BUZZ

Myron Gutmann, PhD, University of Michigan 
Former Director of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research & Professor of History and Information

"Rachel Kornak managed the spatial data activities for our very large Great Plains Population and Environment project, and did an outstanding job, leading the creation of an invaluable data resource of outstanding quality. Her capacity to manage a team of 18 technicians while designing the data capture, management, and analysis tasks is unequaled in my experience. Everyone should have a colleague who is as productive, collegial, and experienced!"

Dan Brown, PhD, The University of Michigan
Professor & Director of the Environmental Spatial Analysis Lab 

"For our Great Plains research project Rachel oversaw a massive data collection and compilation activity, and trained and coordinated the work of eighteen different student employees. Rachel has seemingly boundless energy, and took to all the tasks with professionalism and dedication.  She has always been clear and realistic about what can be completed when, and committed to seeing her work through in a timely manner.  She was creative and careful about how we evaluated and analyzed the data. It has been a pleasure working with her on the project."

Joy Adams, PhD, Association of American Geographers
Senior Researcher

"The AAG's careers outreach has benefited tremendously from Rachel's active involvement. Whether serving as a panelist, volunteering as a career mentor, facilitating a workshop, or as an engaged audience member, she asks thoughtful and thought-provoking questions, provides excellent guidance, and offers support and motivation. She is an inspirational leader who gives generously of her time, talents, and experience to benefit early-career and emerging geospatial professionals."

Peter Meisen, World Resources SimCenter
Director 

"The World Resources SimCenter is a unique facility for digital interaction that accelerates understanding and decision making. Rachel came to the SimCenter to present her expertise to our Geodesign San Diego community.  That evening we had many GIS  students from San Diego State University and her presentation about Emerging GIS Leaders was right on the mark for them.   She then advised our mapping team on the tools to make our work on renewable energy potential in the U.S., China, India and the UK widely available using ArcGIS Online.  Rachel, you made a real difference and I want to thank you publicly." 

Reed Tomlinson, EduContribution, Inc.
Founder/President 

"Rachel is one of the most ambitious and innovative young minds in the GIS profession, and has already distinguished herself as a leader in the field.  She seems to work with the ethos that it's better to extend a helping hand than to get a hand up, and indeed she has helped other GIS professionals form connections professionally and personally that have advanced their careers, their lives, and the profession as a whole (I can attest to this!).  I think it's more than apt to say that Rachel's ambition inspires the people around her. For me, working with Rachel has always been a galvanizing experience. Her work in GIS education and mentoring has aided and inspired me, and I look forward to working closely with herfor a long time to come."

Philip Murphy, Ph.D., The University of Redlands
Senior Research Analyst & Founder of InfoHarvest

"Working with Rachel is great.  She is always making connections between people and ideas.  She introduced many innovative marketing and education ideas that inspired us to a new way of looking at potential partner institutions."

Sara Stokes, The Pennsylvania State University
Assistant Instructor, Geography 487

"It has been my pleasure to have had Rachel Kornak as an instructor, mentor, and friend for the past year.  Rachel is a remarkable educator and her ability to connect with her students reflects her personal one-on-one approach, as well as her innovative, interactive teaching style.  She always looks for ways to improve her class, particularly by keeping her lessons relevant to real world situations and by introducing ways to better communicate with future colleagues and clients.  At the end of her ten week class, students are inspired and confident."

Luke Boggess, GISP, URISA Alaska
President 

"I'm delighted that you presented at the 2013 Alaska Survey & Mapping Conference. Your inspiring attitude and positive demeanor create a natural rapport with your students and colleagues alike, that lends to the building of solid relationships and professional connections which truly foster our geospatial community."

Anthony Robinson, PhD, Pennsylvania State University 
Lead Faculty for GIS Programs, John A. Dutton e-Education Institute & Assistant Director, GeoVISTA Center

“Rachel approaches her teaching and mentoring tasks at Penn State with tremendous energy. Our online students consistently highlight their satisfaction with her Environmental Applications of GIS class, and Rachel is an outstanding faculty colleague outside of her course.”

Danielle Ayan, GISP, Georgia Tech University & URISA
Program Director of GIS @ Georgia Tech Research Institute &
Secretary of URISA

"Your Keynote was refreshing, fantastic, clear about the issues and inspiring with the tangible and real solutions you offered!! I'm so glad you were a part of www.spatialplexus.com this year."

Qiyang Xu, The World Bank
GeoSpatial Consultant

"I was very impressed when I heard Rachel present at The World Bank Innovation Governance and OpenGov Hub Ideation Workshop.  She was methodical and paid full attention to detail as well as provided informed and practical solutions in a very collegiate manner. She is passionate about geospatial technology and is a great liaison between different organizations and institutes. I really enjoy working with her."

Wendy Nelson, URISA Professional Association
Executive Director

"Simply put, Rachel delivers. As an inaugural member of URISA's Vanguard Cabinet, she was integral to the many accomplishments of this volunteer group of young GIS leaders and set the bar high for future members.  Rachel's out-of-the-box thinking and confidence is extraordinary among her peers. I look forward to working with her for years to come and fully expect her to continue assuming leadership roles within URISA."

BIll Hodge, GIS Certification Institute (GISCI)
Executive Director of GISCI & GIS Division Manager, City of Midland, TX  

"I have known Rachel for several years, having first met her in her role as a Distance Educator in Penn State's Online MGIS Program.  She quickly showed herself to be a consistent, inspirational leader to the students both inside and outside her class.  Her innovative, professional perspective comes across repeatedly in my contacts with her at numerous conferences and the presentations provided at such.  Rachel's enthusiasm is contagious, and I, like everyone with whom she comes in contact, is refreshed and rejuvenated professionally and personally by that energy.  She is a true asset to any organization with which she is involved!"

Peter Eredics, Esri 
Forestry Industry Marketing Manager

"Rachel has demonstrated a unique ability to bridge cultures and create alignment amongst a wide variety of teams with different goals and values. Her approach to building and maintaining relationships with a global network of geospatial professionals has successfully resulted in knowledge transfer, collaboration and partnerships. I have had experience working directly with Rachel for three years to showcase the world's leading conservation projects and admire her ability to provide outreach and strengthen relationships within the GIS community."

Joseph Kerski, PhD, Esri & University of Denver
Education Marketing Manager, GIS Instructor, Past President at National Council for Geographic Education

"I meet thousands of people annually in the field of GIS education. Rachel Kornak stands out because of her insistence on excellence in everything she does, her dedication to spatial thinking and team ethos, and her diversity of experiences." 

Marty Byrne, Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management
Geographer

"I enjoyed the workshop you gave at the Alaska Surveying & Mapping Conference.  Your enthusiasm and knowledge made your Strategies for Effective GIS Communication workshop an exciting and valuable class.  It's no exaggeration to say that your workshop was one of the best I've been to.  It was great meeting you and learning from you."

Students

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Laura Getts, Penn State Student, Fall 2012

"Rachel Kornak's course in Environmental Applications of GIS reignited my passion for GIS and served as a staggering reminder of the relevance of geographic applications today. Her lessons incorporated the broadest range of GIS skills that I have seen from a Penn State GIS course yet, and the scenarios were consistently centered upon applicable, real-world problems.
 
Rachel's course embraced a variety of new technologies--from the course communication platform to the latest innovations in GIS online applications and presentation. Every lesson in her course was designed with employable skill development in mind. I have no doubt that my new knowledge of these programs and techniques will make me a competitive candidate in the GIS job market.
 
As an instructor, Rachel was highly responsive to the class' every question and comment.  She was quick to both respond to messages and to manipulate the course as necessary when issues arose.  Despite the large number of students in the class, she personally went out of her way to accommodate my needs and interact with me in a one-on-one basis on multiple occasions. At the end of the course she provided us with several outlets for GIS networking and job support.  I am extremely grateful for Rachel's instruction of GEOG 487 and would recommend one of her courses without hesitation!"

Janet Hatfield, Penn State Student, Spring 2012

"I became acquainted with Professor Kornak, as a GEOG 487- Environmental Applications in GIS student in spring of 2012, and was immediately inspired by the caliber of course material and assignments presented.  GEOG 487 was a fine pairing of hands on real-word analyses with a focus on elegant presentation and delivery of utilized methodologies.  The skills I developed
in the course were immediately applicable to my daily work with clear efficiencies gained from my course experience.

Later in 2012 I had the pleasure of meeting Professor Kornak at the ESRI International User's Conference where I attended her lecture on Smart Decisions Using Science and Technology.  I was again pleasantly surprised at how much I gained by attending this brief 20 minute talk.  Rachael exudes an unparalleled excitement about science and technology, made clear by her resolve to share that knowledge with as many students as possible.  Her dedication to teaching others about innovative new solutions to their problems is a clear beacon.shining bright for all to see."

Nicholas Coppola, Penn State Student, Fall 2012

"My experience with you was by far the most enjoyable throughout the coursework for the Post Baccalaureate Certificate.  You were great to communicate with through Piazza from day one and your personality always came across as very pleasant.  

The ability to talk over the phone made a world of difference because it gave me the opportunity to communicate in a manner that was different than from every other course.  

It's the small things that can really make a big difference in coursework experience, especially online.  Thank you once again for all of your time and effort to create a great class experience!"

Alison Long, Penn State Student, Fall 2012 

"Professor Kornak's course in Environmental Applications of GIS was the perfect capstone to my certificate program at Penn State.  Using a fresh approach to the course content, Rachel led us through realistic environmental scenarios using innovative technology.  Each project involved a real-world ecological issue, providing valuable exposure to practical situations.  

Rachel also introduced us to the latest technology.  Not only did we upgrade to utilize the most recent ESRI software, but – in a holistic approach to the GIS project lifecycle – we employed other peripheral tools, making it a snap to plan and present projects, and share formal map results.

Although I had some reservations about online education and communication styles, I was pleasantly surprised with the process.  Rachel has an easy-going tone and was always fully engaged in student discussions and prompt with answers."

Dee Casey, Penn State Student, Fall 2012

"Rachel Kornak’s course in Environmental Applications of GIS propelled me forward  in my GIS career.  Rachel’s choice of practical content and well-paced methodology solidified my understanding of the logical steps required to solve difficult GIS spatial problems.  Rachel’s course gave me the tools and the confidence to rely on my own abilities and to tap into the myriad of internet resources, data downloads, and ESRI forums to figure out how to get over a stumbling block.  Finally, Rachel’s course underscored business resources and interactive GIS communication strategies that will give me the competitive edge  in the GIS job market.   Rachel’s course was just what I was hoping for to round out my education in GIS."