Nick Charles, MS, GISP
Environmental scientist and certified GIS Professional -- from field investigation to spatial framework
Field-First. Data-Driven.
Environmental Scientist • GIS Professional • Asheville, NC
I'm an environmental scientist and certified GIS Professional (GISP®) with 6+ years in environmental consulting. My project work spans contaminated-site investigation and remediation under CERCLA, RCRA, Brownfields, and state voluntary programs -- groundwater monitoring, hydrogeologic testing, and vapor intrusion studies -- along with Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments supporting property transactions across the country.
The common thread is the data. I build the geospatial and data-management backbone for project teams: ArcGIS figures and 3D visualizations, EQuIS analytical databases, Survey123 and Field Maps field workflows, and Python automation that turns raw field data into finished, defensible deliverables.
I also serve as a regional lead in my firm's Information Management and Geospatial practice -- moderating a firmwide GIS users group, developing UAV and lidar capabilities, mentoring GIS staff, and setting the standards that keep data quality consistent across project teams.
I believe the best GIS work is invisible -- it makes complex environmental data understandable to project managers, regulators, and stakeholders without requiring them to think about the technology behind it.
Credentials & Certifications
Professional registrations and training that back up the work
GISP® -- Certified GIS Professional
GIS Certification Institute • #162851 • 2026
FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
Federal Aviation Administration • Small UAS Rating
OSHA 40-Hour HAZWOPER
General Site Worker + 8-Hr Supervisor & Annual Refresher
Certified Environmental Specialist
360training • 24-hour program
100+ Esri Academy Certificates
ArcGIS courses & 6 MOOCs • 2018--2025
Adult First Aid / CPR / AED
American Red Cross
Education
2019
MS, Environmental Studies
Florida International University • Miami, FL
Graduate Certificate in GIS. Thesis developed a multi-criteria hydro-economic decision tool for community irrigation tanks in rural India -- later published in the peer-reviewed journal Water.
2016
BS, Environmental Science
University of Central Florida • Orlando, FL
Minors in Biology and Energy & Sustainability, with an undergraduate certificate in Environmental Tourism.
Career Path
From conservation fieldwork to environmental data leadership
2020 — Present
Professional Scientist
Geosyntec Consultants • Asheville, NC
Site investigation and remediation across the Southeast: CERCLA and RCRA field programs, PFAS characterization, project management under a state voluntary remediation program, and environmental due diligence for industrial and commercial transactions. Regional lead for the Information Management & Geospatial practice, firmwide GIS users group moderator, and mentor to GIS staff.
2019 — 2020
Environmental Consulting
Geosyntec Consultants • Greenville, SC
First consulting role: Phase I environmental site assessments and compliance reviews for properties across the Southeast, plus field investigation support -- groundwater sampling, drilling oversight, and regulatory report figures.
2017 — 2019
Graduate Research Assistant & Instructor
Florida International University • Miami, FL
Thesis research on restoring rainwater-harvesting irrigation tanks to meet agricultural and household water demand in Karnataka, India. Taught GIS for a high school agroecology internship program and an undergraduate environmental economics course.
2017
Conservation Intern
National Audubon Society • Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, FL
Science-based management of a 13,000-acre sanctuary: prescribed fire operations, invasive species control, hydrologic and wildlife monitoring, and an independent GIS study quantifying 35 years of land-use change in the surrounding watershed.
2016
AmeriCorps Conservation Corps
American Conservation Experience • Western NC
Ecological restoration and forest management projects alongside the National Park Service in backcountry conditions.
2015 — 2016
Natural Lands Intern
Seminole County • Sanford, FL
Prescribed burn planning, gopher tortoise and invasive species surveys mapped with ArcGIS, and a county data model supporting planning and regulatory activities -- the internship where GIS became the career direction.
Publications & Presentations
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Charles, N.; Bhat, M.G.; Bhatta, R.; Hegde, K.M.; Hegde, G.V. Multi-Criteria Hydro-Economic Decision Tool for Rejuvenating Community Irrigation Tanks in Rural India. Water 2021, 13(11), 1594.
doi.org/10.3390/w13111594 →- 2023 Geosyntec Groundwater Action Group Conference — Toronto, ON
- 2023 Geosyntec Information Management & Geospatial (IMAG) Conference — San Diego, CA
- 2021 Geosyntec IMAG Virtual Conference
- 2019 Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting — Louisville, KY
- 2019 American Water Resources Association Conference — Omaha, NE
- 2019 FIU Earth & Environment Graduate Research Symposium — Miami, FL
- 2018 International Society for Ecological Economics, 15th Biennial Conference — Puebla, Mexico
- 2018–19 FIU Agroecology Program Research Symposium (oral & poster) — Miami, FL
Teaching & Training
- GIS instructor, high school agroecology summer internship program — FIU (2018, 2019)
- Instructor, Introduction to Environmental Economics (ECP 3302) — FIU (2019)
- Internal GIS 101 training: Cartography & Visualization (2021)
- Firmwide GIS users group moderator — raster workflows, field apps, and automation topics (ongoing)
- UAV capability presentations and training for project managers (2026)
Professional Affiliations
- URISA
- GITA
- AWRA
- USSEE / ISEE
- ASPRS
Want to Work Together?
I'm always interested in challenging geospatial and environmental data projects.
Get in Touch