Christopher D. Smith

Geology | GIS | Coastal & Wetland Geomorphology

About

Geology student and researcher at Indiana University Northwest specializing in GIS, wetland geomorphology, landscape dynamics, and environmental reconstruction through time. Current work focuses on historical aerial analysis, geomorphic change, and landscape reconstruction related to human impacts and environmental change.

“I find in Geology a never-failing interest; as it has been remarked, it creates the same grand ideas respecting this world which Astronomy does for the Universe.”

-By Charles Darwin, a Letter to Charles Whitley, 1834

Reflections

Learning Without a Map

  • Aransas NWR Aplomado Falcons

    The SCA and AmeriCorps: The Internship That Changed My Career

    Part 2 of the SCA and AmeriCorps Internship Series Why the SCA and Americorps Matter The SCA and AmeriCorps (Student Conservation Association) are more than volunteer organizations. Each internship contributes to preserving our natural resources, historic sites, ecosystems, wildlife, and marine environments. Federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and graduate advisors recognize the value of this experience…

  • christopher d smith frank borman expressway gis gary indiana

    GIS Is Becoming a Standard Expectation

    GIS is becoming a standard expectation across the geosciences. Over the past few decades, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have evolved from a specialized technical skill into one of the most valuable tools available to geoscientists. What was once considered an advantage on a résumé is increasingly becoming a baseline expectation for graduates entering the workforce.…

  • Shenandoah Mountain Skyline Drive

    Is a Geology Degree Worth It in 2026?

    So much has changed in the past few years. Higher education has become more expensive, the job market continues to evolve, and artificial intelligence is reshaping industries at a pace few could have predicted. It’s understandable that prospective students are asking a simple but important question: Is a geology degree still worth the investment? Is…

A collection of reflections about returning to higher education later in life.