Bob Ayensu

Bob Ayensu studied with Dr. Paul Hudak and graduated with his master's in Applied Geography from UNT in December 2002. His research was on ground level ozone pollution from man-made sources.

While at UNT the curriculum and the environment were two factors that helped set him apart from his peers. The disciplines within in our department emphasized the principles and fundamentals of various subjects that allowed Bob to leave our program feeling equipped. This experience gave him tools and knowledge that promote problem solving and decision making in the workplace. He emphasized it was not specific tools or applications that the faculty focused on but the combination of approaches; he also appreciated their philosophy on group work. He felt this fostered a collaborative environment, which is of great benefit in the workforce.

Completing his master's degree prepared him for a career in Geospatial Services. His degree helped lay the foundation in data collection, processing, storage, analysis, interpretation, and reporting. It also helped him easily adopt appropriate tools and methods to accomplish goals. He mentioned how fortunate he was to have Dr. Bruce Hunter, Dr. Joseph Oppong, Dr. Paul Hudak, Dr. Don Lyons, and many others as mentors to guide him through the program and set him on a career path.

While at UNT he fondly remembers his first Christmas in Denton. Dr. Bruce Hunter took him to see Brave Combo play on the Square in downtown Denton. Somehow Dr. Hunter also convinced Bob to join a crowd of people doing the "Chicken Dance". Fortunately for Bob social media was not prevalent at the time. If it had been, he is sure it would have gone viral!

Currently Bob is employed with the City of Frisco as an Enterprise GIS Manager. He provides leadership to the GIS Division and directs the administration of the enterprise GIS environment and related technologies.The past year Bob was awarded as the ESRI Water GIS Hero in spring 2022, and in summer of 2022 the ESRI's Special Achievement in GIS (SIG) was awarded to the Trinity River Authority GIS team where he served as the team lead.

In the workforce, Bob has gained a lot of experience and knowledge over many years. One thing he wants to share with students today is to be open minded as they pursue their professional interests and to not restrict themselves to a rigid career path. He also mentioned they should take risks, get out of their comfort zones, and to be eager to learn and explore opportunities as they come their way. Bob encourages students to see such vulnerable moments as growth opportunities.