KU: Department of Geography

I graduated in 1989 from KU with an M.A degree in Geography, emphasis in automated mapping and GIS. While at KU I worked as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Kansas Geologic Survey. My KU education prepared me very well for a career.

I started with an internship in the Cartographic Division at the National Geographic Society. NGS then hired me to continue my work integrating computer mapping systems into their process.

My next stop was with Verizon's Science and Technology Center where I
worked on the development of state of the art GIS applications for cellular engineering, network engineering, dispatch and capacity forecasting. I did a short stint with Oracle as a database consultant, then returned to Verizon for more development. This eventually led to my current role leading an organization that provides production support and testing for all Verizon Business IT applications.

Although my current position no longer has a focus in Geography, there is no doubt that I benefited throughout my career from the strong KU foundation.

Robert Shapiro
Vice President – Verizon Business
813-978-6025
robert.f.shapiro@verizonbusiness.com