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Megan Petroski

Experience Level: Entry Level
Location: Rochester, NY
Last Updated: May 9, 2012

Experience

Megan E. Petroski
mpetros1@kent.edu

OBJECTIVE
To obtain a position that complements my passion and experience in GIS and sustainability.

EDUCATION
Kent State University
M.A.: Geography (concentration - urban planning, sustainability, GIS) 2012
Thesis: Perceived Health Effects of Constructed Green Spaces on Populations in the Urban Environment

B.A.: International Relations (minor - geography) 2010
Honors Senior Thesis: What Makes the Swiss Tick?: Exploring Components of the Swiss National Identity

SIGNIFICANT SKILLS
Technical
ArcMap (9.3 and 10.0), Blackboard VISTA and LEARN (online classroom software), MS Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Google SketchUp, basic HTML coding

Safety Skills
CPR/AED, Oxygen, First Aid, Wilderness First Aid, Survival Basics, Team Leadership Challenges Instructor, ACA Level 1 Kayak Instructor

Language
French (intermediate to advanced skills)

GIS/SUSTAINABILITY EXPERIENCE
GIS Teaching Assistant
Kent State University, Kent, Ohio August 2011 – May 2012
Traditional classroom
o Instructed 15 – 40 students (freshman – graduate, non-traditional, ESL) during class and lab hours
o Held 20 office hours a week to tutor students in the usage of ArcMap software
On-line classroom
o Instructed 15 – 25 students (freshman – graduate) using Blackboard LEARN
o Resolved problems with the software through email and discussions boards

Conference Assistant
Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) Annual User Conference
San Diego, California July 2010
 Greeted conference attendees and informed them on conference schedule
 Offered technical support to presenters
 Designed seven product displays placed at several hotels
 Ran a cash register stand and interacted with attendees
 Attended sessions on GIS in forestry and fire, the unveiling of ArcMap 10, and talks by Jack
Dangermond (founder of ESRI)

Megan Petroski (2)

Graduate Assistant
Office of Sustainability - Kent State University, Kent, Ohio July 2010 – May 2011
 In absence of supervisor on maternity leave, assumed her responsibilities
 Organized marketing campaign for campus-wide annual RecycleMania Competition (Spring 2011)
o Worked with Resident Services and Campus Environment and Operations to coordinate event
o Presented informational sessions to residence hall communities on importance of recycling
o Created display boards for Ohio Sustainability Conference showing results of 2011 competition
 Planned and executed annual Campus –Wide Energy Competition (Fall 2010)
o Increased awareness of energy usage in residence halls and academic buildings
o Provided energy saving tips for students and faculty to use both on and off campus
o Collected and entered energy meter readings into online database to show gauge energy savings during eight week competition
o Created presentations, social media, and bulletin boards to advertise event to residents and staff
 Educated the campus and community on sustainability issues using display booths, blog posts, Twitter
updates, Facebook groups, Resident Assistant programs
 Facilitated meetings with Sustainability Task Force steering committee (65 members) responsible for
changes to improve the university’s commitment to a sustainable campus
 Conducted research for new campus bike-sharing grant
o Created spreadsheet detailing bike sharing programs across the country
o Designed survey to assess biking culture on campus
o Led student focus groups to understand biking impediments on campus

CARTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE
Project Web Designer
Advanced Cartography Class, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio Fall 2010
 Created an online portfolio to showcase web programming , cartographic, and GIS knowledge
o Incorporated digital elevation models, fly over’s, storytelling using maps, HTML script
o http://www.personal.kent.edu/~mpetros1/

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
Certified Lifeguard/Lifeguard Instructor/Water Safety Instructor/CPR Instructor August 2003 – present

Adaptive Aquatics Coordinator May 2010 – May 2012

Vice President of Kent State University Kayak Club 2011, 2012
Co-wrote a $15,000 grant proposal for new kayaking equipment

Summer Conference Assistant May – August 2010

Resident Assistant Spring 2008 – Spring 2010

Vice President of Recruitment and Retention, National Residence Hall Honorary 2008

Vice President of Hall Council 2007

Camp Lohikan, Lake Como, Pennsylvania
Camp Counselor, Water Safety Instructor, Lifeguard Instructor/Lifeguard May – August 2011

Uptown Tan. Geneseo, New York
Assistant Manager February 2004 – December 2010
Megan Petroski (3)

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Intern
Geneva Center for Security and Policy Geneva, Switzerland January – May 2009
 Completed research tasks on terrorism, international relations, and drug cartels
 Facilitated organization of the GCSP library, budgeted funds for new books, research new titles
 English editorial work for co-workers who were not native to the English language
 Key researcher in background information for Geneva Games (NATO simulation)

PRESENTATIONS
 American Association of Geographers Conference (bike sharing, February 2012)
 OASPA/OCPA Conference (Sustainability on College Campuses, January 2011)
 Ohio Transportation Consortium Conference on Bike Sharing (November 2010)
 Guest lecturer in Geography of Europe on national identity of Switzerland (Spring 2010,2011,2012)

LEADERSHIP AWARDS
2012: Graduate Teaching Assistant of the Year (Kent State University)
2011: Counselor of the Year (Camp Lohikan); Most Likely to Succeed (Kent State University)
2010: Staff Member of Distinction (Kent State University); Most Likely to Succeed (Kent State University)
2008: Resident Assistant Rookie of the Year (Kent State University)
2007: Employee of the Month (Uptown Tan)

COMMUNITY OUTREACH
 Hattie Larlham, a facility for mentally retarded/developmentally disabled clients; planned client
activities, interacted with residents at the facility (2010)
 Clean up the Cuyahoga, a city of Kent project to promote cleaner, healthier rivers (2009, 2010)
 A Day in the Life of a College Student, Upward Bound Program at Kent State University; sponsored one
to four students on a day of activities around campus (2007, 2008, 2010)

TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
 Wilderness Adventure Trip with the Kent State Adventure Center in Georgia (Spring 2010)
 Study Abroad in Geneva Switzerland (Spring 2009)
 Exchange student in France (Spring 2006)
 People to People Student Ambassadors in Australia & New Zealand (Summer 2004)