Introducing Desiree Hurst an Experienced Partner | Survey Director from Texas, USA.

• Where did you study? M.S., Geospatial Surveying Engineering Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, TX
  • • B.A., Mathematics, St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, TX

• What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area?
  • • It varies by state to state.  In Texas it was a 4 year degree when I was licensed now it is a 2 year degree.
• How did you get into surveying?
  • • I fell into surveying shortly after I graduated from college.  I was wanting to change career paths when my sister told me about a job opening for a survey technician where the Director of Surveying wanted someone with strong math skills (my undergraduate degree is in math).  I had no idea what surveying was or what I was getting into, but I took the job, discovered an amazing career I enjoyed, and the rest is history.

How long have you been in the industry?

I’m coming up on 18 years in the industry.

Are you part of any associations or organisations you would like us to mention?

• Texas Society of Professional Surveyors – Director
  • Education Forum TSPS DFW Representative
• NCTX Aerial Robotics Advisory Committee – Industry Partner (https://www.nctxaerialrobotics.com/services)
• Educational Service Center Regional 11 Industry Advisory Board – Industry Partner

Why are you volunteering as a GKiS Brand Ambassador?

I wanted to find avenues to help spread the word about surveying and this amazing profession.  GKiS is a great organization that has material that younger kids can understand and relate to.  I believe learning about career options early can help the survey profession grow.

Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry?

The survey profession is not one that is widely known as a career option.  I had no idea that surveying was a profession when I was in college or even afterwards.  I was lucky to have a family member that introduced me to someone in the profession that mentored me.  I believe if we reach out to kids and teenagers, they may find a career path or an interest in an area that they didn’t know could be a profession.  I don’t think many people realize how the geospatial industry is all around us and necessary for development and growth.   

What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS?

As a result of being an ambassador I was able to connect with the NCTX Aerial Robotics Initiative.  This has helped me work with and affect change in my local area.  We have recently been able to get a Regional Program of Study in Geospatial Engineering and Land Surveying approved to be taught in High Schools in our region.  I hope to be able to use the connections and materials from GKiS to continue to work with my local schools and society to continue to help with the education of our youth.

What are your hobbies outside of work?

Currently it is chasing my three young children around and taking them to their activities.  I have an almost 2, 9 and 6 years old.  They are already very familiar with surveying and love coming to visit me at work.

If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be?

I created a GKiS character of my pug that I rescued after college, Tobbie.  I lost him to cancer several years ago and would love to create another character of his best buddy, Tonka.  They were the perfect pair and enjoyed life to the fullest.

What resource would you like to see next from GKiS?

I love the school resources and want to see more activities that can be done with groups of children.  I think they really enjoy hands on activities.

Get Kids into Survey and West Coast Get Kids into Survey have a few events on the horizon to kick off 2024!

Here’s where to expect us in January:

10-12th Jan – South Dakota Society of Professional Land Surveyors

17-19th Jan – Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon

February:

8-9th Feb – North Carolina Society of Surveyors

13-15th Feb – GeoWeek in Denver, GKiS booth #945

27-28th Feb – Idaho Society of Professional Land Surveyors

29-  – Land Surveyors Association of Washington

March:

22-26th March – Nevada association of Land Surveyors & West Fed

Potentially in May:

FIG Conference in Ghana & TUC in Orlando

June:

5-6th June – GeoBusiness Stand G490

September:

26-28th September – Intergeo in Germany

Introducing Tharuka Milani from Central Province in Sri Lanka

Where did you study? 

1. Faculty of Geomatics, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka

2. Faculty of Graduate studies, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka

3. The State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University (LIESMARS), Wuhan University, China

What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area? 

Complete the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination in the math stream and enroll in a degree program related to surveying offered by either Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka or Kothalawala Defense University. Upon completing the degree, individuals can seek employment in private surveying companies or choose to join the Survey Department of Sri Lanka. Those who join the Survey Department may need to work for a specified period, typically three years, to gain practical experience. After the required work experience, individuals can apply to become a registered government surveyor. Then they are eligible to request a license for private practice through the Land Survey Council. This would allow them to work independently or establish their surveying consultancy. Individuals should follow the specific procedures and requirements set by the council for obtaining and maintaining their licenses.

 How did you get into surveying?

I had dreamt of becoming a civil engineer. To gain admission to a government University Engineering faculty, I needed the higher Z score from the GCE Advanced Level (A/L) examination. Unfortunately, despite my efforts, I missed the chance to attend the engineering faculty. Determined to find a professional degree program involving fieldwork, as I preferred not to work in an office setting, I explored my options. Considering my Z score, I discovered the B. Sc Surveying Science degree offered by the Faculty of Geomatics at Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. In 2013, this was the only faculty providing a surveying science degree. This program aligned perfectly with my interests. It’s worth noting that surveying is not a traditionally favored profession for girls in Sri Lanka; however, it was my passion to become a surveyor, and I embraced it wholeheartedly.

How long have you been in the industry?

6 years

Are you part of any associations or organizations you would like us to mention?

Associate member of SISL (The Surveyors’ Institute of Sri Lanka)

Assistant Lecturer at SUSL (Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka) since 2017-2021

Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador?

I am eager to become a GKiS Brand Ambassador because of my strong commitment to promoting surveying, particularly among young generations, with a special emphasis on encouraging girls to explore diverse surveying applications. My passion lies in inspiring and nurturing an interest in surveying among the youth, fostering their curiosity and paving the way for them to consider careers in this field.

One of my primary goals is to highlight the various surveying applications that are particularly favorable for girls, such as remote sensing, GIS, land management, and other innovative technologies. By showcasing the exciting opportunities within these domains, I aim to break stereotypes and encourage more young girls to envision themselves as successful professionals in surveying.

Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry

introducing kids to surveying and the wider geospatial industry not only prepares them for potential future careers but also cultivates valuable skills, awareness, and a deeper appreciation for the role these fields play in shaping the world around us.

Early exposure to surveying and geospatial technologies helps children understand the breadth of career possibilities within these fields. It broadens their horizons beyond traditional career paths and introduces them to exciting, diverse opportunities.

Educating kids about various real-world applications, from mapping and urban planning to disaster response and environmental conservation provide them with a tangible understanding of how these technologies contribute to solving important global challenges.

Introducing kids to surveying can spark their interest in STEM subjects, fostering a passion for learning and critical thinking that can extend beyond the field of surveying.

Surveying involves critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Introducing kids to these aspects of the field encourages the development of analytical skills and the ability to approach challenges systematically. 

What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS?

As a GKiS (Get Kids into Survey) ambassador, my primary goal is to inspire and educate young minds about the exciting world of surveying and the broader geospatial industry.

• Organize and participate in educational programs, workshops, and events aimed at introducing kids to the fundamentals of surveying and geospatial technologies.
• Work closely with schools and educational institutions to integrate surveying-related content into their curriculum, making it more accessible and engaging for students.
• Emphasize the inclusivity of the surveying profession, encouraging children from all backgrounds and genders to explore and consider careers in this field.
• Develop and share hands-on activities and experiments that allow kids to experience the practical side of surveying, making learning interactive and enjoyable
• Share personal stories and experiences to inspire kids, showing them that anyone can pursue a rewarding career in surveying with passion and dedication.
• Actively engage with the community, including parents, educators, and industry professionals, to build a supportive network that encourages and nurtures the interest of kids in surveying.

Through these efforts, my aim is to contribute to GKiS’s mission of making surveying and geospatial sciences accessible, enjoyable, and inspiring for the next generation.

What are your hobbies?

Crafting, Dancing

If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be? 

Specially a lady surveyor character

It would be a teenage lady surveyor named Terra Explorer. Terra, passionate about mapping and exploring the world, would be depicted as an adventurous and tech-savvy individual who uses geospatial technologies to solve real-world problems.

What resource would you like to see next from GKiS?

I would like to see the development of engaging and interactive educational resources that make learning about surveying and geospatial sciences fun for children such as Digital Games and Apps, Printable or digital activity books with age-appropriate exercises and puzzles related to surveying.

Welcoming Greenhatch one of our amazing sponsors! Remember to take a look at their Homework Project ‘The Power of 3’ and we’d like to thank them for helping to re-stock some of the Digital Construction Posters too:

Company Name – Greenhatch Group Limited

Location All over England. Our HQ “Hatch Quarters” is in Derby (Central England) with other smaller Hatches established in Newcastle (Northeast), St Albans (Southeast) and Chippenham (Southwest).

Why is it important for your company to help Get Kids into Survey? Kids are our future, and we want to show them how fun it is to measure all different parts of the world and all types of buildings.

What do you do? We undertake measured surveys of the land, rivers buildings, and even locate pipes and services hidden underground.

We use the latest equipment and apply various methodologies to complete these surveys. Our mascot is a duck who can walk, fly and are great on the water, so we can tackle any survey.

How long have you been in the survey industry?  Greenhatch was “hatched” in the mid-1980’s so we have been established for nearly 40 years. We have steadily grown over this period and currently employ over 150 Hatchers.

How did you end up getting into the geospatial industry? We love to draw and also see the world. It’s one of the oldest professions in the world, but nowadays is using the latest technology to create some great drawings and models.

State a funny fact about you… Our mascot Tribus the Duck is the probably the strongest duck in the World.

Tribus is the Latin word for three and has a triangle logo on his chest (just like Superman).

Triangles are a fixed shape and used to strengthen all type of objects.

Just look around your environment and you will see how many things are made of 3 components, and how sturdy/stable the object is.  Three IS the magic number !!!

Favourite piece of kit and why? Laser Scanners. They are egg-cellent for capturing measurements really quickly.

We even put laser scanners in our boat and attach them to our drones, so we can measure anything.

Favourite Survey technique and why? Land surveying, which is know as a topographical survey. It’s great to stretch those legs and walk around interesting towns, parks, woodland etc. 

Sometimes you would have to pay to visit the sites we are asked to survey !!!

Your website

How did you choose the character and what does he/she/it represent? Mean to you? What’s his/her name? We wanted a character that could work for all divisions in Greenhatch, and also show how you can develop from a hatchling to a full hatcher. 

Tribus also highlights the importance of triangles in the world.

Let’s look at some of the most common questions on the stand this year?

• What is Get Kids into Survey. 

Get Kids into Survey is an initiative to try and inspire future geospatial experts. With the mission statement: To get every child to understand the terminology of survey and geospatial in every language globally, resulting in kids wanting to be part of the industry, reducing demand for staff.

• How does it work? We are funded for my industry to create exciting resources for children. Our resources combine school subjects with geospatial terminology and information. To bring forward the geospatial industry knowledge to younger children, with the hopes that they gain an understanding of what they do and potentially go on to study for a career in geospatial.

• How can we collaborate with Universities? We would love to chat to Universities about how we can work together! 

• Ages GKiS target? Children aged 8-12 years old.

• Who takes care of taking this to schools and kids? Our Brand Ambassador network are our foundation. These wonderful volunteers from industry seek out local outreach opportunities and use our resources to help inform the groups about surveying.

Parents and teachers also have access to all of our resources as they are free on the website. The idea is they are easily accessible worldwide so that anyone can use them!

• How would it benefit potential companies to be part of GKiS? By joining Get Kids into Survey as a Brand Sponsor you are helping the future of the industry. We need to attract more talent to study these careers and then go on to enter the profession. We do this by creating educational resources with sponsorship money, which are customised to the sponsoring company.

By being a sponsor you receive a cool bespoke cartoon character which can be used in your marketing too. We have a large following so will post about your company on our social media and website to promote your company for being a part of our mission.

-What was the most popular product/poster? 

Everyone loved all of the posters, it really brought a bunch of people to the stand and there was a lot of interest. The one we kept hearing the most about was “A world without Surveyors” which is one of our latest releases based on the GeoSquad Comic Book scene of Middletown.

We didn’t have many Comic Books to take with us so we just had a demo or two, we are pleased to say we now have 500 in stock!! They are available through our website here.

-Intergeo 2023 was our teammate Paola’s FIRST event in the industry, we asked her how she found it:

“My main realisation from the event was: “There has to be more awareness about the geospatial world” 

I love the fact that GKiS is doing exactly that, there is so much opportunity in so many levels in the industry that I feel that are only known by those in it. 

There has to be more attention about what the industry is and does to those not involved in it”.

-What Does the Future Hold for Get Kids into Survey and the Industry as a Whole!

This was our presentation this year as part of the early careers section on the Expo Stage. There were a bunch of people interested in GKiS in general who had never heard about us. The feedback was really positive… Energetic, fun, different. Which explain our company well, we think!

-GKiS was featured on Intergeo TV! Watch here:

https://youtu.be/Rm1nFjkmHcE?si=-w9SQYOjBB1-QFHl

Welcome to our latest sponsors Maltby Surveys… don’t forget to check out their Homework Project ‘Keeping and Eye on London’

1.   Company Name –Maltby Land Surveys Ltd
2.   Location – Haywards Heath, Warwick, Huddersfield, London.
3.   Why is it important for your company to help Get Kids into Survey? Our aim is always to be pushing our industry forward and we feel investing in the future is the most important way in which we can do this. To be able to give back to future generations and share the knowledge we have amassed through four decades in the industry is something we feel passionately about. As a family business with two generations involved, the future of the industry is something we want to look after and getting kids into surveying is the way to do that.

Surveying is still a relatively small industry and that can mean that finding surveying as a potential career for a young person is a challenge within itself. The bigger the reach and the more accessible information for young people out in the open means a better chance of giving kids the opportunity to consider surveying as an option. This is vital in order to preserve the industry for future generations.

4.   What do you do? We are a multidisciplinary Geomatics company. We specialise in producing highly accurate measured building surveys, BIM models and both 2D and 3D Topographical Surveys from our Haywards Heath office. Whilst our Warwick office predominantly carry out large and small Inshore Hydrographic surveys. This can range from flood defence work to large scale residential development projects.
5.   How long have you been in the survey industry? 38 years.
6.   How did you end up getting into the geospatial industry? My first job was working for Thames Water in the Hydrographic department in Reading in the 70s! Learning the “ropes” from some very experienced Naval Hydrographers. We would measure the depth of the River Thames from Teddington in London to Lechlade in Gloucestershire. We would use echo sounders and sextants and produce contour plans showing all the high and low spots under the water. This information was used as the basis for dredging plans to make sure the Thames was always navigable for both small and large vessels.

7.   State a funny fact about you… I used to spend my days flying around the seafront at Brighton pinching people’s chips and ice cream. Then one day I decided to get a proper job, so I took my exams and qualified as a drone pilot. So now I let these airborne machines do all that exhausting flying that I used to do, and I have enough money to buy my own chips and ice cream. If you ever come down to Brighton, be sure to look out for me. I’m the big friendly seagull with the “Maltby Surveys” hard hat – you can’t miss me!

8.   Favourite piece of kit and why? Our intention is always to stay as cutting edge and up to date with the latest techniques and methods within the industry as we possibly can and for that reason we are currently extremely excited at what our Drone is currently capable of producing. Not only is it capable of producing a wide range of stunning photography, it is also allowing us to broaden the range of deliverables we can offer. It is an exciting time to be in the industry as technological advancements are moving quicker than they ever have before and because of this; it means the entire industry is having to change with it. The fundamentals remain the same but what we can offer to clients keeps evolving and moving forwards. Its great to remain at the forefront of it.
9. Your website
10. How did you choose the character and what does he/she/it represent? Mean to you? What’s his/her name? Our Seagull ‘Stanley’ felt apt owing largely to two of the three company directors’ close affinity to Brighton and Hove Albion football club; the seagull being their longtime mascot. It also felt appropriate to have a flying character owing to the newest member of our equipment fleet; our Drone. Showcasing our aerial capabilities is something we are keen to push forward and we like to think our Seagull could help us!

Introducing Kent Groh our latest Brand Ambassador from Tempe, Arizona, USA:

Where did you study? Southern Illinois University – Carbondale

What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area? HS Diploma + Experience

How did you get into surveying? While in high school, I was offered an opportunity to work at the Illinois Department of Transportation as a summer intern that introduced me to surveying and never looked back.

If you are not a surveyor, what do you do? Professional Curler

How long have you been in the industry? 33 years

Are you part of any associations or organizations you would like us to mention? The Geoholics Podcast

Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador? I’ve been a fan of this effort from day 1 and want to continue to support it in whatever capacity that may be.

Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry? They are the life blood of the profession.

What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS? Promote the great and honorable profession know as land surveying. What are your hobbies? Curling, Golfing, Podcasting, Appreciating Great Whiskey, Beer, Wine and Food.

If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be? A Geoholic!

Anything else you want to add that you think our audience (surveyors, teachers, parents) would be interested in? Something “app” based as kids start using cell phones/tablets as young as 18 months old.