Building a career in higher education public safety

In Feburary 2024, BingUNews spoke to Ryan Kinsella about his graduate work developing interactive GIS maps at Binghamton University to help the campus community quickly locate safety resources during emergencies. To learn more about Kinsella’s work as a student, read more here!

While pursuing his master’s degree in geography, Ryan Kinsella ’22, MA ’24, received further exposure to the online GIS technology through his coursework. He was able to apply what he learned in real-world circumstances, like an emergency management exercise at the Health Sciences Building — which ignited a professional interest in public safety. After completing his own field work in Johnson City and interning with the New York City Fire Department last summer, Kinsella chose to stay at Binghamton University, where he’s gained a “new appreciation” for the work that goes into running an institution.

Now a GIS specialist and special projects coordinator with Binghamton University’s Office of Emergency Management, Kinsella uses the same geographic tools and techniques he’s learned in the classroom to support the campus community. Describing Binghamton’s incorporation of GIS as “forward-thinking,” Kinsella has been able to integrate interactive maps into the University’s emergency planning processes while also collaborating with other departments like Facilities Management and the University Police Department.

“It just made sense to stay, especially with having such a supportive environment with me starting out my professional career. It is not just my own office that has been supportive, but also the geography department is downstairs, and I can go and just ask a question or say hi,” said Kinsella, whose office is conveniently located a floor above his former professors. “It’s really nice knowing your employers are looking out for you, which I think is incredibly important especially when you’re just starting out.”