While Andrew Linker was at UNG, he volunteered his time and mapping skills for service-learning projects through UNG's Lewis F. Rogers Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis (IESA). As he volunteered, he prepared local food orders and created custom maps for an annual event.
This gave him the skill necessary for his career. He is executive director of the Georgia Mountains Farmers Network, a position he has held since 2017. He is also outreach coordinator for the nonprofit Georgia ForestWatch.
He graduated in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in environmental and spatial analysis. He also holds certificates in geographic information systems (GIS) and environmental studies.
He said he chose to attend UNG because it incorporated a service-learning component into the curriculum and did a great job of getting students out into the community.
"UNG prepared me for my career by teaching me that complex issues require a multi-disciplinary approach," Linker said. "UNG's IESA not only provided a multi-disciplinary approach, but it also prepared me by providing a foundation using GIS, which is a powerful tool to understand and communicate our environment as it relates to location. UNG also taught me the value of combining the hard and soft sciences in making long-term decisions."
