Students and Alumni
Jeremiah Saier
Jeremiah Saier grew up in rural northern Michigan where the outdoors sparked many interests and curiosity from a young age. Whether hunting on the edge of a corn field, ice fishing on an inland lake or sitting around a campfire on the beach, each interaction typically ended with a question…
Why are the trees, animals and water doing what they do? What factors make a place like this unique? When will our resources be gone? Where is our growing population going to live? How are the people interacting with and re-shaping these places? And most significantly, who is planning for the future?
Jeremiah began answering those questions while at GVSU studying geography and GIS. After graduation in 2005 with a Bachelor’s degree in Geography (Urban & Regional Planning) he landed a job in Traverse City with a small surveying company. This experience fueled his passion for outdoor spaces and helped him better understand the landscape around him.
After two years, he decided to pursue his career goals relocating to the Tampa, Florida area becoming a Senior GIS Analyst at a direct marketing company. While there, he supported more than 170 franchise owners with the creation and management of their territories. Jeremiah was responsible for aiding the targeted mailing of more than 40 million pieces each month using ArcGIS capabilities. He also gained a great deal of experience using Adobe Creative Suite products to enhance the visual aesthetics of each map produced. Transforming the PDF map from a supporting document to the centerpiece for a sales conversation.
Nearly a decade into a GIS career he had accomplished many professional and personal goals. Now a certified GISP, a husband and father, Jeremiah and his family have moved back to Michigan where he currently works at Michigan State University as a GIS Analyst in the Landscape Services department.
His current role is dedicated to providing GIS services and analyses to field staff maintaining roughly 2,000 acres across the East Lansing campus. Each crew member is equipped with a mobile device tracking tasks performed utilizing the ArcGIS Collector application. Trend data, metrics and predictive analyses are being reported by Jeremiah based on this data helping make MSU a nationally recognized leader in the landscape industry.
The education Jeremiah received at GVSU laid the groundwork for a long, successful career in GIS. He has been able to chase his passion and answer many questions about the geography around him and is truly thankful each day to be a spatial Laker.
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