Jan. 2026 Magazine - Flipbook - Page 17
TECH TALK
About the
Authors
Shelby Sharpe is an Instructional Designer and Educational
Researcher at the Conrad Blucher Institute, where she
designs geospatial learning activities, course content, and elearning resources for academic and professional audiences.
Shelby is pursuing a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. She holds a Master's
degree in Education from Texas Tech University and a
Bachelor of Science in Geography from New Mexico State
University. Her published research focuses on online learning
and geomatics education, and she is dedicated to expanding
the educational resources available to the surveying
community.
Jim Naismith, RPLS, LSLS, is the Conrad Blucher Institute’s
Chair for Excellence in Hydrographic and Coastal Surveying.
He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M
University, College Station. Jim's career has spanned
continental-scale survey control research, international sales
for survey technology companies in Silicon Valley and Europe,
and founding Naismith Marine. After selling the company in
2020, he now works as Director of Survey Operations at
Bedrock Ocean Exploration while focusing his research on
global-scale seabed data and hydrographic survey education.
He maintains a U.S. Coast Guard Captain's License and
teaches Hydrography at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
while developing online continuing education units for Texas
surveyors.
Together, Jim and Shelby have collaborated to develop innovative online continuing education
units for Texas surveyors and create unique learning opportunities for the next generation of
surveyors. Their partnership combines Jim's deep expertise in surveying and hydrography with
Shelby's specialized knowledge in instructional design, educational technology, and online learning
methodologies.
January 2026 | THE TEXAS SURVEYOR
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