What do geographers do?
- Association of American Geographers Career Guide - Where geographers work, profiles of geography professionals, and more
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics -- Employment outlook, pay, preparation, related careers and more
Meteorology, climatology, atmospheric science focus
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics -- Employment outlook, pay, preparation, related careers and more
- American Meteorologyical Society - What do meteorologists do? Would meteorology be a good career for me?
- American Geosciences Institute Career Compass - Infographic with tips, suggestions and strategies for how to obtain critical skills, experiences and competencies
Career advice
- American Geosciences Institute Career Compass - Infographics with tips, suggestions and strategies for how to obtain critical skills, experiences and competencies
- ASU's Career and Professional Development Services - Explore your interests, get advice on all aspects of building a career and searching for a job or internship
Meet our Geography alumni
“ASU’s geography program taught me to think critically across disciplines and systems, providing a foundation that continues to shape how I approach complex real-world problems.”
Chandler Schoch, GIS Analyst, BAE Systems, Inc.
BS Geography, 2019
Chandler is a GIS Analyst with BAE Systems supporting the U.S. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center’s Sentinel Program Office at Hill Air Force Base in northern Utah. Her work focuses on large-scale suitability and network modeling to inform infrastructure planning and deployment decisions for the Sentinel ICBM weapon system. Prior to her current role in national defense, Chandler worked with the U.S. Department of the Interior, where she supported projects in post-wildfire rehabilitation, natural resource management, and land-use planning through mapping and spatial analysis. Drawing on her education and professional experience, Chandler approaches complex spatial challenges through an interdisciplinary, systems-thinking lens that integrates environmental, infrastructural, and analytical perspectives.
“My advice to women pursuing STEM careers is to not limit yourself to just classwork. Find extracurricular programs that will help you in your career. And don’t limit yourself to other people’s opinions of what they think you can accomplish.”
Wendy Nessl, Meteorologist, RGNext
BS Geography (Meteorology/Climatology), 2017
In her job of providing weather support for companies that launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, Wendy Nessl has played a role in seeing that several rockets successfully launched their payloads into orbit -- including SpaceX’s Tesla sport car launch in Spring 2018. While studying meteorology at ASU, as part of a team of undergraduates, Wendy designed the science objective for a NASA CubeSat mission to study urban heat islands using infrared satellite imagery and GIS. She also conducted NASA-funded research in which she identified temperature variations between local climate zones.
“Geography is such a vast subject that finding a focus is helpful. Interning is a great way to do this as it allows you to experience the reality of what a particular job is like.”
Claire and Paige Girardi, GIS Technicians, contractors for Apple
BS Geography, 2018
Hired as contractors for Apple soon after completing their bachelors’ degrees, sisters Claire and Paige Girardi are helping build and grow Apple’s navigation app. Their coursework as ASU Online students, along with an internship they set up near their small community in California’s Central Valley, provided a foundation to begin professional employment in GIS.