Surveyor Says! The NSPS Podcast

Episode 72 - As we wind down Women’s History Month, it is fitting that our final guest is exceptional in her own right. It is our pleasure to have Dominica VanKoten, Chief Cadastral Surveyor, BLM

As we wind down Women’s History Month for 2021, it is fitting that our final guest for this special month is exceptional in her own right. NSPS appreciates our longstanding partnership with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), so it is our pleasure to have Dominica VanKoten, Chief Cadastral Surveyor for the BLM. Prior to her current position, she led the Eastern States Office for BLM from 2008 to 2019. Dominica recently connected with Tim Burch to discuss how being interested in drafting and math in high school introduced her to surveying, her career path with the BLM, and current duties as Chief Cadastral Surveyor. She shared insights on many of the Bureau’s responsibilities and how important the Public Land Survey System is to the public.

NSPS and “Surveyor Says!” The NSPS Podcast would like to tip our cap to all women in the surveying and geomatics industry for a job well done. We appreciate your efforts and look forward to growing the profession with you. Thanks for listening!

Episode 71 - Our guest this week is Galen Scott from the National Geodetic Survey (NGS).

Happy National Surveyor’s Week!

Our guest this week is Galen Scott from the National Geodetic Survey (NGS). As the Constituent Resources Manager, Galen is involved with many of the tools and programs going on within NGS. He chatted recently with Tim Burch about the GPS on Benchmarks program and how important having crowdsourced data is for completing the geoid base for the 2022 datum changes. Galen also announced the new features to the OPUS programs, including a simplified way for bluebooking significant control stations AND the feature to upload RTK data to incorporate with your OPUS solutions. Lots of great stuff coming out of Silver Spring!

This is the first in a new series with Galen and lots of great things from NGS so stay tuned for even more! Thanks again for listening to “Surveyor Says!” The NSPS Podcast.

Episode 70 - In keeping with the theme of Women’s History Month, our very special guest for this episode is Juliana Blackwell, Director of the National Geodetic Survey (NGS).

In keeping with the theme of Women’s History Month, our very special guest for this episode is Juliana Blackwell, Director of the National Geodetic Survey (NGS). She recently talked with Tim Burch to share her career path leading up to her current position at the helm of the nation’s oldest federal science agency. From her days on a NOAA research ship, in the field with a survey crew collecting geodetic information, to the floor of the United Nations coordinating geopotential reference frames, Juliana’s story is fascinating and inspiring. She reiterates the importance of the need for upgrading the national spatial reference system (NSRS) to steer our future of autonomous guidance.

We are proud of our partnership with Juliana and NGS, so thanks for listening to this episode of “Surveyor Says!” The NSPS Podcast.

Episode 69 - Our 2nd episode for Women’s History Month goes “down under” with a lovely chat with Peta Cox, an Australian surveyor based in New South Wales.

Our second episode for Women’s History Month goes “down under” with a lovely chat with Peta Cox, an Australian surveyor based in New South Wales. She recently time warped with Tim Burch (a 17-hour time difference!) to discuss the similarities of surveying on either side of the Pacific Ocean. Peta talked about her early interest in being outside being key to her choosing land surveying, teaching introductory surveying classes all about the basics, and coming back to the private sector to oversee survey projects throughout southeastern Australia. She also shared how her love for the profession urged her to start the “Defining Boundaries” podcast to capture the stories of surveying for memorializing forever. (Look for the podcast on all major streaming services.)

Thanks again to Peta for taking time out of her busy schedule to be featured here on “Surveyor Says!” The NSPS Podcast.

Episode 68 - With March being Women’s History Month, we start strong with our “Future Focus” series and welcoming Sarah Walker, a dynamic Nevada Young Surveyor.

With March being Women’s History Month, we start strong with our “Future Focus” series and welcoming Sarah Walker, a dynamic Nevada Young Surveyor who recently passed both of her NCEES exams. She recently sat down with Tim Burch to discuss how she was introduced to surveying, how she enjoys doing boundary retracement, and weekends on her dirt bike finding new mountain trails. Sarah also shares how important having a mentor is to her professional development and working towards being able to teach surveying in the future. She also talked about the success of building the Nevada Young Surveyors Network (50+ members!) through networking and sharing experiences.

The future of surveying will be bright with more young professionals like Sarah and we appreciate her being our guest here on “Surveyor Says!” The NSPS Podcast.

Episode 67 - We welcome Elly Ball of the “Get Kids into Survey” initiative back for another chat with exciting news.

The new posters are here! The new posters are here!

We welcome Elly Ball of the “Get Kids into Survey” initiative back for another chat about the two new posters, exciting news about the ongoing comic book series, and hints on what lies ahead for the ladies from England. Tim Burch recently sat down with Elly to talk about all things GKIS, surviving the pandemic, and gearing up for more educational opportunities. She shared the inspiration for the new Transport and Environmental Disaster posters, and hints on what to see in the next one on Climate Change. Elly provided details on upcoming projects designed specifically for teaching and where GKIS will venture in the coming year.

A big thanks to Elly and the staff at “Get Kids into Survey” for the program update and sharing it here “Surveyor Says!” The NSPS Podcast.

P.S. Check out Elly’s keynote speech for the Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyor’s Annual Institute here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3ln05myDIg

Episode 66 - Did you know that a professional surveyor can also be a proficient timpanist? We have one, and he is also an officer of NSPS!

Did you know that a professional surveyor can also be a proficient timpanist? We have one, and he is also an officer of NSPS!

This episode of “Surveyor Says!” highlights a conversation with Bob Miller, PLS, and NSPS Treasurer. He recently chatted with Tim Burch to talk about his roundabout start in surveying, finding the right mentor, and how learning the basics of surveying are still key factor to success in the profession. Bob shares his experiences from both the field and office perspective, as he highlights how having a good understanding of both is critical to the surveyor’s career. Now if he would just quit having those nightmares about the turkey farm!

Thanks for joining us to learn more about the elected officers here on “Surveyor Says!” The NSPS Podcast.

Episode 65 - This “Future Focus” features Jocelyn Correa, a licensed surveyor from CA. She talked with Tim Burch about making the early transition from architectural student to cadastral mapper

This session of the “Future Focus” series features Jocelyn Correa, a licensed surveyor from California. She recently talked with Tim Burch about making the early transition from architectural student to cadastral mapper and leading into discovering her love for surveying. Jocelyn shared her experiences with chasing boundary retracement, tying it together with UAV and topographic data with the appropriate quality checks, to create surveys that provide great information and value to the client. She also spoke about how a welcoming work environment adds to the overall positive experience as a surveyor. Jocelyn adds that mentoring is an important factor to the success of all surveyors, so keeping the channels open for learning opportunities is vital.

Another great episode on “Surveyor Says!” The NSPS Podcast, so thank you for joining us!

Episode 64 - This “Future Focus” features a conversation with Emily Soloby, founder of “Hazard Girls” podcast along with a new line of safety boots for women through her “Juno Jones” apparel line.

Continuing our journey in the “Future Focus” series, this episode features a conversation with Emily Soloby, founder of “Hazard Girls” community and podcast along with a new line of safety boots for women through her “Juno Jones” apparel line. Emily recently hosted our NSPS Vice President, Amanda Allred on “Hazard Girls” and our common interest in promotion of women in non-traditional roles led to inviting her onto our podcast. Tim Burch recently talked with her about what encouraged her to start both “Hazard Girls” and “Juno Jones” and how she is using these platforms to broadcast the message of career development across all professions and occupations.

https://junojonesshoes.com/

https://junojonesshoes.com/pages/hazard-girls

https://www.facebook.com/groups/hazardgirls/

A big thanks to Emily for a great conversation here on “Surveyor Says!” The NSPS Podcast.

Episode 63 - Our “Future Focus” series finds us in the New England area and a conversation with Cassandra Quintal, a licensed surveyor and GIS professional from Maine.

Our “Future Focus” series finds us in the New England area and a conversation with Cassandra Quintal, a licensed surveyor and GIS professional from Maine. From her early days working for an attorney reviewing abstracts and earning her master’s degree in GIS to going back to school for her surveying degree and eventual licensure, Cassandra shares her colorful journey in today’s profession with Tim Burch. She shares her experiences using her surveying and GIS background in varying environments, including her love for boundary retracement in the backwoods of Maine. Cassandra also shares her involvement in starting the Maine Young Surveyors group and how important the mentor relationship is to the young practitioner. 

Thanks for joining us for a great talk with Cassandra here on “Surveyor Says!” The NSPS Podcast.