By Olivier Uyttebrouck Journal Staff Writer
Larry Rose's students, who include two archaeologists, an electrician and an aspiring water resources manager, seem an unlikely group to share a common academic pursuit.
The group meets twice a week at Albuquerque Vocational Technical Institute to learn how to track large amounts of data across a geographical area — a relatively young field called geographic information science, or GIS.
TVI began a program this fall in geographic information technology to give students practical skills in GIS, said Rose, the program's creator. TVI now offers a two-year associate degree and a one-year certification in geographic information technology.
Raul Montoya, 40, is among the 25 students enrolled in Rose's GIS 101 class this fall. Montoya, an Albuquerque electrician, said a recent job experience convinced him that a working knowledge of GIS techniques could help his career.
"I had to get involved finding old gas lines," Montoya said. He found himself in the field with a metal detector drawing crude maps showing the location of the lines.
"When I wanted to make a computerized version of the maps, I discovered that few people do that work and it's expensive," he said. GIS software is tailor-made for such tasks, he said.
Luke Kellett, a graduate student in archaeology at the University of New Mexico, said he wants to use GIS techniques to map ancient settlement patterns in the mountains of Peru.
"Hopefully, GIS can get me a job in field work," said Kellett, 27. The sophisticated mapping software allows the user to catalog huge amounts of information with pinpoint accuracy, he said.
The varied backgrounds of Rose's students require him to offer all-purpose instruction that can be applied to many kinds of tasks, he said.
"It's kind of tough to grapple with everybody's needs in all these different fields," Rose said. But the diversity of the students highlights the flexibility of GIS as a data-management tool, he said.
GIS software is useful for any task that requires analyzing data geographically, he said.
For example, the U.S. Forestry Service can use GIS to study the diversity of trees in a forest. GIS can help cities better manage roads, utility lines and traffic signals. A business could use it to determine the best location for a new store.
Public Service Company of New Mexico uses GIS to track its far-flung electrical systems, Rose said.
Denise Bleakly, a GIS manager for Sandia National Laboratories and an adviser to the program, said employers in the Southwest typically pay at least $30,000 a year to GIS technicians with three years or more of experience.
"There are not enough people who know how to use GIS," she said. "There's always a hunt for these people."
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