Alicia Milligan is a Portlandian and received her academic training in Geography and GIS from Portland State University. She has a strong passion for GIS and human geography, as well as teaching. Her master’s research incorporated both of these fields of geography using public participation GIS to map Sense of Place in Mt. Hood National Forest. Additionally, Alicia loves the design aspect of cartography and has been an integral team member in publications such as Upper Left Cities and disaster resilience projects from the 2015 Nepal earthquakes. As a Faculty Instructor and Geospatial Programs Advisor at PCC, Alicia hopes that her passion for geography and GIS will inspire students and others to explore the many possibilities this field has to offer.  Alicia’s diverse interests bring valuable insight and resources for guiding students with their academic interests. Outside of teaching, Alicia is well connected with the Portland GIS community and is the President of ORURISA Emerging Professionals. Being an advocate of outdoor recreation, Alicia spends her extra time bouldering, climbing, backpacking, hiking and spending time in nature with her husband and two kids. 

Josh Ahmann is a GIS Manager and Environmental Planner with the AEC firm Parametrix in Portland. His journey to Parametrix started as a high school intern with the World Forestry Center, and continued through several seasons with the National Park Service in Bryce Canyon and Mount Rainier National Parks while attending the University of Oregon and getting his Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State. After graduate school Josh spent time working for the forestry consulting firm Mason, Bruce, and Girard as well as the nonprofit Ecotrust, and Criterion Planners; a small planning firm focused on LEED-ND and GIS-based scenario planning software. Josh’s work interests include developing GIS-based web platforms that promote project team collaboration as well as building cost effective web mapping solutions for small towns, utilities, and irrigation districts. The son and husband of teachers, Josh also enjoys mentoring young professionals. Outside of work Josh is a husband and father of two elementary aged kids. On the weekends you can find him coaching soccer or exploring the small towns and remote places of Oregon and SW Washington.

Claire Brumbaugh-Smith just finished a Certificate in GIS from Portland State University and has a BA in Environmental Studies-Biology from Reed College. Claire has participated in amphibian and turtle surveys in the Portland area, which has led to an interest in the role of participatory GIS in analysis and decision making. She is especially interested in the open source GIS community and how user-centered design in web maps can be used to increase the accessibility of maps and mapmaking.