ABOUT
The mission of CCGT is to build a community of interdisciplinary geospatial science practitioners through the support of research, teaching, and outreach activities using technologies that enable the collection, analysis, and application of geospatial data. The Center is dedicated to assisting faculty and students in the integration of geospatial technologies within their scholarly activities across all disciplines at Clemson University and building connections between academic, industrial, governmental and non-governmental institutions throughout the world.
The primary home for CCGT is in the Cooper Library, where staffed collaboration and training spaces are available to all members of the Clemson community through a partnership between CCIT and the Libraries. Through this partnership, CCGT strives to make resources available to the community, including training and workshops, data services for teaching and research, access to infrastructure for geospatial analysis (ranging from software licensing for GIS through high performance computing), and support for research and proposal development.
Patricia Carbajales-Dale
Executive Director
Patricia Carbajales-Dale serves as the Executive Director of CCGT, where she provides vision, leadership, and strategic direction of the Center’s programs and initiatives. Her team supports and trains over 2,000 students, staff, and faculty per year through academic and research initiatives, grant collaborations, management of cloud-computing and cyberGIS platforms, and collaborations with industry partners. Patricia currently serves in the Board of Directors of the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS), and in 2020 was selected by UCGIS to be a #TRELIS Fellow.
Patricia has a passion for teaching GIS and Data Visualization, and has taught GIS for Public Health at Clemson since 2015. Previous to Clemson, Patricia established and ran the Stanford Geospatial Center for four years at Stanford University where she also held the position of GIS Lecturer within the School of Earth Sciences. She created and taught the first "GIS for Good" class, a service learning class where students from different disciplines partnered with the United Nations, and other international humanitarian organizations to create innovative solutions to real-world problems.
Gakumin Kato
GIS Manager
Gakumin Kato manages the daily operations and geospatial services of CCGT, which include the provisions of geospatial technology consultation services for GIS projects, the management of cloud-based GIS platforms, and the coordination of GIS Fundamentals Workshops Series.
Prior to joining CCGT, Gakumin worked as a Geospatial Information Officer at an international organization in the field of peacekeeping. Also, he worked at an international geospatial consulting firm to provide geospatial consulting services to various clients, such as municipalities in Japan, national mapping agencies in countries in Asia and Europe, and more.
Gakumin holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Waseda university in Japan. He earned a Master of International Studies from the University of Tokyo, Japan, and a MSc in GIS from University of Redlands.
Patrick Claflin
GIS Sys Admin
Patrick was 26 when he started with Clemson under CCIT (it was called ITC then) in April of 1998. He worked on the z/OS mainframe as a system programmer, making sure that the hardware, operating system, and all associated applications were running properly. He also did some development and network management as well.
When Clemson completely disassociated itself from the mainframe in 2015 he started considering moving on as well so that he could be more apart of the Clemson community and to help achieve the goals that the university strive towards. The GIS administrator position was the perfect opportunity for him to get back under the Clemson umbrella and help Clemson University to be the best school possible.
Jared Gingrich
GIS and Drone Mapping Specialist
Jared uses drones and ground-based survey to enhance research with detailed geospatial data, specializing in aerial mapping and modeling. This work allows collaboration with a range of disciplines and the flexibility to approach research questions from unique perspectives. The interdisciplinary aspect of GIS is what initially got Jared interested in this work. As a bonus, this work also involves plenty of hand-on data collection; There’s never a dull moment.
Jared’s prior work involved drone-based mapping for environmental, geographic and archaeological projects, as well as teaching the use of geospatial methods for research in a variety of disciplines. Jared holds a B.S. from the University of Virginia in Environmental Science and Archaeology, and an M.S. in Environmental Sciences from Emory University, where he focused on GIS and Data Science.
Elham Masoomkhah
GIS Facilitator
As GIS Facilitator, Elham (Ellie) manages the daily operations of the Geospatial Center. This includes coordinating the geospatial technology consultation services, the implementation, and management of cloud-computing and web-based GIS platforms, sustaining and strengthening the GIS program as the primary provider of GIS-based services, research consultation, and user education to Clemson University students, faculty, and staff from all departments across campus and developing customized training materials for class instruction and project support.
Prior to joining CCGT, Ellie worked as GIS and Data Analysis Specialist at Clemson University Campus Planning and Design, where she provided GIS services following planning principles and applying advanced database management and cartographic procedures and developed a series of best practices guidelines for data collection and publication of geospatial data across departments based on current infrastructure and long-term needs.
Ellie earned a B.Sc. in Architectural Engineering from the National University of Iran in 2012. She worked as an architect and an urban planner in Iran for a while before leaving home. She obtained her Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning program at Clemson University.
Chris Vinson
Liaison to Clemson Libraries
Chris joined Clemson University Libraries in 2011 and serves as the Head of Library Technology, a role he finds to be both challenging and rewarding. He develops and implement policies and service models to provide support to the libraries and university in the areas of digital scholarship, web and application programming, technology management, and enterprise systems administration.
Chris also serves as the principal investigator on a number of national grants that support programs such as the Digital Public Library of America Service Hub in South Carolina and the Open Parks Network.
Chris currently lives in Greenville, SC with his cranky old cat, Samba, and likes to spend his free time hiking, jogging, reading, and writing (and watching Netflix).
Our Students
William Cummings
GIS Intern
William Cummings is a senior Geology major from Simpsonville, SC. He is also pursuing his master’s in Hydrogeology in the combined B.S./M.S. program. In addition to his other roles as an intern, he will be working to grow and support Clemson Mappers.
In his undergraduate research, William uses geophysics to map the critical zone—the region of Earth’s surface and subsurface where rock, water, and ecosystems interact—and is interested in using geospatial tools to collect geoscience data and build useful models of the critical zone.
Andrew Barton
GIS Intern
Andrew Barton is a Senior Economics major minoring in Mathematical Sciences and Comm Studies from Charlotte, NC.
Andrew is currently the Secretary of the Clemson Mappers club and is a Teaching Assistant for the Clemson GIS Workshop Series. He is looking forward to growing his GIS skills and knowledge while at CCGT.
Previous Staff and Interns
Maziar Fooladi Mahani
UAV and GIS Specialist
Maziar is the Unmanned Aerial Systems (drone) and GIS Specialist. He plays a lead role in developing CCGT’s Drone Program and special projects. Maziar is an FAA-certified remote pilot and is excited to collaborate with researchers and students at Clemson University with state-of-the-art applications of unmanned aerial systems and implementation of Machine/Deep Learning algorithms for airborne imagery contents. He is interested in creating interactive data visualizations with ArcGIS APIs, and SDKs as well as designing and integration of UAV autonomous flight management systems.
Maziar holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Sharif University of Tech, Tehran and a MS in Automotive Engineering from CU-ICAR, Clemson. He is currently pursuing a PhD in AI and Robotics. His area of research is in Human-Robot-Interaction; specifically, quantitative trust models in human multi-robot teams using Bayesian networks.
Akshitha Gunupati
GIS Intern
Akshitha Gunupati is a dedicated graduate student in the computer and information sciences program at Clemson University. With a passion for technology and a love for problem-solving, she's exploring the world of computing and data. Born in the vibrant nation of India, she brings a global perspective to her work and studies. Akshitha is always eager to take on new challenges and discover innovative solutions in the field of computer science.
When not in front of the computer screen, she enjoys exploring the beauty of South Carolina or curling up with a good book. Akshitha loves to embrace challenges, whether in the world of algorithms or life's adventures. Her enthusiasm extends beyond the digital realm – she's also a Toastmasters Competent Communicator and Leader.
Her journey is all about balancing the data-driven world with the joys of life, one line of code at a time.
Isaac Quaye
GIS Intern
Isaac, a driven individual with a deep-rooted passion for creating sustainable and vibrant communities. Hailing from an industrial suburb, his upbringing instilled in him a strong desire to shape the world around him. Isaac holds a degree in Human Settlement Planning from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Seeking to broaden his horizons, he moved to Clemson University, where he is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning, specializing in urban design, land use planning and GIS.
As he enters his final year, Isaac is eager to delve into coastal resilience and historic preservation, leveraging GIS models to developed sustainable places. He firmly believes in the power of thoughtful planning and innovative design to improve people's lives. Isaac is thrilled about the opportunity to join the dedicated team at CCGT in mapping and developing 3D models that contribute to informed decision-making processes at Clemson. He would also be serving on Clemson Mappers and Drone for Goods
Kelsey Sheaffer
Learning Technologies Librarian
Kelsey joined Clemson University Libraries in 2018 and serves as the Learning Technologies Librarian and Director of the Adobe Digital Studio. As Learning Technologies Librarian, Kelsey collaborates closely with faculty, students, librarians and other academic units to lead and facilitate efforts on teaching and outreach for the learning technologies, advanced software, and high-tech spaces available at Clemson Libraries, including the Adobe Digital Studio and the Brown Room.
Kelsey received her Masters of Fine Arts in Kinetic Imaging from Virginia Commonwealth University, focusing on art made with sound, animation and video.
Katie Bernstein
GIS Intern
Katie Bernstein is a Digital History major minoring in Geography from Charleston, SC.
Katie currently serves as the President of Clemson Mappers and the Teaching Assistant for the GIS Workshop offered with the center. She is excited to expand Clemson Mappers this Fall and host more fun events for students to participate in!
Anna McClendon
GIS Intern
Anna Logan is a senior Biosystems Engineering major from Spartanburg, SC. In addition, she is also pursuing a double minor in mathematical sciences and sustainability.
She spent this past summer in Spain on a study-abroad program with Dr. Carbajales-Dale studying GIS applications for sustainable applications. She is a first semester intern and currently working with Clemson Fire/EMS services to create an ArcGIS Hub in order to gain accreditation for the fire department.
Kaitlyn Samons
GIS Intern
Kaitlyn is a PhD student in the Rhetoric, Communication, and Information Design (RCID) program at Clemson University. She previously completed both her Masters at Clemson University in 2020 and studies anonymity, violence, and social media in an inter-disciplinary format.
Kaitlyn may seem familiar as she previously served as President and Vice-President of Graduate Student Government (GSG) as well as she currently works with the RCID program as a Graduate Teacher of Record to teach ENGL 1030 to incoming undergraduate students. This passion for teaching has been with her for her entire life and she hopes to continue teaching during her tenure. Her skills in collaboration, multi-tasking, and teaching will certainly impress its mark on the CCGT team.
Sophia Rapp
GIS Intern
Sophia is a junior from Connecticut majoring in Criminal Justice with minors in Social Sciences and Political Science.
During 2020, Sophia worked as the Communications Chair for Clemson Mappers. She is excited to be leading the Clemson Mappers chapter of Youth Mappers as part of her responsibilities with CCGT.
Abi Roberts
GIS Intern
Abi is a senior in Environmental Engineering and a first semester UPIC intern. As part of her internship with CCGT, Abi is working on various projects and story maps.
These diverse projects cover the artifacts found by the Archaeological Field school at Fort Hill, features of interest in the Experimental Forest such as waterfalls, trail heads, and parking areas, and creating an interactive Agricultural App in ArcGIS Online that supplies information about commodity prices in various South Carolina counties.
Michael is a recent Clemson Alum, as well as a graduate of CCGT's internship program. He is a Pt107 Certified sUAS Pilot and serves as a technical and administrative coordinator for the center's UAV program.
In his free time, Michael enjoys cooking, running, and various outdoor activities.
Blake Lytle
Director , UAV & LiDAR Program
Blake is a UAV, LiDAR, and GIS Specalist for the Geospatial Center and directs the UAV and LiDAR Program. He is an FAA-certified remote pilot and has experience operating a variety of UAV's and sensors as well as data processing and analytics. He is excited to collaborate with faculty and researchers at Clemson and beyond on the cutting-edge application of UAV's as a remote sensing platform.
Blake received his Masters in Hydrogeology from Clemson where he studied subsurface water flow using ground penetrating radar and a BS in geological engineering from Michigan Tech. He enjoys cooking and grilling and outdoor activities, such as hiking, backpacking, biking, and kayaking.
.jpg)
Justin Andersen
GIS Intern
Justin, from Syosset, NY, is a Junior in the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering. He is a self-proclaimed nerd and enjoys all things science and engineering.
With CCGT, he is creating story maps and web apps that make use of the marketing side of GIS. His goal is to promote the use of GIS for study abroad programs and to help take people around the world. He plans to use GIS as a tool to facilitate communication and understanding in the world of science and engineering.
Chris Marek
GIS Intern
Chris is from Seneca, South Carolina entering his senior year at Samford University. He is a Geography major also pursuing a minor in Classics and a concentration in GIS. He is hoping to earn a masters degree in Archaeology after graduation.
Chris is working on a virtual tour of Clemson University which incorporates 360 imagery and uses ArcGIS Desktop, Online, and a bit of coding as well. He is hoping to use the GIS skills he learns to help with his interest in Archaeology.
In his spare time, he enjoys reading, a bit of writing, research, and watching sports.
Justin Dowd
Senior GIS Intern
Justin is from Myrtle Beach, SC. He is a transfer student from Coastal Carolina University where he started his Computer Science degree and is now in his second year at Clemson as a Computer Information Systems student. His interest is in Information Technology and how it interacts with the various departments within a business or organization.
He is accustomed to various programming languages and is looking forward to learning python and geospatial science.
In his spare time, he enjoys watching sports, binge-watching various TV Shows, and spending time with friends and family.
Rachel Wittmann
Metadata Specialist
After graduating from Pratt Institute’s School of Information and Library Science in New York City in 2013, Rachel moved to South Carolina to join Clemson University Libraries. While at Clemson, Rachel works on a special, grant-funded project, the Open Parks Network.
Rachel’s role as “National Parks Metadata Specialist” is to oversee the acquisition and production of metadata for all 300k+ digital items.
Moving from the Big Apple to small-town South Carolina was a welcome transition for Rachel. When not wrangling metadata or gleefully pursuing research tangents, she enjoys many perks Southern lifestyle has to offer. Sitting on the swing on her front porch (not previously available in Brooklyn) and taking photographs for her own collections while exploring the area and becoming familiar with local history, are some of her favorite activities.
Stephen Moysey
Faculty Director, CCGT
Dr. Moysey’s research and teaching interests focus on watershed characterization and contaminant transport problems. Major areas of research include the use of geostatistics and inverse methods to integrate geophysical measurements as dynamic data constraints in hydrologic characterization problems, determining the relationship between hydrologic and geophysical parameters at the field scale, and quantitatively understanding the complex and multi-scale nature of geologic environments.
Dr. Moysey is also actively collaborating with NGOs to develop sustainable watershed development practices in rural India.
Professor Stephen Moysey is a Task Leader on the Department of Energy, Experimental Program to Stimulate Competetive Research Implementation Project "Radionuclide Waste Disposal: Development of Multi-scale Experimental and Modeling Capabilities" (2014-Present).
Providence Adu
GIS Intern
Providence Adu studied in Ghana at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology for his Bachelors in Human Settlement Planning. He is currently pursuing his Master in City and Regional Planning.
At Clemson , he has worked on Geodesign models for his Professor, undertook GIS certificate training at the Center for Geospatial Technologies as well as GIS courses at the Department of Planning. Entering into his final semester for his Master’s degree, Providence is interested in using GIS for Spatial analysis in Public Health and Epidemiology.
In his spare time, Providence enjoys reading, research, and watching soccer.
Zemin Dhanani
GIS Intern
Zemin has an undergraduate degree in in Civil Engineering from University of Pune, India. He is currently pursuing his Master in City and Regional Planning. He was introduced to GIS in his undergrad but only got to work on the software in a course under his MCRP program which got him more interested and involved. He is specifically interested in the application of GIS in Land use and Site planning.
He will be working on the Cooper library 3D project at CCGT using ArcGIS Pro and CAD. He is a sports enthusiast and likes to sketch engineering drawings
Eric Robbins
GIS Intern
Eric is a senior Computer Science student from Atlanta, Georgia and a first-semester intern. He is a geography and map geek who will be putting his programming and technology experience to use in the GIS field. Among other projects, he will be working on Python scripting within ArcGIS and assisting with CCGT’s various data management and computing needs.
In his rare free time, Eric enjoys hiking, traveling, astronomy, and perfecting his chili recipe.
Connor Kinzie
GIS Intern
Connor is a senior Computer Science student from Spartanburg, South Carolina. In addition to a BS in Computer Science, he as also pursuing a minor in Digital Production Arts as well as, eventually, a MS in Computer Science at Clemson. He is a first-semester intern who will be using his programming experience to manage Python based projects and assist in any other computing and technology needs.
Connor is an avid outdoors man who enjoys hiking, cooking, playing ultimate frisbee, and video editing.
Amanda Farthing
GIS Intern
Amanda is a junior Industrial Engineering student from Indialantic, Florida. She first utilized GIS for a research project, analyzing the potential for solar technologies in South Carolina by performing a suitability analysis. After experiencing how useful GIS can be for renewable energy planning, Amanda wanted to learn more about its functionalities and assist others in using the tool for their own interests.
In her spare time, Amanda enjoys being outside - whether it be to run, bike, or make attempts at adventure sports.
Palak Matta
GIS Manager
Palak graduated with a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering from Clemson University. She has a high level of motivation to work here and understands the complexity of GIS, in which she can help you in through workshops and consultations. She provides GIS-related technical guidance and assistance to project teams. She prepares GIS project plans and schedules to include coordinating resources, tasks, and work assignments.
She believes in the quote by Albert Einstein “Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value."
Abdullah Al Mamun
GIS Intern
Abdullah finished his undergrad in Civil Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). Now he is a Graduate Student in Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences department of Clemson University. Abdullah was introduced to GIS during his undergrad thesis, and since, his motivation to explore GIS has been escalating.
Abdullah’s is currently doing his research to develop real-time environmental decision support systems integrating GIS, Python and modeling. He will also assist this center as an intern and provide and share technical guidance to students here. He loves to play cricket and soccer during his free time. He also likes hiking, music and reading novels.
Courtney McKevie
GIS Intern
Courtney is from a beautiful, vibrant little town known as Aiken, SC. She is a present-day soldier of the U.S. Army National Guard, and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in English with a minor in Management.
In the Army National Guard, Courtney is a 12Y Geospatial Engineer and is intending to use her military training, strong written/verbal communication skills, intellect interest in scientific disciplines, and critical thinking proficiencies to follow a post-graduation career in GIS.
Edward Collins
GIS Intern
Edward is a second semester intern with previous exposure to ArcGIS online and ArcGIS Desktop. He is entering his senior year in Mechanical Engineering.
Through past experiences with a few engineering internships, he has demonstrated that he shows most interest and performs best when learning new computer based programs and technology.
Jonathan O'Brien
GIS Intern
Jonathan is an Anthropology Major at Clemson with an interest in archaeology. He has been to field school in Mimbres, New Mexico and has used GIS to help support a project in Peru. He is currently working on the Campus Basemap Project, collecting data in the field using ArcGIS Collector and using ArcGIS Online.
Jonathan is also minoring in Digital Production Arts and occasionally helps create videos for the center. Aftergraduation he plans on utlizing GIS to document, visualize, and analylze archaeological sites.
Siddhant Aggarwal
GIS Intern
Siddhant is a graduate student in computer science at Clemson University. He was born in Punjab, India. His interest is primarily towards Data Structures and Algorithms and its implementation in data science. He is working with us over various projects in which he is primarily using Apache Kafka, Python-based analysis and visualization packages and ArcGIS Pro.
He likes to solve challenging algorithm problems. He is also a member of Clemson Air Rifle Team and loves to write poetry whensoever he gets a chance.
Lu Xu
GIS Intern
Lu comes from Wuhan, China. Her undergraduate background is in Urban Planning at the Wuhan Institute of Technology. She is currently studying to receive her Master's degree in Landscape Architecture.
Lu is interested in turning 2D drafting works into 3D vision with SketchUp, Lumion and Rhino. She wants to learn more about the 3D capabilities of GIS programs, such as Esri's CityEngine and ArcGIS Pro. In her spare time, Lu enjoy playing tennis, drawing and listening to music.
Willy Li
GIS Intern
Willy is from Myrtle Beach, SC. He is a second year Computer Science student at Clemson with an interest in machine learning and virtual reality. Although he is not accustom to Python, he is familiar with many other programming languages. He will be working on various projects within CCGT and is excited to learn more about geospatial science.
In his spare time, Willy enjoys cooking, binge-watching Netfilx, and having a nice cup of coffee with his friends.
Alexander Wessinger
GIS Intern
Alex is a senior Computer Science student from Columbia, South Carolina and a first-semester inter with us. In addition to a BA in Computer Science, he is also pursuing a minor in Digital Production Arts. He is keeping his options fairly open for the future, trying to decide whether to pursue an MS or MFA in Digital Production Arts or to forgo a graduates degree and enter the "real world" after finishing his undergrad. Alex will be using his programming experience to manage Python-based projects and assist in any other computing and technology needs that might arise throughout his time with us.
Outside of working towards his undergrad, Alex enjoys playing ultimate frisbee for the Clemson men's club team "The Joint Chief's of Waft" and is a self-proclaimed connoisseur of all genres of music.
Mehrdad Yousefi
Data Visualization
Mehrdad Yousefi is a PhD candidate in Materials Science and Engineering department, working as a graduate research assistant in Data Visualization Lab.
His research interests include scientific visualization for engineering simulations such as computational fluid dynamics frameworks.
In his role, Mehrdad introduces scientific visualization softwares such as ParaView, VMD, etc. as well as information visualization software such Tableau that help researchers to extract scientific insights from their data.
Furthermore, he develops advanced virtual reality immersive environment to bring scientific visualization 3D models into the headsets that enables researchers to explore and extract more accurate information from their engineering simulations.
Sawyer McCarley
GIS Intern
Sawyer McCarley is a senior majoring in Sociology with two minors in Sustainability and Architecture. This summer he has been interning with the National Emergency Response Geographical Information Systems Team (NERGIST), in Jamaica. Through this internship, he will be interviewing different NERGIST members on what tools they use, what's a step by step plan when following a disaster scenario, and how the program can become more efficient. Other team members are working with other island and Central American nations such as Belize, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama where they are all offering different projects and deliverables based on the countries needs. Some countries are getting help with Mappathons, Workshops, and even help with rerouting / organizing their postal system using Open Street Maps. The point of this summer research is to learn how other countries are using Open Data while also providing help and examples while they have their time in the countries.
He will be leading the Clemson Mappers student organization, Clemson's chapter of Youth Mappers as part of his internship with CCGT.