by Aimee LaBrie
Searching for red-headed woodpecker habitats, gluing radio transmitters onto bog turtle shells, mapping infectious outbreaks of the West Nile virus—for Will Bogetti, '03, these were just some of the projects he took on as a student—both in high school and during his time as an environmental science major at Rider. His first internship at the University was working for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), where he collaborated with state biologists to determine areas where endangered species lived and thrived in New Jersey. “We used digital data and created models to find out if the habitat would support, let’s say, Peregrine falcons. Then, we would go out and look for endangered species there. The models gave us a way to delineating areas that might need to be protected from development.”
This internship not only led to his senior thesis, but also to an offer of employment from the NJDEP upon graduation. In addition, the experience helped him build the skills he uses in his current role as a geographic information system manager at ALK Technologies, a navigation company located in Princeton. “In college, I developed the organizational time management capabilities I use now. I was juggling multiple classes, the internship work and my home life, and learning how to create a balance. Those skills have stayed with me.”
Bogetti has been with ALK for the last seven years, and he manages a team of twenty people. Their mission is to help all of us get where we’re going more efficiently. Bogetti assists with creating navigation software that keeps track of roads and highways across North America. Their largest customer base is the trucking industry. “We’re looking for ways to map out the best routes for them—not just the quickest way, but also the most fuel efficient way; that’s good for them because they will save time and money. And it’s good for the environment because it cuts back on the consumption of fossil fuels, reducing emissions.”
As Bogetti explains, “Since I was a little kid, obsessed with the show Mr. Wizard, I’ve been interested in how creativity and science can make the world a better place. Rider helped me to discover that road, so to speak.”
