Introducing our latest Brand Ambassador from Alaska, John Brady! Here’s his Q&A:
Where did you study?
University of Alaska Anchorage
What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area?
4 year college degree, 4 years of work experience (3 of which must be in “responsible charge”)
How did you get into surveying?
I started college as a civil engineering major and didn’t like the prospect of sitting behind a desk for the majority of my career. Intro to surveying is required for civil majors and enjoying the class I changed majors to Geomatics and have never looked back.
How long have you been in the industry? Almost 12 years.
Are you part of any associations or organisations you would like us to mention? I am active with my local chapter of ASPLS (the Alaska Society of Professional Land Surveyors) serving as the Fairbanks Chapter President for 2021. I am also a member of ASPRS and am working to be more active with our local Alaska Chapter.
Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador?
We desperately need more surveyors and I wish I would have known it was an option when growing up. I knew about engineering, but had never heard of surveying. I want to change that for kids so they at least know it is an option. This has been important to me prior to hearing about GKiS and becoming a Brand Ambassador just made sense.
Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry?
They use it all the time now with GPS enabled smart phones and it is good to know what you are using and about the world we live in. Plus it is a very cool industry that covers so many interests. Want to play with the latest and greatest tech? Survey has it. Want to do scientific research? Plenty of geospatial areas to do so. Love the outdoors and don’t want to be stuck behind a computer screen for the rest of your life? Become a land surveyor or hydrographic survey.
What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS?
Hopefully, COVID willing, I will be able to get back into the schools and show off the industry to students. I am trying to encourage more of our local surveyors to do the same or assist me when I do so as well.
What are your hobbies?
My wife and kids are my pride and joy. We love spending time in the Alaskan Wilderness (hunting, fishing, hiking, boating, snowmachining (snowmobiling), camping, etc.). We also love to travel and especially make our way to warmer and sunnier climates in the middle of our cold/dark Alaskan winters. I have played ice hockey most of my life and continue to do so.
If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be?
I will be starting at Stantec on March 1st and have not found if they already have a character or not, but for ASPLS I would say a moose or an old sourdough miner would be pretty fitting :).
What poster or resource would you like to see next from GKiS?
It would be great to see one focused on the Arctic considering all the opportunities that are coming with the change in climate and how geospatial sciences are playing such a large part in those changes.
Anything else you want to add that you think our audience (surveyors, teachers, parents) would be interested in?
Alaska is yet to be 100% mapped by land surveyors and much of it is quite remote making it a great challenge for land surveyors.