Scholarship Winner Spotlights, Spotlights

The Power of Geospatial

USGIF scholarship recipient Samantha Hubner integrates her passions in deciphering longitudinal disinformation patterns while honing and applying technical skills in GIS to create visualizations of how that disinformation is spread

By: Lisbeth Perez | November 13, 2020

Samantha Hubner, a 2020 USGIF scholarship recipient, was introduced to the power of GIS while working as a senior operations specialist at tech startup Premise Data. She made the most of every opportunity to learn the basics of geospatial data science, under the guidance of masterful colleagues at Premise Data. But to formally break into and expand her knowledge in the field, she decided to continue her education.

Hubner is currently a graduate student at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy as part of the Map Your Future pathway. She is studying International Security Studies and Geospatial Intelligence, with additional language specializations in both Mandarin and French. While at the Fletcher School, she plans to integrate her passions in deciphering longitudinal disinformation patterns while honing and applying technical skills in GIS to create visualizations of how that disinformation is spread.

“Winning the USGIF scholarship has completely changed that, as this scholarship serves as a vividly tangible reminder that my decision to invest in a GIS career is not only worthwhile and valuable to me, but also to the broader national security community,” Hubner said.

Photo Credit: Samantha Hubner

This year’s EdGEOcation Giving Fund at USGIF will directly support the 2021 USGIF Scholarship Program.

Your donation will contribute to:

Ten (10) $1,000 scholarships to high school students for a total of $10,000;
Twenty (20) $3,000 scholarships to undergraduate and graduate, and doctoral students for a total of $60,000.

To further the advancement of the geospatial tradecraft, USGIF is dedicated to assisting promising students studying GEOINT, geospatial sciences and related fields. The annual USGIF Scholarship Program recognizes the achievements of graduating high school seniors, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students. USGIF has awarded $1.4 million in scholarships since launching the program in 2004.

To learn more about the EdGEOcation Giving Fund and how to donate, visit usgif.org/donate.

Posted in: Scholarship Winner Spotlights, Spotlights Tagged in: Education, GIS, Innovation, Research & Development