UF Interns Help Levy County Strengthen Emergency Management Through GIS
Two University of Florida interns spent the summer helping Levy County expand its geographic information system (GIS) capabilities, strengthening emergency management operations and laying the groundwork for greater use of GIS across county departments. Levy County, which lies within Florida’s rural/coastal Big Bend region, faces significant natural hazards including hurricanes and wildfires.
The UF interns were Ellie Urichko, who earned her undergraduate degree in Sustainability and the Built Environment and is now pursuing a Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) on campus, and Quinn Callaghan, who graduated from UF with the same undergraduate degree at the end of the Summer 2026 semester.
Quinn Callaghan (left) and Ellie Urichko (right) lead a GIS workshop for Levy County Emergency Management
“Working on this project was meaningful because it allowed me to learn about rural planning and expand my GIS skills. It was rewarding to develop a usable GIS system for county staff as well as teach them about the opportunities GIS has to offer.” – Ellie Urichko
Supported by UF’s Nature Coast Biological Station and advised by Urban and Regional Planning Professor Kathryn Frank, the interns partnered with Levy County Development Services and Emergency Management to develop a GIS system tailored to the county’s needs. Their work included research, data collection, field mapping and the implementation of ArcGIS Online. The interns also trained county staff, tested the system through an emergency scenario simulation, and presented their findings and recommendations to the Levy County Board of County Commissioners.
The project provides Emergency Management with new tools for mapping critical information and making timely decisions during emergencies, while establishing a model for expanding GIS capabilities across other county departments.
Quinn Callaghan (left) and Ellie Urichko (right) presenting project results to the Levy County Board of County Commissioners
“Participating in the Levy County Emergency Management GIS project this summer was an incredibly rewarding experience and I am so grateful to everyone who made it possible. This internship helped me discover my passion for public service work and the disaster preparedness side of planning.” – Quinn Callaghan