Andrew Munsch Is...

a Graduate Student in the Master of Geographic Information Science Program at the University of Minnesota

With Strong Interests In...

  • GIS in History
  • GIS on the Web

With Experience Using...

  • ArcGIS
  • Adobe Creative Suite
  • Microsoft Office

And Experience With...

  • Web design
  • Map Creation
  • Javascript API's
  • Training and Supervision

Resume (PDF)

Contact Andrew Munsch:

My name is Andrew Munsch, and I am currently a graduate student enrolled in the Master of Geographic Information Science program at the University of Minnesota. This site serves as a digital portfolio of my academic, independent, and professional work.

My primary field of study is Geographic Information Science, with a focus on transportation and/or history. I started in GIS as an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Geography in 2003. My original focus was on the mapping and statistical analysis of climatic data, specifically rainfall patterns around the Twin Cities metro area.  My undergraduate senior project was an attempt to find spatial statistical patterns in summer rain fall amounts and see if they changed over time.

After completing my undergraduate studies, my interests shifted to using geographic data for historic research.  I created a web site, Deadpioneer's Historic Minnesota Highways, devoted to exploring the historic alignments of Minnesota’s trunk highway system. My research relied heavily on historic aerial photos, right-of-way maps, and construction plans.  In pursuit of better ways of displaying that information, I began creating both static and dynamic maps. Specifically, I tapped into the capabilities provided by JavaScript, KML and the Google Maps API to provide interactivity. While creating my web site, I also began a brief foray into the MGIS program as a non-degree seeking student, completing several major projects (see the "Academic Work" tab above for examples). Concurrently, I worked at the University of Minnesota Bookstore, where I helped to create and produce our award winning Author Event Podcasts. I also gained experience in training and leading a team of workers in the shipping and receiving department (see the "professional work" tab above.)

In terms of future work, I would prefer to focus on the discovery and creation of historic geographic information and working to make it available freely on the web. However, my interests are not so narrow as to preclude working with other types of data. My interest in GIS in general stems from its immediate ability to visualize information in a way that combines the innate idea of place with spatial pattern recognition to allow for a powerful visual understanding.