Zhi He, 2018-2019 Public Service Scholarship Recipient
Current position: GIS Intern, NYC Department of Transportation

The Public Service Scholar Program (PSSP) is a year-long program which gives Hunter undergraduates an immersive experience in the New York City public sector by connecting them with mentors, seminars, and internship opportunities. This fall, when l begin interning in the Office of Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, I will have the opportunity to use my GIS and geography skills to analyze issues and programs around the city such as Summer Meals. Every public policy proposal impacts areas of the city differently, so it is important to include the social and physical geography of each of the communities when implementing public policy.

Why Geography? Geography isn’t just about mapping, it’s about many layers of attributed information from the world around us; different scales, spectrums, and experiences all rooted in place. It allows us to study areas from different paradigms by combining layers and seeing how different phenomenon and processes interact with each other in space. Cities, especially, are complex to manage, but geography, technology, and public policy work together and empower each other, allowing us to build smarter cities that see in transportation, infrastructure, and nature opportunities to better serve communities.

Published: August 16, 2018