April 14, 2021
Working professionals gain immediate applicable skills in first geodesign course
![Dan Hoffman, Allysha Lorber, and Sebastian Gutwein](https://arts.psu.edu/assets/uploads/news/_860xAUTO_fit_center-center_80_none/geodz_2104_students.png)
At first I was thinking, "The future of planning is to be able to use this technology,’ but it's not the future, it's the now of planning." – Allysha Lorber“For me when I started design school, I came out wanting to visualize change happening, but we didn’t have the tools at that time to realize that; I never felt like I really got exposure to those tools,” he said. “It's a constant evolution to be able to figure out the kind of tools and methods that allow change to happen in the world. I feel like geodesign makes up an important set of tools in my toolbox to be able to do that.” The students were also asked about their experiences taking courses in an online format. All responded with appreciation that learning online allows for an interesting cross-section of students and provides the flexibility of fitting coursework into their busy schedules. Lorber mentioned an overarching sentiment, “I was surprised at how diverse my classmates were [...] a lot of people who I would consider to be my peers professionally. It was nice. A lot of people brought a variety of different, interesting perspectives to the conversation.” Gutwein also found the instructor’s office hours for general discussion to be a great way to make connections. “... there would be five or six other students who have amazing backgrounds online at the same time (so) it was really great to be able to create connections that way. I could see the face-to-face aspect becoming a very valuable asset to online learning.” Penn State geodesign courses are asynchronous to allow flexibility for working professionals, enabling participation as individual schedules permit. All classes offer at least one hour per week for everyone to come together virtually, however these sessions are recorded for those who can’t join at that particular time. During the pandemic, Lorber has enjoyed spending newfound free time gaining new geodesign skills. “… because I have the flexibility and time in my day since I'm not commuting anywhere, I have extra time to do something like go back to school. I used to spend one to two hours a day driving places and I’m now using that time more productively by advancing my skill sets.” When the students were asked whether they would recommend the Penn State online geodesign program to their colleagues, all three responded with enthusiasm, stressing the need for these skills to be used more widely in practice in their respective fields. “[I would] absolutely [recommend the program to colleagues]; it's welcoming, relevant, interesting, and easy to follow,” said Lorber. “At first I was thinking, 'The future of planning is to be able to use this technology,’ but it's not the future, it's the now of planning. And if you're not using the technology, you're not doing your work as well as you could be, in my opinion.” As a landscape designer breaking into planning roles, Gutwein stated, “I am in the position right now to be looking for these kinds of geodesign credentials and to be looking for a design process, personally. So, if there are others in a similar boat, I would definitely encourage them to take [the program].” Hoffman also sees the program as beneficial and reflected on his experience working in the public sector. “Yes, I would [recommend the program to colleagues],” he said. “I think geodesign speaks to how crucial it is to collaborate. Being in the public sector for over two decades I've seen the tearing down of silos between departments, government and the public, but I still see it happening in certain processes. I think geodesign provides a nice framework to collaborate in an organized way and can be a great project management tool for any design project.” If you are planner, designer or anyone working with land use change issues who wants to add innovative skills that leverage data and illustrate change scenarios for your clients, consider Penn State’s online graduate certificate or master in professional studies in geodesign. It is also possible to take a stand-alone course or two to see if geodesign is a good fit for your career aspirations. To see interactive examples of the final projects that students completed in the first geodesign course, head to the Geodesign website. For more Stuckeman School news, follow us on Twitter @StuckemanNews.
![Dan Hoffman, Allysha Lorber, and Sebastian Gutwein](https://arts.psu.edu/assets/uploads/news/_680xAUTO_fit_center-center_80_none/geodz_2104_students.png)
Schools and Departments:
Department of Landscape Architecture, Stuckeman School
Degrees:
Master of Professional Studies in Geodesign