Portsmouth Public Works utilizes interns for improved data and project planning

The City of Portsmouth’s Department of Public Works employed the services of two University of New Hampshire students who interned in their Geographic Information System (GIS) department this year. Working under the guidance of the City’s GIS Coordinator, Jamie McCarty, Taylor Patterson and Jacob Kostandin used global positioning equipment, cameras and own observations to inspect the City’s water infrastructure and compile data for other City initiatives.

Together, the intern team (Taylor is a recent graduate in geography, while Jacob studies environmental engineering) verified and updated information for the City’s stormwater system, created an inventory of double utility poles, in addition to collecting information on private water lines through GIS and site plans in order to build a more comprehensive map book. They also collected monthly data for monitoring wells in Greenland, Madbury and Portsmouth, and helped manage handling easement information and homeowner outreach for specific construction projects. Their research has helped the City complete these special projects in-house and has been beneficial in supporting and prioritizing future City projects and needs.

“The resourcefulness and GIS work of this team was very helpful in supporting ongoing GIS inventories and future planning for the City,” said Jamie McCarty. “We will be continuing our intern program to offer unique experiences for students while expanding our ongoing work on different City initiatives.”

The Public Works team is also pleased to see their intern program successfully lead to permanent job placements for these students. Last year’s interns found professional work in soil stability and foundation design, and at Exeter’s Department of Public Works. At the end of this month, Taylor Patterson will be moving to South Korea to teach English for several months. 

“This completes our fourth year of hiring interns to work on these City initiatives and we have been fortunate to have such capable, hard-working students,” expressed Brian Goetz, Deputy Director of Public Works. “It has proven to be a stepping stone for all of their professional careers, and we all benefited from their experience and contributions.”