS exams to be the most difficult that I have ever written.

I have a great job: it involves a large variety of work, which is consistently challenging so far. As a University of Calgary graduate, I am expected to be able to find out how to do just about anything, and then teach others how to do it as well. Because of my university background and having obtained my BCLS, my role at work has evolved in the past four years. Currently I manage projects: working out logistics, estimating time required, organizing employees, sometimes doing some field work (if I am lucky), reducing and checking data and plans, supervising crews, liaising with clients, and writing reports. I am expected to notice problems and ways of improving our approach to specific tasks and projects in general. This can be as simple as noticing we could use a program to do something for us and writing it or it can involve things like coming up with improved data collection methods.

About half of my work involves legal surveys. In our office, the legal surveys we do are generally part of large projects, often away from the office. For example, within a few weeks of graduating, I found myself traveling by boat down the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories on a land claim job. We do a fair bit of engineering work in our office. For me, this involves control work for large projects such as the new Rapid Transit Project in Vancouver, large mapping jobs, and interesting little engineering jobs that require certification by a land surveyor. We use whatever tools we can get our hands on to do a job well. This generally means using some combination of conventional surveys, GPS surveys, and photogrametric methods.

I am sometimes involved in the proposal process. This can mean being asked �is there any way we can do such-and-such?� I then do some research by phone, by internet, even by looking at my old school notes to figure out if it can be done and if so, how. If it can be done, a practical approach has to be worked out. Especially on these occasions, I find myself looking up things that I thought I would never need to know � such as inertial methods, terrestrial photogrammetry, remote sensing � and then having to phone around for help because my old notes were not good enough.

It is my experience that both the degree itself and the general access to information gained through the variety of courses we study while U of C Geomatics Engineering can create all sorts of opportunity for us in the practice of land surveying.