The GEMS Board is currently holding elections for a representative for the Department of Geography. Please review the candidate statements and choose one (1) candidate to serve on the GEMS Board of Directors for the next 3 years.
How to Vote
If you are a current GEMS member (member of the Penn State Alumni Association) we welcome your vote. After reviewing the ballot statements of the candidates below, please place your vote by visiting our online ballot form (link opens in new tab). Voting will be available from April 5 to April 23, 2024.
Candidates
Courtney Jackson
B.S. Geography, 2015, M.S. Geography, 2019
About Courtney Jackson
Courtney is the Geospatial Coordinator for the Interagency Coordination Division (ICD) within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). She helps oversee the programmatic development of geospatial and data analytics for the Interagency Recovery Coordination (IRC) as well as provide technical support to geospatial staff deployed across the US. Since 2019, Courtney has been on the board of Penn State Alumni Association’s Greater Chicago Chapter – serving as Chapter Vice President (2021-2022) and President (2022-2024) for the last four years.
Courtney's personal statement:
“It is hard to put into words how much Penn State and the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences mean to me. As a first-generation student, the invaluable experiences I had during undergraduate and graduate school shaped me into the person I am today. I believe the continued academic and professional success of the EMS community is due to the shared pride for our alma mater. I am interested in serving on GEMS so I can continue to cultivate that pride to foster a strong community for all of EMS. The foundational purpose of my career is to be of service to people; to me, there is no greater calling than giving back to ensure others have opportunities for growth and success. Being able to use my outreach, communication, and strategy skills to facilitate the mission of GEMS would be incredibly fulfilling, both personally and professionally. I look forward to leveraging my skills to cultivate pride, foster community, and be of service to our esteemed alumni and students.”
Courtney resides in Lombard, Illinois.
Siddharth "Sid" Pandey
B.S. Geography, 2014 (Penn State), M.P.S. Geographic Information Systems, 2019 (University of Maryland)
About Sid Pandey
Sid is a Senior Consultant in Deloitte’s Location Intelligence practice. He has nearly 10 years of experience using his College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) Geography/GIS education to help communities recover from natural disasters, manage infrastructure, and solve complex issues with spatial data. He’s a proud life member of the Penn State Alumni Association and has remained active in the EMS community since graduating in 2014.
Sid's personal statement:
“The College of EMS and its alumni network have provided me so much support as a student and as an alumnus. I would love the opportunity to serve on the GEMS Board to continue making the EMS alumni and student experience enjoyable and valuable!
I love being involved in the EMS community! I’m a mentor to multiple students and young professionals through EMS and other organizations, and for the last 7 years, I’ve had the privilege of participating as an alumna in the Total Engagement with Earth and Mineral Sciences (TEEMS) event at Lake Raystown; an event I attended as a freshman. I look forward to coming back each year to connect with fellow alumni and to share advice with the incoming students and their mentors. I’m also supporting the GEMS outreach committee’s efforts to raise awareness about the college and increase alumni engagement.
I’m passionate about giving back and devote a lot of my time to serving professional organizations in the geospatial industry where I have served on board of directors, executive committees, and as a leader in multiple sub-committees. In these capacities, I have developed strong experience advocating for and creating opportunities for growth, skills and leadership development, and networking for members of these organizations. I believe these experiences and the new ideas I can bring to the board will allow me to serve the GEMS Alumni Society well.
I’m committed to supporting and learning from this community to foster a positive, supportive, and inclusive environment for GEMS alumni, students, faculty, and staff. If elected, I look forward to working with the GEMS Board to continue elevating the alumni experience with fun, engaging, and valuable programs and activities. We Are!”
Sid resides in Vienna, Virginia.