USGS on Campus

The USGS is the United States Geological Survey.

It’s a federal agency studying all parts
of the environment.

Our mission really is to assess and interpret
the nation’s resources, the energy resources,

mineral resources, water and biological resources.

We operate stream gages throughout the state
of Arizona.

It’s part of a national network to measure
the stream flow in the rivers throughout the

nation.

We have the unique opportunity here at the
University of Arizona because our office is

located on campus, which gives us the ability
to hire students as contract students through

various departments at the university.

Many actually work directly in the science
roles of USGS, either supporting the data

collection or the interpretation and the production
of science, but they also serve a lot of supporting

roles.

The vast majority of our employees here at
the Arizona Water Science Center have come

through the student training program and have
been student interns.

Students provide a significant amount of balance
in our workforce.

Students provide us a very cost effective
way to achieve some of the keys parts of doing

science, that’s getting out in the field
and collecting data, managing data in the

office.

We have been very fortunate with having this
college of video arts.

We’ve had outstanding students that we have
worked with over the years.

It’s a skill set that we don’t have internally,
and so it’s a great way for us to go to

the university and use resources that they
have, in this case it’s the students.

It was really interesting to find out that
they have their own YouTube channel with hundreds

of videos, and now I am in charge of making
some of those videos for them.

By the time our students graduate from our
program they are able to skillfully operate

professional cameras, sound recording gear,
grip and electric equipment, and they’re

also able to navigate different editing software
programs such as Avid and FinalCut Pro.

So what USGS really provides to students,
I think, is an opportunity to work in a top

notch, top tier science agency with some of
the best scientists in the field, applying

the sorts of skills and knowledge they have
learned in the classroom to real world problems,

that have very positive and tangible benefits.

It also allows them the chance to work in
a professional setting and to get their work

out into the real world.

I really feel that we work for the people.

I mean I’m a public servant and I want the
people to know what we do.

We are always looking to help the general
public understand what we do and why the information

we produce is of value both to them and to
resource management.

So my hope is that the videos will reach the
range of folks from the general public to

resource managers who might actually use our
information in their decision making process.

The survey gives you the opportunity to do
about anything you want in the sense that

there’s a lot of avenues that you can go
into and you can find out what your interest

is, and you can kind of throw yourself into
that.

We’ve had the chance for students to get
to know us and for us to get to know students.

Through that I think we’ve developed one
of the most effective work forces in the nation,

through this relationship.

Overall, the Arizona Water Science Center
is a place of collaboration and development

for both students and employees alike.