23 Young Geospatial Professionals to Watch in 2023 – 8 of 23

Name: Hannah Peterson, Age 28
Company: Aero-Graphics, Flight Planner  
Education: BS in Geology, Utah Valley University, MS in Geography, University of Utah

All her life, Peterson has enjoyed spending time in the outdoors and learning about the earth’s processes. This led to pursuing and graduating with a bachelor’s degree in geology from Utah Valley University in 2017. She worked as a geologist for a year, then went on to get a master’s degree in geography from the University of Utah in 2020, where she studied snow hydrology using structure from motion.  

Since the summer of 2020, Peterson has been at Aero-Graphics, working heavily on the aviation side of the industry, implementing flight planning and management. As Aero-Graphics has expanded, so has her role, including helping to hire and train five new crew members and settle them into their roles as sensor operators and pilots. She has been able to use her knowledge of data acquisition and resource planning to execute flights over eight states for Aero-Graphics NRI/SL and USGS contracts.  

Peterson has lived in Utah since she was a teenager and loves living near the mountains. She keeps busy hiking, skiing, and skateboarding. She and her husband are moving to Boulder, CO, where she will continue to work remotely for Aero-Graphics and the couple will welcome their first baby in January.