Alex Tour-Sarkissian

37.7749° N · 122.4194° W

GIS Analyst focused on spatial analysis, remote sensing, and decision-ready geospatial systems.

I design and deliver spatial analysis workflows, remote sensing models, and web-based GIS tools that help organizations evaluate risk, plan infrastructure, and understand complex geographic systems. Work spans climate risk, infrastructure, and geopolitics—built on structured data, rigorous validation, and clear outputs for decision-making.

40+ Mapping products delivered
7 Domains & industries
100+ Civil servants trained
View the Work ↓ Download Resume

Core GIS Strengths

Esri Platform
ArcGIS Pro ArcGIS Online Experience Builder Dashboards Survey123
Programming
Python ArcGIS API for Python Google Earth Engine
Spatial Methods
Spatial Analysis Raster Analysis Remote Sensing Cartography Georeferencing GeoAI
Design & Data
Adobe Creative Suite WordPress Salesforce GitHub

Background

About Alex

Before I knew what GIS was, I was spending hours with road atlases — tracing how routes connected cities, how rivers shaped where borders fell, how the geography of a place explained almost everything else about it. When I took my first GIS course in college using ArcMap, the connection was immediate: this was the discipline of turning geographic questions into something you can see and act on.

I've worked on problems across defense, conservation, international development, and civic tech — and what ties them together isn't the domain, it's the approach. Understand who the map is for. Get the data right before opening the software. Notice what's broken before it becomes someone else's problem. I want to work on spatial problems that matter, with teams that take data seriously.

Some of my most important work I can't show here — three maps for the Armenian Virtual College covering infrastructure corridors in a geopolitically sensitive region. That data didn't exist publicly. It had to be hand-digitized from imagery, georeferenced, and spatially validated before it could be mapped at all. That kind of rigor is what I bring to every project, whether or not the stakes are classified.

Since 2024, I've focused on deepening expertise in raster analysis, remote sensing, and GeoAI — completing advanced Esri and Udemy certifications in Python-based GIS and agentic spatial systems, and staying actively engaged through CalGPN and BayGeo. The technical depth keeps expanding. The curiosity that started with road atlases never stopped.

Education

BA Geography + GIS Certificate
Cal State East Bay · 2018

Certifications

LLM Agentic GeoAI Mastery
Udemy · 2026

ArcGIS Online API for Python
Udemy · 2026

GIS for Climate Action
Esri · 2026

Target Roles

GIS Analyst · Geospatial Analyst · Spatial Analyst · Geospatial Data Analyst · Environmental GIS Analyst

Domains

Environmental GIS · Infrastructure
Climate & Environmental Analysis · International Development
Defense & Geospatial Intelligence

Professional Memberships

California Geospatial Professional Network (CalGPN) · BayGeo · Kiwanis International · Toastmasters

Location

San Francisco, CA
Open to hybrid, on-site, and select remote roles

How I Work

Three things that don't change,
no matter the project.

The domain changes — defense, conservation, transit, international development. The tools evolve. But how I approach a spatial problem has stayed consistent since my first GIS course. These aren't principles I invented. They're patterns I noticed by watching what goes wrong when they're skipped.

01

Structure before
software.

I don't open ArcGIS until the data is right. Every project starts the same way: research the domain, understand the organizing logic, build the attribute structure in Excel, verify field by field. The thing I see most often when GIS projects go wrong is that the structure was broken before anyone touched the software. Inconsistent fields. Unclear classifications. Missing metadata. That's where maps start failing — long before the symbology.

Seen in: Electoral Systems Dashboard · Caucasus Series · Every project

02

The map is for a person
making a decision.

Before I start any map, I ask: what decision is this person actually trying to make? Sometimes that means asking directly — what do you want to see? What are you trying to figure out? A map that's technically accurate but hard to read for the person using it hasn't done its job. Accuracy matters. But the goal is for the audience to understand something clearly that they didn't understand before — and then be able to act on it.

Seen in: Nepal Dashboard · DoD Analysis · Building Education

03

Notice what's broken
before anyone else does.

In GIS work, I catch data structure and organization issues that others miss — inconsistent attribute fields, unclear classification logic, boundary misalignments that only show up when you go feature by feature. I don't just flag problems. I work through them systematically before they become someone else's emergency. That instinct comes from years of working with data that didn't come clean — and caring whether the final product holds up to scrutiny.

Seen in: Caucasus Infrastructure Maps · Apple Data Validation · Wildlife Tracking

Selected Projects

The Work

Selected GIS work across climate, infrastructure, civic, conservation, and geopolitical domains — organized by capability to demonstrate spatial analysis, decision support, and geospatial problem-solving.

Start Here — Key Projects

Near Completion · 2026

Independent Project · Google Earth Engine + Python

Climate Vulnerability Visualization — United States

Multi-region vulnerability mapping across three high-exposure U.S. zones — Louisiana (coastal inundation), Florida (sea level and storm surge), Colorado (wildfire and drought) — using Google Earth Engine and Python Jupyter workflows. Multi-source satellite datasets processed, classified, and validated in a version-controlled environment. Designed to support climate adaptation decisions where spatial specificity determines how resources get deployed.

Google Earth Engine Python Remote Sensing Climate
Electoral Systems Global Dashboard

ProRep Coalition · Nonprofit Volunteer

Electoral Systems Global Dashboard

Global electoral classification dashboard built for policymaker use. Each country verified against five to six independent sources, structured field-by-field, and validated country by country before publication. A wrong classification here isn't cosmetic — it's a policy argument. Delivered as a publicly accessible live dashboard on ArcGIS Experience Builder.

ArcGIS Experience Builder ArcGIS Online Adobe Photoshop
Armenia & Caucasus cover image

Armenian Virtual College · U.S. Government Training Initiative

Armenia & Caucasus Thematic Map Series

20-map thematic series for a U.S. training program reaching 100+ government, academic, and think tank participants. Data didn't exist publicly — ethnic boundaries manually cross-verified across six countries; three infrastructure maps hand-digitized from imagery and spatially validated. Python-automated georeferencing workflow saved ~20 hours of processing. The audience included regional experts. The data had to hold up to that scrutiny.

ArcGIS Pro Python Automation Georeferencing Government Training
View Case Study →
01

Spatial Analysis & Remote Sensing

Near Completion · 2026

Independent Project · In Progress

Climate Vulnerability Visualization — United States

Map for a person making a decision

Climate risk isn't uniform — it's spatially concentrated, shaped by terrain, hydrology, and land cover patterns that satellite data resolves at scale. Integrating Google Earth Engine and Python Jupyter workflows to map vulnerability across three high-exposure U.S. regions: Louisiana's coastal inundation zones, Florida's sea-level and storm surge exposure, and Colorado's wildfire and drought risk. Multi-source satellite datasets processed, classified, and validated in a version-controlled Python environment. Designed to support climate adaptation planning where knowing precisely where risk is concentrated determines how resources get deployed.

Method Earth Engine · Vulnerability Mapping
Scale National · United States
Google Earth Engine Python GitHub Climate
TVDI East and West Harerghe Ethiopia drought

Remote Sensing Analysis · Ethiopia

TVDI — East & West Harerghe Drought Analysis

Map for a person making a decision

Drought in eastern Ethiopia is a chronic condition — it shapes land use, agriculture, and food security decisions across two of the country's most food-insecure zones. This TVDI (Temperature-Vegetation Dryness Index) analysis integrated land surface temperature and NDVI data from March 2015 to map soil moisture stress at high spatial resolution. Five-class output from Very Wet to Very Dry delivered the geographic specificity that regional drought response requires: not just that drought is present, but exactly where — and where it isn't.

Method Remote Sensing · TVDI Index
Scale Regional · East Africa
ArcGIS Pro Remote Sensing Drought Analysis
NDWI Rhode Island

Remote Sensing Analysis · Rhode Island

NDWI — Normalized Difference Water Index

Notice what's broken before anyone else does

Surface water mapping from multispectral satellite imagery, applied to Rhode Island's complex coastal and inland hydrological system. The Normalized Difference Water Index isolates water body extent and vegetation moisture using green and near-infrared band ratios — resolving coastal inlets, inland ponds, and wetland edges across a highly variable landscape. Five-class output from yellow (dry land) to blue (open water) supports watershed analysis and land cover assessment at the state scale.

Method Remote Sensing · NDWI Index
Scale State · Rhode Island
ArcGIS Pro Remote Sensing Raster Analysis Water Resources
Vegetation Carbon Stock Distribution

Environmental Analysis · Southern Oregon

Vegetation Carbon Stock Distribution

Structure before software

Above-ground vegetation carbon stock quantified at county scale using raster analysis in ArcGIS Pro. Lane and Douglass Counties, Oregon — spanning temperate rainforest, mixed forest, and transitional vegetation zones — mapped in tons per hectare using a red-to-green gradient that immediately communicates where carbon sequestration capacity is highest. Output supports carbon accounting, conservation prioritization, and climate planning decisions at the county scale.

Method Raster Analysis · Carbon Mapping
Scale Lane & Douglass, OR
ArcGIS Pro Raster Analysis Climate
View Case Study →
San Francisco Solar Energy Potential

Environmental Analysis · San Francisco

San Francisco Solar Energy Potential

Map for a person making a decision

Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) mapped across San Francisco to identify optimal zones for solar panel installation. Five-class raster classification renders high-GHI areas — locations capable of generating electricity most efficiently year-round — in red and orange against lower-irradiance zones. Analyzed and delivered as a decision-support product for urban energy planning and infrastructure investment at the municipal scale.

Method Raster Analysis · GHI Classification
Scale Municipal · San Francisco
ArcGIS Pro Raster Analysis Urban Planning Energy
View Case Study →
02

Decision Support Dashboards & Web GIS

Electoral Systems Global Dashboard

ProRep Coalition · Nonprofit Volunteer

Electoral Systems Global Dashboard

Structure before software

Most global electoral datasets are inconsistent or politically contested. This dashboard had to be right — it was being used to educate policymakers on democratic reform. Each country's electoral classification was verified against five to six independent sources and structured field-by-field before opening ArcGIS Pro. Attributes joined, topology validated country by country, custom pop-up imagery designed in Photoshop. Published as a publicly accessible live dashboard. When a wrong classification is a policy argument, the data workflow has to hold up to expert scrutiny.

Method Web GIS · Attribute Joining
Scale Global
Output Live Interactive Dashboard
ArcGIS Experience Builder ArcGIS Online Adobe Photoshop
School Construction Projects Dashboard — Nepal

Building Education · Web GIS Analyst & Board Member

School Construction Projects Dashboard — Nepal

Map for a person making a decision

Building Education operates 7 school construction sites across Nepal — a geographic program with two fundamentally different donor audiences. Data-driven donors need project counts, construction status, funding progress, and student numbers. Emotionally-driven donors respond to photography and personal narrative. This Experience Builder dashboard was designed so both audiences find what moves them in the same interface. Serves concurrently as board member and technical lead providing WordPress and operational support for 6–10 staff.

Method Web GIS · Data Visualization
Sites Mapped 7 Construction Sites
Region Nepal
ArcGIS Experience Builder ArcGIS Dashboards Nonprofit
View Case Study → Dashboard preview on request
California Solar Footprint

Independent Project · ArcGIS Dashboards

California Solar Footprint

Map for a person making a decision

ArcGIS Dashboard mapping California's solar energy infrastructure — showing where capacity is concentrated and where geographic gaps remain. Designed to communicate spatial distribution at a glance, supporting energy planners and infrastructure teams who need state-scale solar coverage in one view.

Platform ArcGIS Dashboards
Scale Statewide · California
ArcGIS Dashboards Energy Infrastructure Live
View Live Dashboard →
Statewide Power Outages — California

Independent Project · ArcGIS Dashboards

Statewide Power Outages — California

Map for a person making a decision

Live interactive dashboard visualizing power outage locations, scope, and geographic distribution across California in real time. Developed for the situational awareness that emergency planners and utilities require during grid events — all active outages visible in a single spatial view, continuously updated.

Platform ArcGIS Dashboards
Data Live · Real-Time Feed
ArcGIS Dashboards Real-Time Energy Live
View Live Dashboard →
Medium & Heavy-Duty Hydrogen & EV Infrastructure

Independent Project · ArcGIS Dashboards

Medium & Heavy-Duty Hydrogen & EV Infrastructure

Map for a person making a decision

ArcGIS Dashboard mapping publicly accessible medium- and heavy-duty hydrogen refueling and electric vehicle charging infrastructure across California. Designed for fleet operators and transportation planners working on decarbonization routes — shows not just where infrastructure exists, but where the gaps are that limit viable corridor planning.

Platform ArcGIS Dashboards
Domain Transportation · Clean Energy
ArcGIS Dashboards Transportation Clean Energy Live
View Live Dashboard →
03

High-Rigor Data Reconstruction & Analytical Mapping

Armenia & Caucasus cover image

Armenian Virtual College · U.S. Government Training Initiative

Armenia & Caucasus Thematic Map Series

Notice what's broken before anyone else does

A U.S. training program reaching 100+ participants in government, academia, and think tanks needed accurate thematic maps of a politically contested region where reliable data doesn't exist publicly. Ethnic boundary datasets manually cross-verified across six countries and source languages. Three infrastructure maps covering pipeline corridors and economic routes hand-digitized from imagery, then spatially validated feature by feature. Python-automated georeferencing workflow saved approximately 20 hours of processing. 20 thematic maps delivered; three covering sensitive corridors are not shown. The audience included regional experts — the data had to hold up to that scrutiny.

Maps Produced 20 (17 shown)
Countries 6
Data Sources ~30 Datasets
ArcGIS Pro Python Automation Georeferencing Government Training
View Case Study →
Afghanistan & Belt and Road Infrastructure Analysis cover image

Department of Defense · Geospatial Analyst (Contract)

Afghanistan & Belt and Road Infrastructure Analysis

Structure before software

Geospatial analysis contract supporting military intelligence operations. Over 13 months, delivered four analytical maps covering Afghanistan's mineral resource distribution, Belt & Road infrastructure corridors, and regional transportation networks — executed with precision under analyst direction. These maps are presented to illustrate the analytical scope and standards of the work; operational outputs are not shown.

Duration 13 Months
Maps Produced 4 Analytical Maps
Region Central & South Asia
ArcGIS Pro Infrastructure Mapping Geopolitical Analysis
View Case Study →
04

Specialized GIS Work — GeoAI / Conservation / Geopolitics

Five AI-Powered Spatial Accessibility Systems cover image

LLM Agentic GeoAI Mastery · Certification Capstone

Five AI-Powered Spatial Accessibility Systems

Structure before software

Five complete spatial analysis systems designed and delivered using AI-augmented GIS workflows: School Accessibility (Portland), Weather Vulnerability (Bristol), Multi-Hazard Response (Tokyo), Healthcare Accessibility (São Paulo), and Urban Accessibility (multi-city). Each system applied agentic AI techniques to structure geospatial queries, process spatial datasets, and produce actionable accessibility maps across four cities on three continents. Demonstrates how AI-orchestrated pipelines scale GIS analysis beyond what manual workflows can achieve.

Systems Built 5
Cities 4 · 3 Continents
GeoAI Python Accessibility Analysis Agentic Workflows
Bobcat and Puma tracking — Bay Area Bobcat and Puma tracking — North Bay detail

Felidae Conservation Fund · GIS Volunteer

Bobcat & Puma Wildlife Tracking — Bay Area

Notice what's broken before anyone else does

The Felidae Conservation Fund had years of camera trap records across 520 square miles of Marin County terrain — but without spatial context, the patterns were invisible. Plotted approximately 100 camera trap locations and scat observation points for bobcat and puma across Muir Woods, Mount Tamalpais, Tennessee Valley, and Rodeo Valley, using 2012–2019 field data. The maps gave the research team a spatial frame: where observations clustered, where movement corridors likely ran, where coverage gaps existed.

Method Point Feature Mapping
Coverage ~520 sq mi · Marin County
Data Points ~100 Camera Trap Locations
ArcGIS Pro Wildlife GIS Conservation
View Case Study →

Get In Touch

Open to the right role.

Looking for GIS Analyst, Geospatial Analyst, and Spatial roles in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a preference for hybrid or in-person teams.

Also open to select remote opportunities involving complex spatial analysis, environmental systems, infrastructure, or data-driven problem solving.

Experience across defense, environmental, infrastructure, international development, and civic tech.

If you're working on hard spatial problems, I'd like to hear about them.

LinkedIn ↗ Download Resume