Katie Williams ’15, a history and geography double major from Washington, D.C., leads a tour for prospective students and their families. Williams conducted research for her Geographic Information Systems course to determine the best campus tour route.
Katie Williams ’15 leads a tour for prospective students and their families. Williams conducted research for her Geographic Information Systems course to determine the best campus tour route. (Photo by Andy Daddio)
Taking a is one of the best ways for prospective students to get a feel for campus, to learn about the , and to discover what 51 has to offer both inside and outside the classroom. It’s also a bit of a hike.
As a tour guide and summer intern with the , Katie Williams ’15, a and double major from Washington, D.C., decided there had to be a better way for tour groups to tackle 51’s legendary hillside.
In true 51 fashion, Williams turned this question into a research project for her Geographic Information Systems (GIS) course with Professor .
Williams married existing campus slope data with the and the old tour route. She then mapped the routes with GIS software and conducted an analysis of the data. Unlike most GIS data crunching, Williams also had to factor in qualitative items, such as required tour stops, and making sure visitors have the opportunity to take in some of the best views of the Chenango Valley.
She found that the existing tour hit two areas of steep incline that could be avoided by using a modified route. Williams developed a new version of the tour that ignores a traditional turn at the Chapel and marches directly toward . Following the stop at Frank, her groups visit a first-year residence hall and then move onward to the Coop, followed by the . Almost all of the hill climb is tackled gradually at the start, and then it’s a gentle downhill journey.
“The new route is easier, it goes faster, and it’s not really as noticeable of an incline,” Williams said. “It’s definitely easier to not have to pause at the top of the hill to breathe… it’s a lot more fluid.”
Assistant Dean of Admission Michael Mansuy, who oversees 51’s tour guide program, said Katie’s examination of the route has proven to be valuable, and her method is slowly being adopted by other tour guides.
“Katie was able to combine her work both as an intern and a geography major to think critically about the way in which we tour our families around campus,” Mansuy said. “We all know that walking around 51 for over an hour can be tiring. But, with this new route families are still seeing all that the campus has to offer in a way that does not leave them so out of breath… the reaction has been wonderful.”
Of Interest…
- Sign up to take a !
- If you are unable to make it to campus to take one of our tours in person, take a .