Student Profiles

Jennifer Dischler

Senior Jennifer Dischler’s recent internship at University of Southern California (USC) for the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) allowed her to pursue groundbreaking work. She explained, “The software program we’re working on is one of a kind. When the Chino Hills quake hit on July 29, 2008, seconds later we were mapping out in 3D where the earthquake actually happened from datasets obtained from the USGS – U.S. Geological Survey, and sent the animations to local news agencies to show the public.” Her internship builds on her studies in computer systems engineering where her work has put her on the Dean’s List and earned an invitation to Tau Beta Pi, an engineering honor society.

Dischler was one of the undergraduates selected to participate in USC’s Undergraduate Studies in Earthquake Information Technology (UseIT) program. The focus of her work was on a software program called SCEC VDO. The program is a plug-in-based visualization software for displaying and manipulating various earthquake related datasets in three dimensions. In the future, the software will aid geologists and seismologists in figuring out what type of earthquake occurred, and where exactly it took place, which is valuable for forecasting future earthquakes.

This internship allowed her to expand her experience in computer science. She adds, “Working on software that is the first of its kind is great! Also, working with people from very diverse backgrounds was a plus… you get different perspectives on how to solve problems.” Her other activities includes participation in the Society of Women Engineers and Software Developers Association at ASU.

Throughout the academic year, she also works as a database administrator with SunCoast Land Services, Inc., a land company based in Lafayette, LA.  A "land company" is a company that does "land work" for oil and gas companies. "Land work" is defined as obtaining, leases, permits, etc. from land owners in order for oil & gas exploration on their property, as well as reporting back to our clients (oil companies) using maps, reports, etc. the permissions obtained by the "land men" from the land owners. In the future, she hopes to work as a technical advisor who communicates the non-technical needs of users to a development group. For now, her immediate goal is to concentrate on her studies so she can graduate in May 2009.

After she graduates, Dischler hopes to continue to work for the SCEC or SunCoast. She explained, “I would definitely recommend this experience to another ASU student interested in information technology because it gives the intern experience in Java 3D, which is a valuable tool for developing graphics and/or gaming, as well as working on brand new software, where the developer makes the rules.”