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1.4: Reading: Profile Gibson

  • Page ID
    49540
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    Pre-reading Activity

    Before you read, discuss the questions below with your classmates.

    • What are some majors that students can pursue in college or university?
    • Which of these majors are good for people who enjoy adventure?

    Skim the student profile and fill out the chart below.

    Name of student Major Name of profile author Name of university

    Vocabulary Preview

    Match the words below with their meanings. Then add -er or -or to create a new word that means "a person who ___________"

    Word Bank

    • Geography
    • Photography
    • Adventure
    • Survey
    • Travel
    • Hydrography

    Definitions

    • The science of mapping bodies of water, such as seas, lakes, and rivers
    • The study of the physical features of the earth as well as populations, resources, land use, and industries
    • To make a journey; to go from one place to another
    • The art of taking and processing photographs
    • To examine and record an area in order to make a map
    • An unusual and exciting activity or experience
    • A _______________is a person who studies the science of mapping bodies of water, such as seas, lakes, and rivers.
    • A _____________ is a person who studies the physical features of the earth as well as populations, resources, land use, and industries.
    • A ____________is a person who makes a journey or goes from one place to another.
    • A _________________ is a person who practices the art of taking and processing photographs.
    • A _____________ is a person who examines and records an area in order to make a map.
    • An ______________is a person who has an unusual and exciting activity or experience.

    Student Profile

    Student Spotlight--Cody Gibson

    June 25, 2014

    Geomatics major, Class of 2015

    Hometown: Shawnee, Oklahoma

    Cody Gibson.jpg

    image courtesy Cody Gibson

    Did you know that while 24 people have been to the moon, just three have been to the deepest part of the ocean? We have more understanding of the moon's geography than the geography of Earth's sea floor.

    "The ocean is only five to eight percent mapped," said Cody Gibson, a geomatics student at the University of Alaska, Anchorage and adventurer who is committed to mapping the mysterious depths of the ocean. The challenge? Average depths of about 14,000 feet--that's 2.65 miles. Cody works for Fugro Pelagos, a company with surveyors around the world who specialize in mapping the sea floor.

    Before we learn more of Cody's story, an important question: what does a person studying geomatics do? Besides wear orange vests around campus, of course.

    "Essentially we're mapping the Earth, using math, physics, law practices, everything possible," he said.

    With just one semester left until his December graduation, Cody is looking forward to committing full-time to Fugro, the company he first connected with as an intern almost two years ago. Geomatics graduates are in such high demand in Alaska, he said, it's rare for a student to graduate without a job offer in hand.

    "If they don't have an offer by graduation," he said, "they'll have one in a matter of weeks." Most will end up working in land surveying, but Cody is excited to be working in his specialized field, hydrography, which keeps him out on the water through much of the summer, surveying and outfitting boats with state-of-the-art mapping equipment.

    "University of Alaska, Anchorage is my 17th school since I was in first grade," Cody said with a grin. "My mom just liked to travel a lot so we traveled often. She'd start at a new school, I'd start at a new school. She's a teacher--English, drama, music, all sorts of things."

    Cody 2.jpg

    Image courtesy Cody Gibson

    UAA is Cody's third college. After graduating from high school in Oregon, he studied photography at Southern Oregon University. After Oregon, he transferred to University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. There he took all their photography courses and started thinking about alternatives. He caught sight of a roadside survey crew and it got him thinking.

    He began researching geomatics programs and decided to go to UAA. Alaska sounded like the best adventure, so he headed North.

    "I love it. I've spent less than a month out of the state since I moved here," he said.

    When he's not working or in class, he's exploring Alaska. He enjoys solo kayaking adventures, hiking, and biking. He keeps a camera close by on his adventures, too. His first summer in Alaska he spent working for an aerial mapping company.

    Cody 3.jpg

    Cody in his kayak. Image courtesy Cody Gibson

    If all goes to plan, Cody's next adventures may take him back up in the air to get a better look at the oceans below.

    "There's an overlay between hydrography and LIDAR, which is where they shoot lasers down from a plane to map the earth by millions and millions of data points," he explained. "There's a crossover there caller LIDAR bathymetry and that's really what I'm interested in--mapping the ocean with LIDAR."

    That's something Fugro does, he said. Geomatics gives him the opportunity to travel around the world. His degree will take him everywhere from Belize to Trinidad to Saudi Arabia for winter work.

    Alaska, too, will remain on his list for personal and professional exploration.

    "I've only been to a small percentage of Alaska and there's so much left to do," he said. "I came up to Alaska for an adventure and exceeded my expectations by a long shot."

    This story written by Jamie Gonzales, UAA Office of University Advancement

    cc licensed BY-NC http://greenandgold.uaa.alaska.edu/blog/25497/student-spotlight-cody-gibson/

    Comprehension Questions

    Read the profile a second time and answer the questions below.

    • What company does Cody work for and what do they do?
    • Which of the following defines "mapping"?
      • Putting locations on a map
      • Sleeping peacefully in the afternoon
      • Wearing an orange vest around campus
    • When will Cody graduate? Where will he work after he graduates?
    • What subject did Cody study before he came to the University of Alaska?
    • What are some advantages of studying geomatics, according to the profile? Choose all that apply.
      • Jobs in geomatics are easy to find
      • Geomatics is an easy major
      • The professors are very nice and helpful
      • The jobs in geomatics offer interesting travel
      • Geomatics technology is interesting
      • People who work in geomatics are active

    Writing Interview Questions

    When an author writes a profile, they need to conduct an interview first in order to gather information about their subject. The author of this profile is Jamie Gonzalez. Jamie Gonzalez asked Cody about his life, his studies and his future career. What questions do you think Jamie Gonzalez asked?

    For each answer, write the questions that the interviewer probably asked Cody. There is more than one possible question for each answer, but try to start your question with the word provided. The first task is completed for you as an example.

    • I work for Fugro Pelagos, a company with surveyors around the world who specialize in mapping the seafloor.
      • Question: Where do you work?
    • Essentially, we're mapping the Earth, using math, physics, law practices, everything possible.
      • Question: What....
    • I first connected with Fugro Pelagros as an intern two years ago.
      • Question: How...
    • University of Alaska, Anchorage is my 17th school since I was in first grade.
      • Question: Where...
    • My mom just liked to travel a lot so we traveled often.
      • Question: Why...
    • I started at Southern Oregon University; then I attended University of Colorado.
      • Question: Where...
    • Alaska sounded like the best adventure
      • Question: Why...
    • I enjoy solo kayaking adventures, hiking, and biking. I always take my camera.
      • Question: Why...
    • Read the last section of the profile, starting at "If all goes to plan..." What question did the interviewer ask to learn all of this information? Write an open-ended question.

    This page titled 1.4: Reading: Profile Gibson is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Sara Ferguson.

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