MGIS students recognized for notable achievements and awards
We had a wonderful time at the 2026 MGIS Graduation Reception celebrating the achievements of our 2026 graduates with faculty, family, friends, and partners! They all have bright futures ahead as they graduate this spring, summer, and next fall. Our Spring/Summer 2026 graduates (pictured above at the 2026 Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Graduate Student Commencement Ceremony) include: Chris Heins, Vanessa Jimenez Juarez, Tim Johnson, Izzy Keefe, Ben Landers, Evan Rock, Leah Rumon, Nicole Schiller, Paulina Vergara Buitrago, and Cleo Young. Visit our job placement page to learn more about what our graduates are doing now. Our soon-to-be Fall 2026 graduates (also pictured above) include Max Forsman, Amanda Hoffman, and Ziliang Jin.
Eli Schlossberg completed his degree in Fall 2025 and also attended the reception this spring. Shortly before graduating in December 2025, he secured an exciting position with NBC Universal as a Senior Geospatial Engineer.
Some notable MGIS student awards and recognition include:
- Several MGIS students received recognition in the U-Spatial Mapping Prize competition for their creative and engaging maps. Paulina Vergara Buitrago was featured in a UMN article about winning the grand prize in the 2026 U-Spatial Mapping competition. Nicole Schiller won best cartography (graduate) in 2026 for her McMurdo Dry Valleys map; she also won the best cartography award in 2025. Izzy Keefe won the best presentation of research in 2025.
- Paulina was also a recipient of the 2026 President's Student Leadership and Service Award.
- Vanessa Jimenez Juarez was awarded the 2026 Esri Innovation Program Student of the Year award .
- Max Kortebein was awarded a prestigious GIS summer internship position with Oak Ridge National Laboratory working with Research and Data Scientist Jake Arndt (MGIS 2018).
- Ben Landers was awarded the UMN 2026 MN GIS/LIS graduate student scholar award; the undergraduate winner was Emma Jones (BA in Anthropology). They will both compete in the student paper competitions at the 2026 MN GIS/LIS conference this coming fall. Last fall 2025, Logan Gall and Arlan Hegenbarth both won the top prize in the graduate and undergraduate student paper competitions.
- Alaina Portoghese has been awarded a 2026 Esri UC Student Assistantship. Ankila Kumari was also selected for a competitive 2026 Esri Summer Internship. Last summer, Ankila Kumari and Cleo Young were awarded 2025 Esri UC Student Assistantships.
Special shout out to the 2025-26 slate of GIS Student Organization (GISSO) officers for their hard work this last year organizing the immensely successful 2026 GIS Career and Networking Fair and other social and professional development events. The GISSO officers include Vanessa Jimenez Juarez, Ben Landers, Carson Backhus, Nicole Schiller, Tim Johnson, Izzy Keefe and Eli Schlossberg. Marcus Huntsinger served as an undergraduate representative.
Congratulations to our talented students!
