From Left, Professor Eric Shen, Kailin Liu (BS‘26), Christine Stavish (MS ‘23), Timothy Labounko (BS ‘24), Alex Wang (BS ‘26), Dr. Michael Phoenix, at the ESRI Learning Center

This past Tuesday, November 8th, pouring rain and heavy traffic did not deter USC students from visiting the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) Headquarters in Redlands, CA. As students from various academic disciplines toured the beautifully landscaped campus, they learned about the work and history of ESRI, a leader in geographic information systems (GIS) software. Guided by retired ESRI employee Dr. Michael Phoenix, students explored a multitude of GIS applications–and alternative career paths from around the globe. In the Geo Experience Center, they saw these applications in action as Senior Solution Engineer Amanda Stanko demonstrated how GIS is used in transportation, security, commercial, and medical contexts. 

Much of ESRI’s campus interweaves nature and architecture, a detail personally overseen by CEO Jack Dangermond

When asked about this eye-opening experience, Tim Labounko, an undergraduate junior studying Urban Studies and Planning, said, “GIS is not just a tool; it’s a way of thinking outside the box. Maps are just fun to make and look at, but any job I’m going to get will involve that type of spatial thinking.” Christine Stavish, a graduate student studying Civil Engineering with an emphasis on Transportation Engineering, shared Labounko’s sentiments, “Maps are a good way to communicate the reality of situations as you can visualize it. But you also need to be careful about how you portray data.” 

Indeed, how data and GIS are used have evolved rapidly since ESRI’s founding in 1969, creating exciting new possibilities but also numerous considerations. Tour organizer and USC Adjunct Associate Professor Eric Shen remembered how, as one of the first groups of young professionals to learn ArcGIS 4.0 at the City of Los Angeles, “Twenty-plus years ago, everyone carried and used the Thomas Brothers map. Today’s college students grew up with mobile apps, including Google Earth where maps are part of the daily fabric. Linking the BIG DATA with geospatial analytics will help solve complex issues. Your imagination truly has no limits.” Reflecting on their experiences at ESRI, undergraduate freshmen Alex Wang and Kailin Liu noted how GIS is becoming increasingly vital to all fields of work. Wang, studying Intelligence and Cyber Operations, noted that “GIS teaches a way of thinking holistically. It allows us to store, process, and secure all of this information in a way that we’ve never been able to do before.” Liu, a pre-med student studying Quantitative Biology, furthered this idea by saying, “Nowadays there are so many societal issues that can be presented as simple and one-sided. But in reality, there are a lot of other things that feed into it. Even in the medical field where issues concern the minutiae of life, professionals are impacted by supply chain, politics, accessibility, economics, and so much more.”

Students and tour guide Dr. Michael Phoenix listen to Senior Solution Engineer Amanda Stanko in the Geo Experience Center

On a final, more lighthearted note, the students were particularly grateful for their tour guide Dr. Phoenix’s explanations and advice about their future careers—related to GIS or not. Labounko reflected how “because I am at college, I expected there will be a very good job waiting for me after graduation. But I learned that you don’t need to go down the traditional path.” Stavish, as she prepares to graduate in Spring 2023 shares that it is important to “work for someone that you share values with”, a thought shared by Wang as he added, “It’s important to find a cultural fit with a company and align with company values so you can meet cool people like Dr. Phoenix!” Heading back to USC, this trip to ESRI left indelible impressions on each student as they carried fresh inspirations for applying GIS and new life values to their respective journeys in planning, policy, transportation, medicine, international relations, and much more.

About the Author:

Kailin Liu is a freshman at USC Dornsife majoring in Quantitative Biology. While she plans to pursue a career in medicine, she is also expanding her study interests in policy and technology.