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After he was laid off, William "Rusty" Dryman earned his associate degree in Geographic Information Systems from Roane State and now enjoys a new career in the GIS field.
Oct. 19, 2016
By Bob Fowler
Staff writer
At age 53, Roane State Community College graduate William "Rusty" Dryman has a new job thanks to his degree in Geographic Information Systems, but he can't talk about it too much.
It is classified work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, he says, that involves "editing for a big project for population density." It's the location of that population that remains classified, he said.
Dryman, a Roane County resident, had worked at carbon fiber manufacturer Toho Tenax America for 15 years, but that came to an end in October 2013 when he and nine other workers were laid off. "My job went overseas," he said.
Because the job was outsourced to another country, free training for a new skill was available through the state because of his displaced worker status, Dryman said.
"Since the schooling was going to be paid for, I took advantage of that," he said.
Dryman said he received invaluable advice from a Roane State advisor at the Harriman campus.
"She and I looked at different things," he said. "She asked if I liked computers, and I said yes."
What followed was his enrollment in Roane State's program leading to an Associate of Applied Science in Geographic Information Systems. That academic discipline is an information system that integrates, stores, edits, analyzes, shares and displays spatial/geographic information.
William "Rusty" Dryman was all smiles when he graduated from Roane State in May.
Roane State's program includes a technical certificate and an AAS degree. Courses are offered on Roane State's Oak Ridge campus and online. Three GIS courses are also available through dual enrollment for high school juniors and seniors.
"GIS enrollment encompasses a broad demographic," said Pat Wurth, a Roane State associate professor who is the program's director. Traditional students, displaced workers, veterans and working professionals are among those taking the instruction.
"The program boasts 100 percent (job) placement," she said, with 99 percent of those jobs in the local area.
"Our program was designated as a Center of Academic Excellence in Geospatial Sciences by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in 2015," Wurth said.
"She (Wurth) does a great job, and I think it's a great program," Dryman said. "I recommend it to anyone looking to get into something different."
Wurth told Dryman last fall about the job opening at the lab, and he's now working there full-time after graduating from Roane State in May. Wurth has her own description of Dryman's somewhat secret job: "an image analyst for a feature identification project."
"Rusty's success in this field speaks highly of his dedication and technical abilities," Wurth said.
"I love working here," Dryman said of his job in the lab's Geographic Science and Technology Group. "It's a good place to be."
After he was laid off from Toho Tenax, "I thought I could make a change in my life, and I'm glad I did. I appreciate Roane State offering this program, because it's great."
Registration for Roane State spring classes begins Nov. 14. Apply today or call (865) 882-4554 to learn more.
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