| Alumni Geography Panel 2000-01 |
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Association President's Message Honorary Degree for James Orbinski '80 It's not just books anymore: The New Information Commons Helping students deal with stress Bronze Medal for Trent's virtual tour Tim Holland '76 - Working for Change
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The annual Alumni Panel held during Professor Alan Brunger's GO411a class in late November, 2000 was comprised of John Alderdice '94, Graham Good '89, Kim Kasperski '93, Joe Mallory '89 and Jennifer Neish '96. Panelists spoke about their careers since graduation and answered numerous questions from the graduating class. Jenn Neish completed the combined Geography-GIS course and obtained contract work with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, where she had previous summer experience. She moved within the Ministry several times and is currently in the Geomatics section as a Remote Sensing analyst. She noted that most positions are on contract for 6 to 12 months, although some permanent jobs have recently been created. 
John Alderdice went west after graduating in 1994 and while skiing, took odd jobs around Banff for two years. He eventually returned to Ontario and gained a 12 month contract job through a 'key' contact gained in previous summer employment with the city of North York's economic planning department. John then moved to the town of Pickering for three years where he gained experience in a wide range of municipal planning jobs. He has recently moved back to the City of Toronto to work in the North York Division's Business Development and Retention department. He spends much time working with the established and potential companies, many of whom are smaller-scale and emerge from within the community. Kim Kasperski graduated from the Con Ed programme although found 'no openings' in teaching locally in 1995. She obtained supply work and occasional teaching at Crestwood Secondary School, where she has taught fulltime for five years. Kim noted that even in this short period she has seen great changes in the curriculum, which has become more exciting and more 'global'. Unfortunately this involved the disappearance of the Geography Department in the process of the amalgamation into the 'Social Studies' with history and family studies. Kim has been Head of this department since 1999. Instead of 17 geography classes two years ago, they now have 58 in social studies! As well two curricula are now instructed until 2002-2003 when the 'double-cohort' graduates and Ontario grade 13 ends. Kim recommended completing the Honours year, partly for the academic benefit and partly for the remunerative salary in a higher category. She noted the need for further courses, and has undertaken courses through WLU in GIS instruction. Graham Goode obtained his joint degree in Geography and Environmental Studies during which he completed a thesis under John Marsh' supervision working with the City of Peterborough Planning Department. Subsequently he started with the consulting firm of Totten, Sims and Hubicki and has remained there. Graham's responsibilities has evolved considerably and he now is the GIS Mapping Coordinator for the company province-wide. He foresaw an increasing need for GIS in his own work and generally in planning. He acknowledged the value of his Trent courses and the great utility of the general skills of self-expression that were fostered during the undergraduate degree. Joe Mallory observed that he was of the same 'vintage year' as Graham - both 'pre-GIS' and all that implied (he recalled the Trent Library still had a card catalogue!). Joe has taught in the Peterborough area since 1989, the first eight years in Norwood DHS where his versatility was revealed via the 'parenting' course - taught at a point when Joe was a bachelor. His next school was Crestwood in which he benefited from the great mentors among the staff and taught more 'parenting' although he was by then 'practicing what he was preaching'. He began teaching special education and having enjoyed that challenge shifted to Guidance counseling. Since 1999 Joe has taught at Adam Scott CVI where his responsibilities are divided equally between guidance and geography. Joe relishes his work and career, although acknowledged he has 'changed with the years' and now drives a van! Questions from the audience touched on a number of important matters including: - Jobs in municipalities for geographers, possibly in Planning and in Economic Development - These departments are often in opposition however. Geography's place in the curriculum is apparently assured in Ontario as it is deemed an 'essential' subject at grade 9. Increasing emphasis on the 'applied' as well as the 'Academic' stream in secondary school empowers Geography generally speaking. Apart from specific skills learned within Geography or other academic subjects, the point was made that the two 'skills' of vital importance professionally were, and are, the ability to speak and talk lucidly, and the ability to write clearly and correctly. Job-hunting is facilitated by emphasizing the breadth of skills in the resume of the geographer, and by educating oneself about the company of the department of government of interest. Most are more complex than first assumed and any intimacy with the organization on the part of the interviewee or job candidate can only impress or, at least, attract attention. The 'isolation' of the 'sole/lonely' Geographer in some employment situations was noted and was seen both a hindrance and strength. The advantage the geographer has appears to be in communicating relatively complex (engineering, etc.) ideas to a broader audience through various 'standard' means, e.g. Stats, maps, graphs etc. A concluding observation by one panelist, which might be grounds for optimism, was that a large percentage of current jobs had not been 'invented' ten years ago when they graduated. Alan Brunger thanked the panel for having so fearlessly described their careers since Trent for the benefit of the graduating students. He noted reference to the Internet, which provided an invaluable means of 'networking' both between colleagues and classmates, but also with potential employer and clients.  |
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