Testimonials | Remote Sensing & Geospatial Data Analytics Online Graduate Certificate

“It was especially exciting being in a virtual classroom full of students that come from so many different backgrounds. Some people have been in the industry for 20+ years, while others are just starting out…. It’s interesting hearing what others have to say and learning from each other, but you definitely have to engage more in order to get more out of it. I ended up really enjoying the online aspect of it. It’s very dynamic and it’s super unique, and to have professors that are excited about teaching is even better.” — Caroline Vill, Remote Sensing & Geospatial Data Analytics Online Graduate Certificate, Graduate Spring 2024

Leaping into a New Field

As a research scientist, Caroline Vill is passionate about exploring the great outdoors. While pursuing an MS in Marine Biology, she took a remote sensing class. She was captivated with this whole new way of seeing the world. Following her passion, Caroline enrolled in the Remote Sensing & Geospatial Data Analytics Online Graduate Certificate at the University of Connecticut (UConn). Recently graduating, Caroline feels confidently prepared with the skills and knowledge to leap into the field and pursue a career she loves.

Getting her leg in the door

After earning a BS in Biology, Caroline was pursuing an MS in Marine Biology at the College of Charleston. This is when she first discovered her fascination for the field of remote sensing. As Caroline explains, “I took a remote sensing class in grad school, and I just thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever learned. I remember my professor was mapping different storms on Mars. There was another guy that was looking at different sediments because you can pick up different rock energies using the satellites, and you can tell what minerals are in the soil and the composition of them. I think it’s just the endless possibilities of what you could do. It’s just so unique and exciting for me.”

After moving back home, Caroline continued to feel drawn to the field of remote sensing. Recognizing she needed to learn more before entering the field, she began researching possibilities. “As I was trying to figure out my next plan, I thought about remote sensing more and more. I knew I wanted to somehow go into the field, but it can be difficult, especially when you’re looking at sciences, if you don’t have that background. The thought of doing another whole graduate degree was a little bit daunting, and I didn’t want to put myself in that situation again, at least not initially. So, I started looking into certificate programs, and UConn popped up. It’s a reputable school so I looked a little more into it, and I was like, ‘I think this is what I want to do, at least for an introduction into the field to get my leg in the door.’” Following her passion, Caroline started the 4-course, 12-credit program in fall 2022, completing her last course in December 2023.

Flexibility to pace herself

The idea of taking classes while working full time can feel intimidating. The flexibility to work at her own pace by taking just one course a semester was essential for Caroline. “I think it was really important for me to take just one class at a time. Of course, it takes a little more time, but that way I was able to focus on my coursework for that semester. You’re taking graduate-level courses, so they are a little bit more time-consuming. They are more in-depth, and they ask a little bit more of you, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all. I think they absolutely should, because now I feel more prepared for where I want to end up. I think that would be my advice for anyone going in: Don’t rush it. Learn as much as you can. And take your time to learn and retain all the information.”

While she admits that online learning can be challenging and requires self-discipline, Caroline says the support she received from her professors and classmates made it easier. “I think online learning can be very difficult. Even I had my struggles, because it’s different than your traditional classroom, and it’s definitely more self-driven. The structure for most classes is that they would post every week on Sundays or Mondays, and you would have a week to complete the coursework. Working full time, it can be difficult to find time to sit down and do this, especially when you’re talking about ten-plus hours a week, but the professors are so understanding, and they just really want to help you succeed. So, it can be difficult, and you really have to have some self-discipline in order to get it all done and actually retain something from it, but the professors and the students don’t make it more difficult. They try to make it easier.”

Reigniting her excitement

Diving into the program, Caroline’s excitement for remote sensing was reignited. “I loved the courses. I especially enjoyed my Remote Sensing of the Environment course (NRE 5525), with Dr. Shi Qui. It was similar to the class I took in grad school that initially got me interested. So, starting the program with that class was great. He was such a great professor, and so excited about what he was teaching. It made me excited all over again.”

With palpable enthusiasm, Caroline explains the source of her excitement for remote sensing: “I think the root of it is that everything on earth emits energy, so the satellites are picking up energy that all these objects on Earth are emitting. So, when you’re looking at a photo, asphalt is going to look a lot different than grass because of the moisture composition. It’s the same thing with the minerals. To me, it’s just absolutely wild. I had never heard of anything like this before. So, I think this program just got me re-excited about it. I come from a science background, and I’ve worked in research labs before. It can get very routine and very tedious. I know this totally can too, but it’s a different kind of tedious, if that makes sense. And it’s something that I enjoy doing. I don’t know what I was really expecting going into it, but it remained just as exciting.”

Supportive learning environment

Another course that stands out for Caroline, for a very different reason, was her very last course: Python Scripting for Geospatial Analysis (NRE 5585). Caroline admits that she was apprehensive going into a coding course, but says she felt extraordinarily supported by her professor, Dr. Thomas Meyer, as well as by her classmates. “I was a little intimidated about the coding class because I’ve taken a coding class before, and it didn’t go so well the first time. It’s difficult, but my professor, Dr. Meyer, was more than happy to hop on Zoom whenever I was getting frustrated or didn’t know how to do something. We also had forums going on Blackboard where we could post questions. The interactions between students were always very positive as well, where people want to help or provide more information or give you insights. By the end, I was writing scripts that ran, and I consider that a huge win – plus not wanting to throw my computer across the room. I really ended up enjoying that class, which I didn’t expect.”

Caroline adds, “I think the professors are just fantastic. They are super experienced and intelligent in their fields and have done ground-breaking research or have developed their own coding programs that are still used today. They are phenomenal and incredibly helpful.”

Learning from engaging with peers

Engaging with her peers via the HuskyCT/Blackboard online platform further enhanced the depth and quality of Caroline’s learning. “It was especially exciting being in a virtual classroom full of students that come from so many different backgrounds. Some people have been in the industry for 20+ years, while others are just starting out. When responding to articles in the forum, some students would bring other papers in or share their research that they were excited about, or maybe just answer questions giving you more insight. It’s interesting hearing what others have to say and learning from each other, but you definitely have to engage more in order to get more out of it. I ended up really enjoying the online aspect of it. It’s very dynamic and it’s super unique, and to have professors that are excited about teaching is even better.”

Confidence to leap into the field

Having recently graduated, Caroline is excited to embark on her new remote sensing career and feels prepared with the knowledge and skills she needs to be successful. “I feel very confident that this program has given me the background knowledge to go out and get a job in the field. The programs that you use for remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) are very involved, and they’re very powerful only if you know how to use them. I wanted to understand what I’m actually trying to do, rather than just clicking buttons and getting a result. I didn’t know how to use them, but now I do: I know how to use ENVI; I know how to use ArcGIS; I know how to script in Python. All of these programs are very important and they’re such powerful tools, but you can get really lost in them if you don’t know how to use them. So even though they’re introductory courses to the programs and I feel like I’ve just scratched the surface of them, I feel way more confident when looking at jobs, saying, ‘Yeah, I could do that. I have knowledge in this, and I feel like I could add value to your team.’ Because of the courses that the program requires, I feel I have the ability to walk into an entry-level job and feel just as comfortable as somebody coming out with a 4-year degree. It was a such great experience.”

Imagining her dream job

Looking toward the future, Caroline is already imagining what her dream job will look like:

“I would love to work for the parks systems. I’m a very outdoorsy person. As someone who frequents state parks and national parks and loves them, anyway I could help – for example, maintaining and providing people with trail maps to keep them safe or monitoring environmental disasters – would be so cool! I think I would really enjoy that line of work. Because my background is in marine biology, sea-floor mapping and coastal-mapping has always interested me as well. At this point, I just want to get my foot in the door somewhere so that I can start getting that experience and learning even more, so that I can end up in a park or on a boat or wherever I want to be in the future.”

To those who are considering applying to this program, Caroline encourages, “I would definitely recommend this to anyone who’s looking. I can’t stress enough how confident I feel. Even if you just want to learn more background about the field for your job or for yourself, whatever it may be, I think this program is really solid, and they have a great group of people who are running it and supporting you through it.”

“There’s always so much changing and so much to learn. If you’re already used to doing some remote sensing data collection or processing a certain way, by pursuing the grad certificate, it’s only going to enhance what you already know. Or maybe it’s going to give you the opportunity to learn the ‘why’ behind what you do. I feel like the entire curriculum has reinforced my appreciation for remote sensing, as a whole.” — Stuart (Stu) Babin, Remote Sensing & Geospatial Data Analytics Online Graduate Certificate, Graduate Spring 2023

You Can Never Know It All

Stuart (Stu) Babin is the epitome of the lifelong learner. As a Hydrographer and Remote Sensing Scientist with over 22 years of experience in the field, he brought a depth and breadth of expertise to his studies at the University of Connecticut (UConn). As he completes the Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analytics Online Graduate Certificate from UConn, Stu feels uniquely situated as a specialist in remote sensing, prepared to continue his learning, and responsible to share his knowledge by mentoring others in his field.

Stu’s journey in remote sensing began more than two decades ago as a Navy Petty Officer, where he specialized in radar surveillance and navigation. After leaving the Navy in 1996, Stu moved into the field of Hydrography. As he explains, “Hydrography is like the civilian equivalent of what I was doing in the Navy with adding more types of technology and data collection. Of course, in Hydrography, you’re not tracking an enemy on radar per se, as much as collecting data for mapping purposes.”

Lifelong learner in a radically changing field

After ten years of developing his skills in Hydrography, Stu began to feel like he wasn’t fully understanding the theory behind the data he was collecting. So, in his early 30s, he returned to school for his undergraduate degree, earning his Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Geography from Nicholls State University in 2013 – while simultaneously juggling the demands of his career and family. More recently, when his employer, Morris P. Hebert, Inc., became involved in UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) technology, Stu again decided to dive in and learn more by pursuing advanced certifications – for the benefit of himself as well as his employer. “In this rapidly advancing field, I felt like my company would have an advantage if someone would pursue an advanced degree and specialized certification.”

UConn a natural fit with huge advantages

After researching programs online, Stu found UConn’s Remote Sensing & Geospatial Data Analytics Online Graduate Certificate program the most attractive – and a natural fit. The uniqueness of UConn’s program set it apart from the rest: “A lot of other schools focus primarily on GIS (Geographic Information System), and not so much on the remote sensing and high-resolution data analysis, and really to me, that’s where the future is headed. Remote Sensing is everywhere, from lidar technology in new cellular phones and vehicles... You’re going to see and hear more about it.”

The online platform (Husky CT/Blackboard) was ideal for Stu, enabling him the flexibility to pursue his studies at his own time and pace. He began the 12-credit, 4 course program in fall 2021, and after taking one class each semester, Stu is now graduating in spring 2023. This flexibility made the challenge less daunting. “If you have a full-time job and a family, I don’t think that it’s too much to handle, especially if you approach it as I did, one class per semester.” Laughing, he adds, “Of course, I don’t watch much TV, but I enjoy the challenging workload – I think it’s fun. I’m going to miss grad school when it’s all over. I know that for sure.”

Stu also appreciated the flexibility to tailor the program to his specific interests through the choice of elective courses. This choice in specialization enabled him to deepen his understanding and streamline his work-flow processes.

Real-life applications

As a professional in the field, the opportunity to use existing projects or data that he was already working on was an impactful feature of the program. “I can take a project from work, and I can expand upon that dataset. That’s been really insightful.” For instance, Stu explains that he learned a lot about satellite imagery, which was new to him, and he was able to apply some of these methods and processing to a project he is managing on the Louisiana barrier islands. “Most of my experience has been with remote sensors that might be towed behind a vessel, attached to a drone, or maybe attached to a tripod base, not outer space remote sensing. I’ve been able to download raw images from satellites, which may have been taken last week, then process that data, and then use it on my existing projects. So, now I have a full spectrum of knowledge on more remote sensing platforms...from outer space, land, water, and beneath.”

World-class experts, engaged in cutting-edge research

Stu was very impressed by the expertise and cutting-edge research of his professors. “They are all good teachers and very knowledgeable of the subject matter. Not only do they teach, but they’re also very active in remote sensing research. And I think that’s the key. There’s some great lab work that’s being done at UConn. A lot of the coursework data examples were taken from existing research projects in the Storrs lab. So it’s very relevant.”

While he brought a lot of knowledge to the table, Stu found his courses very valuable to his learning. “It’s always a new learning experience every day in the remote sensing field. You never can know it all. There is an enormous amount of information, especially in the imaging processing class that I didn’t know, such as cloud removal in satellite imagery.” He was especially impressed to learn that his professor, Dr. Zhe Zhu, is the lead researcher and developer of this technology.

One surprising discovery for Stu was an increased awareness of how applicable learning is across different technologies. “Even though you have a certain methodology that you may do, for example underwater acoustics vs. UAS, it is still applicable. The systems are not the same, but everything is relatable: the software packages, the way the data is processed, the way you interpret the data, and a lot of the data workflows are very similar.”

Establishing relationships behind the scenes

Stu values a collaborative, sharing learning environment. He especially enjoyed participating in the online discussions with his peers. Recognizing what you put into the course determines what you get out of it, he consistently took the initiative to engage. “I take it upon myself when I’m taking a class to reach out to other students. Or sometimes they get a whim of me from a discussion post and understand that I have a lot of experience, and they’ll send me questions. And so I establish that relationship behind the scenes. I really like that part. If you’re taking an online class and if you don’t engage, then all you have is online lectures and your assignments, which can feel very isolated.”

Stu also appreciated the relationships forged with faculty. “Professors are very friendly and down to earth if you need to reach them. A couple times I had to schedule some Zoom meetings to get them to explain some advanced coursework. They’re very welcoming and accommodating.” Motivated to learn deeply, Stu’s relationships were further enhanced by his strong work ethic. “I try to go the extra mile. Maybe I’ll do some additional research and share some sources from some other papers I found. Or go a little bit overboard on some spreadsheets or charts with some of the analysis that’s required. I know that they appreciate when you’re not just trying to make the grade, and you really want to learn. I feel like that’s the way grad school is supposed to be.”

There’s always so much to learn

With technology rapidly advancing, Stu hopes he will never stop learning. “There’s always so much changing and so much to learn. If you’re already used to doing some remote sensing data collection or processing a certain way, by pursuing the grad certificate, it’s only going to enhance what you already know. Or maybe it’s going to give you the opportunity to learn the ‘why’ behind what you do. I feel like the entire curriculum has reinforced my appreciation for remote sensing, as a whole.”

Stu is now preparing for his next step: taking the credentialling exam this summer for ASPRS (American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing) Certified Mapping Scientist – Remote Sensing. Stu believes that his courses at UConn have given him an edge in preparing for the exam. “I feel like I’ve been studying for the exam the last two years, so I just need to spend a couple months studying specific things I’m not as familiar with.”

Recently appointed Vice President of ASPRS, Gulf South Region, Stu believes his expertise carries with it a responsibility to the field. “The problem with remote sensing is it has become so popular and it’s the latest buzz in high tech with drones, etc. So, they have a lot of people out there collecting data and they don’t really know what they’re doing. And that’s a big problem.... I think that those who have been in the field for a long time have a responsibility to not only mentor new ones, but to also share that knowledge with others who are currently in the field and can use some nudging towards standards of practice.”