About
Hello, I'm Sarah! A cartographer, biologist, computer-savvy cat mom who wants to save the environment with GIS. My first glimpse into the world of environmental health was through my undergraduate research at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. I evaluated the developmental toxicity of Triclosan on Zebrafish. I had the opportunity to present this work at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR) and the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) regional and national conferences. As well as be a co-author on this study published in the journal, Zebrafish.
During my time at UW - La Crosse I was exposed to GIS for the first time. I instantly found it intriguing and an amazing way to visually explain phenomena, leading me to minor in it. Shortly after graduation I was living in Austin, TX and hired as a GIS analyst at the University of Texas School of Public Health. I used GIS as part of a large project to analyze tobacco use in students around the state. During that time I was also working for a non-profit by canvassing to keep the Clean Water Act intact as well as other local environmental causes.
After some time off from GIS I knew I wanted to get back into the field. This led me to the online Master's Program at University of Wisconsin - Madison. During my time in the program I have had the opportunity to work in many diverse GIS settings. I've worked in utilities with U.S. Internet, in state government with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), in county government with Carver County's IT department and in the private industry with Emmons and Oliver Resources (EOR). All of these experiences allowed me to gain skillsets in GIS and environmental protection which I plan to use in a life long career in GIS and web development.
Besides my professional goals I always make a point to continue learning on a personal level. My number one advice to anyone is to get out of your comfort zone at least once a year. One of my favorite ways to learn and challenge myself is by travel. I've been able to explore several parts of the world and am always looking for another adventure. A couple of my most memorable trips were visting Cuba and Munich during Oktoberfest.
When I'm not traveling you can find me riding my bike around the lakes of Minneapolis, experimenting with kombucha brewing or checking out a new restaurant (my favorite food is Indian). If you're still reading thanks for checking out my page! Want to talk GIS or the environment? Go to my contact page!