For the Researcher Spotlight this month, we feature undergraduate student researcher Seth Tribby.

Around the CURA office, Seth is known as “Dark Brown”, owing to his (untenable) position in a recurring office debate about the hair color of chef and television personality Bobby Flay. Since he joined CURA in 2017, Seth has been instrumental in creating a network dataset to facilitate context-aware pedestrian routing within buildings on the OSU campus.  To build this dataset, Seth uses ESRI tools to derive polyline data from 3D building models using a combination of geoprocessing operations and manual data editing.  When he is not solving complex spatial problems, Seth entertains us with a constant stream of wit and philosophy.  In spring 2018, Seth was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban, Regional, and Global Studies with a minor in GIS.  For this article, we asked Seth a few questions to get to know him better.  Here’s what he had to say:

Where are you from?

Lancaster, Ohio

What is your hobby or side hustle?

Flower photography (Instagram: sethtribby) [Seth’s work has also been featured on the Smithsonian Magazine website.]

If you were showing a friend around Central Ohio for the first time, what time of year would you want them to come and what would you do with them?

I’d bring them to the year 4050 and then come back to 2018 and build an empire from wagering on every current event from a stolen book of history found in 4050. This book will be passed down for generations.

If you travel anywhere, where would you go (and why)?

I’d go to Atlantis to live amongst the sea creatures and learn of their mystical traditions.  [Sadly, Seth refused to share the coordinates with us.]

If you could choose to be born in any time and place, where and when would you choose (and why)?

That’s easy, I’d want to live in the year 3000 when the human race has mastered quantum physics and have learned to move through time and space with ease allowing me to be anywhere I want when I want.

If you could spend a day with anyone, living or dead, who would you choose (and why)?

Elvis Presley, I have a feeling we would have been great friends.

CURA has been fortunate to retain Seth’s services since graduation, however he will be leaving us soon for a position in the private sector. We wish him well in his future endeavors!