Abstract

Mapping Future Surveyors
Track: Education
Authors: Debra Anderson

This presentation will discuss our aging surveying workforce and offer a plan to increase public awareness of surveying; ultimately seeking land surveyors of tomorrow. As the average age of a U.S. land surveyor is +55 . and growing, university and college surveying programs are not enrolling enough students to replace our current survey workforce.

GPS Day is an initiative in conjunction with the National Surveyors Week to bring awareness to the land surveying profession and the advancement of measurement technology. GPS Day will highlight mainstream capabilities of GPS (Global Positioning System). Once only practiced by surveyors, GPS technology is now being used by novices with geocaching, hiking, camping and many outdoors activities. Consumer uses include car navigation, and daily handheld mobile applications.

GPS will serve as the link between land surveyors and the public - and ignite the interest in tomorrow's land surveyors.

The goal of GPS DAY is to share with the public demonstrations of real-world GPS applications that make a difference in our society. This day will demonstrate to the significance of our mapping profession, and the important role of the surveyor.

Furthermore, this presentation will outline the plan work with student and public volunteers, state survey societies, ACSM and MO's, NOAA, NGS, universities, and surveying publications.