Student Spotlight: Ben Campbell

When Ben Campbell’s job brought him to Sacramento, he decided he liked it enough to make it his permanent home. However, he was working in the tech industry, and he wanted a position in the environmental sciences.

With a bachelor’s degree in environmental geography, he already had some background in GIS, but he wanted to refresh his skills and stay relevant in the industry. Using an AmeriCorps Grant, he decided to complete the UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) Geographic Information Systems Professional Concentration as a way to become more versed in GIS technology.

“This certificate was important for my career moving forward,” Campbell said. “The material helped to bring me up to date on all the new developments in the GIS field. I also learned a lot about GIS applications in other industries.”

He continued, “These classes bolstered my skills and gave me the training to be more marketable. That will help me move my career in the right direction.”

Campbell recommends the GIS Professional Concentration for anyone who wants to work in the field, and he said it would be particularly relevant for those with a science background who want to add GIS expertise to their resume.

“People are interacting with GIS more and more in their jobs, and this training will familiarize them with its applications. Knowing the problems that it can solve gives you perspective on what GIS can do and what people are using it for,” he said.