Here is a short Q & A with Christine Munisteri, Solution Engineer, sUAS Pilot. Christine joined the GEO Jobe team in June of 2018 and is based out of Nashville, TN
Q: What is your job at GEO Jobe, and what does it entail?
A: I’m a Solution Engineer on the Enterprise team and a UAV Pilot, so I get to do a lot of different things. For Enterprise, a majority of my tasks include ensuring replicas are functioning properly; setting up and helping to maintain map services; and providing general GIS support for clients. For UAV, we fly sites to produce orthomosaics, 3D point clouds/models, contours, etc. Once we have the imagery, we come back to the office and process everything, occasionally setting up web services that integrate our imagery/models with other GIS or CAD data that the client already has.
Q: What attracted you to joining the GEO Jobe team?
A: I was initially intrigued by the UAV work, which I came across while managing some of the social media for Citizen Science GIS (CSGIS). It seemed like I was doing similar work with CSGIS and was interested in continuing that in a more permanent position, so I applied.
Mapping the Belizean cayes with Citizen Science GIS (Open Reef; check out the free data here).
Q: What are you currently working on/learning about?
A: We’ve flown a bunch of sites in the past month, so we’ve been busy processing all of that imagery. We’re also working out the logistics for several out-of-state jobs we have coming up in the next few weeks. Research-wise, I’ve been learning about watershed delineation, ArcGIS Full Motion Video, and Image Server.
Q: Have you had to learn any new technologies or skills for your job so far?A: Before I started here, I had worked on a lot of drone mapping projects with CSGIS, but really honing in on the accuracy required by engineers was new for me. I’ve learned a lot about RTK and PPK since transitioning to the UAV team and I feel like I pick up something new every day. As far as Enterprise goes, it would take way too long to explain everything I’ve learned since starting here.
Q: What would you like to learn more about?
A: I’d like to learn more about photogrammetry and what exactly our processing softwares are doing behind the scenes. I’ve obviously never had to use a stereoplotter (because at this point in time, we have the technology that does mostly everything for us), but I think it would be interesting and beneficial to see how they work.
Q: Any advice for students considering GIS/UAV careers?
A: Doing something is the best way to learn it, so think of a topic that interests you and then play around with it in GIS. Even if the project seems pointless, you’ll become much more proficient in the software as you work on it.
Q: On a more personal side, do you have a favorite newspaper, magazine, blog, or sources of inspiration?
A: Newspaper: The New York Times. Podcast: Armchair Expert. I follow too many food blogs to count; some of my favorites are Cookie and Kate, Last Ingredient, and Minimalist Baker. I will also read any book about the ocean. I highly recommend Sy Montgomery’s Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness and Drew Harvell’s A Sea of Glass: Searching for the Blaschkas’ Fragile Legacy in an Ocean at Risk.
Q: What kind of technology do you prefer and why? (Mac or PC, iOS or Android, and other cool tech)
A: It took me a while, but I eventually jumped on the Apple bandwagon. I like how seamlessly-integrated everything is and that I’m no longer blamed for turning text messages green. But I do miss how customizable androids are.
Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of the office?
A: I love SCUBA diving, but there’s not a lot of that in Middle Tennessee, especially for snobs like myself who will only dive in clear, warm water. Besides diving, I enjoy biking, playing ultimate frisbee, and cooking. And watching The Great British Baking Show.
