24 Young Geospatial Professionals to Watch in 2024

Company: DOWL
Current position: Surveyor/remote sensing scientist
Age: 34
Education: MS natural hazards, University of Oslo; BS geological engineering, University of Nevada, Reno

Saunders has followed a winding path to get to where he is today, but a few things have stayed constant—his desire to learn and his love of spending time outside. Saunders is a professional land surveyor in Nevada and a certified photogrammetrist and certified mapping scientist. He works at DOWL as a remote sensor and surveyor.

His career path started with obtaining bachelor’s degree in geological engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno. From there he completed a master’s degree in geohazards from the University of Oslo, Norway. His thesis focused on monitoring landslide prone areas with photogrammetric methods. To complete this he spent countless hours in the mountains and fjords of Norway collecting terrestrial and aerial photogrammetric data.

His educational background led him to a job at the Nevada Department of Transportation where he worked on building a UAV mapping program off the existing photogrammetry and imagery foundation. He then moved to the private sector and pursued ASPRS certifications and his professional land surveyor license.

He has experience with traditional photogrammetry, UAS workflows, lidar, and data processing. During the past few years, he has flown UAS all over the West Coast. He has amassed hundreds of hours behind the sticks in all different climates and terrains.

In addition to work, he sits on the board of the Nevada Young Surveyors and is an active member in various ASPRS groups. He prides himself on helping others hone their skills in the field and in the office.