"So, where is Tajikistan?"

Aldo Aviña
BS UNT Geography 2008, MS UNT Biology 2010

If you’re like me… you probably don’t think about your mornings because you sleep in until the last possible moment. Instead of a hot cup of coffee and perhaps some frozen waffles, you are left to snack on that crumbling Pop Tart carefully guarded by your textbooks at the bottom of your backpack during 3190 or Graduate Seminar.  If you’re like me, and similar to Sarah’s blog post, you have had to field questions like “So where is Tajikistan?” or “So what is the capital of Tajikistan?” or “So what country is next to Tajikistan?” I don’t understand what the infatuation with Tajikistan is either, but you are patient and explain that a Geography major is like an English major – there are many concentrations and applications that go beyond simple trivia found on an old rerun of Jeopardy!

If you’re like me, you want to increase your spatial awareness and that’s why you are here.

I’d like to take this opportunity to talk a little bit about my time at UNT and how it developed me as a student and professional. I don’t mean for it to serve as a guide—you all have your own story—but rather as a way to relate to you.

The story... First, I’ll give you some perspective as to where UNT Geography has gotten me:  I am currently a second-year PhD student at the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth studying Environmental Health Science, less than two years away from finishing. For those interested in a doctoral degree: I want to use this degree to work in public health at the state or federal level; I want this degree in order to put me in a position to positively influence the health of a large number of people. This degree is not for my personal benefit or desire, nor is it a proof of accomplishment to myself. Rather, it represents a set of tools and experiences that allows me to achieve a public health career and to perform duties efficiently and effectively.

My entry into UNT was strange and complicated. I never thought about attending college until my senior year of high school, when I knew music would be the greatest thing. In the summer of 2004, I was in the process of a third audition for the music program at UT and had already been accepted to the music program at Texas State. Additionally, I had submitted my written intent to attend the music program at Texas State. This entire time I had already been rejected from the UNT music program – during the audition.

That left me with two choices, right? Technically yes, but I chose UNT. Why? There is no “why.” A decision I do not regret, I weighed the option of doing music as a career or using a connection at UNT to network and discover what I really wanted to do. So, by fall of 2004, I was a wide-eyed math major 226 miles from home in Denton, Texas sharing a 10x10 foot space in a friend’s garage. “Aldo the Math Major”. I didn’t like the sound of it either. My haphazard and blissful approach to college led to a difficult and disinterested first year. With the guidance of the McNair Scholars program and Dr. Bruce Hunter and Dr. Miguel Acevedo, however, I was introduced to the world of Geography. I won’t dwell on this because you know why you like Geography and you remember that moment of realization, but I had finally found the direction I was looking for. I hadn’t found my niche, however. Not yet.

My niche was discovered later, through undergraduate research and networking. The McNair Scholars program helps those who are underprivileged or underrepresented (but who have the desire to do research) by matching them with a mentor. The mentor is given the task of teaching the undergraduate student research skills in their field and of preparing them for post-baccalaureate life. I was conditionally accepted and matched with Dr. Acevedo, provided that I improved my grades. Through my work with Dr. Acevedo fighting the brush to track woodpeckers and watching bison, hawks, deer and coyote at the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area, I met Bruce (Dr. Hunter) and Dr. Oppong.

In short, Bruce introduced me to the world of GIS and Dr. Oppong introduced me to the world of Medical and Health Geography; I decided to think about both as a unit. This can be translated to any field with a geographic application: Ecology, Geology, Genetics, Sociology, Ornithology, the list goes on.

But did I want to be a “GIS-er”? Not necessarily. I knew that I didn’t want to work as a contractor editing fire hydrant databases or in some similar setting. It just isn’t my thing. I wanted to be able to manage spatially-referenced data effectively and correctly. Which brings me to my next point: do you want a career in the world of geographic information science, or do you want to use GISci as a supplement to your career? I have seen many colleagues take these two main routes, and it is something I suggest you think about now. Do you want to be a GIS-er or do you want to use GIS as a tool? Neither is wrong. It depends on your skills, interests and expertise.

I chose to use it as a tool to apply geo-analytical methods to spatially-referenced health data. Through this route I am able to look at the geography of environmental exposures and hazards and how it affects health outcomes.

…And that’s my story.

Moral of the story?  What I would like you, the UNT Geography student, to get out of my journey is that your future depends on you and your actions. My ship was righted after a rocky start, with a strong influence from Bruce and my research mentors. It was not their responsibility, however, to improve my grades, receive that GIS certificate, or publish my thesis – and I will always appreciate that. It is not to say they didn’t help me succeed but rather that they taught me how to be successful.

Yes, but what can I do?  Network, you must. Talk to your peers and look for a research mentor if you are an undergraduate. Developing a healthy, professional relationship with a mentor will beget future success. Think about what you want to become both in terms of a career, as well as your use of GISci in your career.  As you are writing your thesis, think about where to publish. If you can withstand the word “no” then you can withstand the publishing process. Further, once you are published, you become a more desirable job or graduate candidate. Also, you don’t have to publish alone.  As you are working on your research, go to conferences! After you’ve gone to SWAAG or done a poster presentation, move up to an international conference and an oral presentation.

Additionally, start looking for graduate programs now, and network with professors there too! It’s not difficult. You can Google the chair of any geography department with one hand. University departments list their faculty and their research papers. Don’t forget to update that CV.  My point is you have to take the initiative. Think about your future. Talk to a professor if you’re confused, if you need help or if you are ready to begin. Introduce yourself at the beginning of every semester. Who knows, that introduction may land you a director position at the CDC a few years down the line.