He graduated from high school with straight A’s, achieved a 4.0 at Tennessee Technological University, and was the only person in the last ten years to graduate with a 4.0 from the Virginia Tech College of Architecture and Urban Studies master’s program. In fact, Jason was recently honored as the 2002 Outstanding Graduate Student for the Virginia Tech College of Architecture and Urban Studies. But when asked about his academic achievements, Jason casually joked, "I got a C in conduct in elementary school once!"

Jason is now a Project Engineer with the A&A Tri-Cities office. He joined the office in January 2002, after working as an intern for the A&A Blacksburg GIS team while completing his master’s degree.

During graduate school, Jason researched and wrote a Major Paper entitled, "Developing Digital Monitoring Protocols for Use in Volunteer Stream Assessment," which can be read online at http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/
available/etd-12102001-163111/. Jason modified a free software program to digitally record and link GPS points and images on a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). The data from the PDA was then imported into ArcView and displayed on a topographic map. With these maps, users can easily download information relevant to specific areas of a stream. Jason’s program enables data gatherers to work more efficiently without manual transcription in large notebooks. Because the software is free, the program is ideal for non-profit organizations.

Since presenting his Major Paper, Jason has received inquiries from the Department of Conservation and Recreation and other governmental and non-profit organizations.

At A&A, Jason has had the opportunity to work on a diverse range of projects, including water, sewer, subdivision layout, and traffic calming. Eventually he would like to concentrate on land development projects, particularly related to environmental management.

"People need development," he explained. "But it is our responsibility to make it smart, to make it work with the environment."

When Jason isn’t busy with work, he enjoys hiking, camping, and backpacking. In fact, he will be focusing on his environmental passions during an Appalachian Trail Maintenance Trip this spring.

Through the dedication of one employee, Anderson & Associates has stepped up its recycling efforts. Joe Parrish, Project Manager with the A&A Blacksburg office, offered to take over the firm’s recycling program to save money for the company. On his own time, Joe set up conveniently located recycling boxes throughout the office. He takes the sorted recycled items to the Montgomery Regional Solid Waste Authority (MRSWA), and A&A is reimbursed by MRSWA for the recycled materials.

"A&A is serving as a role model for others in the industry," explained Tim Myers, MRSWA Recycling Coordinator. "A&A is saving our natural resources and saving money by reducing disposal costs."

In the past 18 months, A&A has recycled 1.78 tons of office paper and continually receives praise from the MRSWA for the quality of their recycled materials.

"Recycling is a simple thing we can do to make a difference for our environment," said Joe.