Dr. Seneca Holland is an Instructor of Geospatial Science and Program Coordinator for the Geospatial Science academic program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. She also serves as a Geospatial Research Scientist at the Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science.
Dr. Seneca Holland has received the Texas GIS Community Excellence Award from the Texas Geographic Information Office (TxGIO) for her efforts to expand geospatial education opportunities across Texas.
The award recognizes individuals and organizations whose innovative solutions, exceptional achievements and measurable community impact have advanced the geospatial field.
As an Instructor of Geospatial Science and Program Coordinator for the Geospatial Science academic program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC), Seneca also serves as a Geospatial Research Scientist at the university's Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science (CBI). She has played a key role in the Point of Beginning Initiative, a collaborative effort established by CBI to address workforce shortages in Texas’ surveying and geospatial industries through education, outreach and workforce development.
A central component of the initiative is the Geospatial Engineering and Land Surveying (GELS) Career and Technical Education (CTE) program, which provides opportunities for high school students to gain hands-on experience while establishing pathways to higher education and careers in land surveying and related fields.
Building on the success of Klein ISD’s pioneering GELS CTE program, the educational pathway has expanded into the Coastal Bend through agreements with Beeville ISD and Corpus Christi ISD. Through TAMU-CC’s Islander Academy Dual Credit Program, students at A.C. Jones High School in Beeville and Foy H. Moody High School in Corpus Christi are gaining early exposure to surveying and geospatial technologies while earning college credit.
“This recognition reflects the collaborative work underway at TAMU-CC and CBI to support Texas’ land surveying and geospatial communities through initiatives like the Point of Beginning and GELS,” said Holland. “I’m grateful to TxGIO for this honor and proud of the partnerships and dedicated individuals making these efforts possible.”
To learn more about the Point of Beginning Initiative, visit www.conradblucherinstitute.org/pob.