PE&RS May 2001

Headquarters News

Donald T. Lauer, PhD was elected to serve as the next ASPRS Vice President for a one-year term beginning April 26, 2001. Terrence J. Keating, PhD assumed the position of President-elect; George F. Hepner, PhD became President; and Alan Mikuni moved into the position of Past-president. This year’s vice presidential candidates were selected from the Society’s government sector members, as they are every three years, rotating with candidates selected from the private and academic sector members.

Also elected to two-year terms beginning April 26th were John Boland as assistant director for the Primary Data Acquisition Division, and Marguerite Madden, PhD as assistant director for the Geographic Information Services Division. Madden is an associate research scientist and associate director for Environmental Studies at the Center for Remote Sensing and Mapping Science, Department of Geography, University of Georgia. Boland is a project line manger for the Eastman Kodak Company.

In his platform statement, Lauer said, “ASPRS has experienced significant change as the demand for geospatial information has increased and as technology has evolved and advanced. Today, more so than at anytime in the past, we must be prepared and able to mold our organization to fit a rapidly changing world. There are several areas important to the Society’s future where I would like to lend my expertise and administrative experience.”

Lauer’s goal as ASPRS vice president is to assist the Society and promote the following priorities.

• Sustain the programmatic and financial health of the Society. We must aggressively pursue the “new vision” established by the 1998 ASPRS Board of Directors; grow our membership by reaching out to other disciplines that are becoming dependent on our technologies; expand services to our members through publications, conferences, workshops, technical tours and web-based information services; and, ensure long-term financial security by meeting the goals of the Building Fund Drive.
• Expand the ASPRS Partners in Education Program. The fact that K-14 students show mediocre performance in math and science is a dilemma for the nation. Our Partners in Education Program is focused directly on this issue. We must find new ways to engage our sustaining members, as well as all of our individual members, to provide data grants, education packets, and web-based mapping or image interpretation exercises that send a message to our youth that science and technology can be interesting, exciting and fun.
• Foster partnership and collaborative efforts. To maximize the scientific, societal and commercial benefits of the imaging and geospatial technologies, we must encourage the formation of partnerships among all parts of our organization. Nearly every program and project that I oversee at the EROS Data Center has participating and cost-sharing partners. I am convinced that we can advance the mission and goals of ASPRS by promoting partnerships among our members.
• Affect national policies. The U.S. is a leader in the mapping sciences, especially with remote sensing, GIS and GPS technologies. However, we live in a complicated world. The technical aspects of decision making can overwhelm government leaders who formulate and establish regulations, laws and national polices. Lobbying is not part of our charter; however, it is incumbent on the Society to provide a clear and timely voice on issues that affect our members.

Lauer joined ASPRS as a graduate student in 1966. He has authored or co-authored more than 100 technical reports and papers. In 1987, he received the ASPRS President’s Award for Practical Papers (2nd prize) for his paper “Applications of Landsat Data and the Data Base Approach.” He has served the Society as a contributing author to the Manual of Remote Sensing (1st and 2nd editions) and, for eight years, as correspondent to the ISPRS Commission VII: Interpretation of Data. He has been given three ASPRS President’s Citations for meritorious service—for making education training films and organizing specialty conferences for the Society. Lauer chaired the Steering Committee for the 1999 Pecora14/Land Satellite Information III Symposium and is performing that same role for the 2002 Symposium.

James M. Anderson has been selected as an Honorary Member of ASPRS. An Honorary Member is an individual who has rendered distinguished service to the Society and has attained distinction in advancing the science and uses of photogrammetry, remote sensing and related disciplines. Honorary Members are elected for life and do not exceed 25 in number at any given time.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Anderson received his BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 1949; he went on to earn an MS in Photogrammetry and Geodesy from Cornell University in 1959, and a PhD in Photogrammetry & Geodesy, also from Cornell, in 1964.

In 1958, after working in the private sector for several years, Anderson began his involvement with academia at Cornell University as a research associate and instructor in photogrammetry, particularly analytic triangulation. In 1965, he took a position as assistant professor in charge of all courses in surveying and photogrammetry at the University of Massachusetts in Am-herst. Shortly after that, he moved to the University of California, Berkeley, as assistant, associate, then full professor, teaching and performing research in various aspects of photogrammetry with significant contribu- tions to analytic triangulation. In 1991, he became Emeritus Professor at Berkeley where he still teaches. Anderson granted numerous master’s and doctoral degrees to individuals who became very successful in both industry and government and who are solid contributors to our society.

Along with Frank Moffitt, Anderson produced the successful Educational Film Strips on Photogrammetry-Basic Concepts, and Photogrammetric Systems for the California Division of Highways. Anderson is the lead author of Surveying: Theory and Practice, 6th edition, (with Davis, Foote, and Ed Mikhail), 1981, Surveying: Theory and Practice, 7th Edition (with Mikhail), 1998, and Introduction to Surveying (with Mikhail), 1985. He has also authored several dozen highly regarded papers, reports, and presentations to both ASPRS and ISPRS.

Anderson served on the ASPRS Board of Directors for several multi-year terms from 1972-1981. As a member of the Central New York Region, he served as secretary-treasurer, vice president, and president; and in the Northern California Region as vice president, president, and chair of the Membership Committee. He has been a regular reviewer for Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing for the past several decades and has received several Presidential Citations for Meritorious Service.

Finally, Anderson has held several positions with ISPRS including US Reporter for Commissions III and VI. He has served as a member of the Panel on Cartography and Mapping Requirements of the Committee on Space Programs for Earth Observations- advisory to Department of Interior, National Academy of Sciences Committee, and has served in a variety of positions with the American Congress of Surveying and Mapping (ACSM). He is a reviewer for the Photogrammetric Journal of Finland and a Member of Sigma Tau, Sigma Xi, and Phi Kappa Phi Honorary Societies.

The 2001 ASPRS Fellow Award winners are Robert H. Brock, Jr. and Roger E. Crystal. The ASPRS designation of Fellow is conferred on active Society members who have performed exceptional service in advancing the science and use of the mapping sciences (photogrammetry, remote sensing, surveying, geographic information systems, and related disciplines). Candidates are nominated by other active members, recommended to the Fellows Committee, and elected by the ASPRS Board of Directors. Up to 0.3 percent of the Society’s active members may be elected as Fellows in any one year. The nominee must have made outstanding contributions in a recognized Society specialization whether in practice, research, development, administration, or education in the mapping sciences. Members of the Fellows Committee and the Executive Committee are ineligible for nomination.

ROBERT H. BROCK, JR.
Dr. Robert H. Brock, Jr. received his BS in Forestry from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Syracuse University in 1958, his MS in Photogrammetry/Civil Engineering from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Syracuse University in 1959, and his PhD in Photogrammetric and Geodetic Engineering in the field of Civil Engineering from Cornell University in 1971.

Brock began his teaching career at Syracuse University in 1959 and has taught photogrammetry and mapping sciences subjects to over 2,000 students at the undergraduate level and 500 students at the graduate level. In 1967 he went to SUNY-CESF to build the mapping sciences component of the program. With the efforts and leadership of many good people along the way including Dr. Tom Lillesand, ASPRS past president, and Dr. Paul Hopkins, associate professor, Forest Engineering, SUNY/CESF, SUNY-CESF now has an outstanding mapping sciences educational program and research facility. He chaired the department from 1980-1999.

For 40 years, Brock has engaged in mapping sciences research for government and private industry. This work led to numerous journal articles, papers and reports in the areas of image analysis, image measurement, analytic mapping systems, system calibration and global positioning systems. His work has co-produced patents for a System for Correlating Electronic Distance Measurement and Aerial Photography for the Extension of Geodetic Control, 1980; Radar Calibration Using Direct Measurement Equipment and Oblique Photometry; and a Surface for GPS Relative Positioning. Brock is also active in the American Society for Agricultural Engineers which oversees the university’s EAC/ABET accreditation efforts.

Brock joined ASP (ASPRS) in 1958. As a student, he served as secretary for the Central New York Region (CNYR). In the following years, he served in all the offices for the CNYR. He was also very active on the Committee on Computational Photogrammetry and served as the chairman in 1969. He directed the Symposium on Computational Photogrammetry the year it was held in Syracuse at SUNY-CESF. From 1975-78 Brock represented the CNYR on the ASP Board of Directors and was elected to the Executive Committee of ASP from 1976-78. In the 1980 Fall Convention of ACSM-ASP in Niagara Falls, he served as deputy director for Student Programs. He received an ASP Presidential Citation for organizing and implementing the first student activities program at a National ACSM-ASP Convention. Brock has presented and co-authored papers that appeared in the conference proceedings and has been published in PE&RS. He takes great pride in seeing many former students become leaders in ASPRS. He has also received several Ford Bartlett Awards for sponsoring new members.

Throughout his career, Brock has practiced consulting in analytic and interpretive photogrammetry for engineering firms, law firms, and industrial research firms. He is a certified photogrammetrist and is listed in Who’s Who in American Education, Engineering, and American Men and Women in Science.

ROGER E. CRYSTAL
Upon graduation from Upper Iowa University in Iowa City, Crystal joined the Washington State Department of Transportation as a photogrammetrist. Currently he is the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) manager for Titan Systems Corporation, AverStar Group, in Portland, Oregon. He is responsible for all GIS activities within the group.

Crystal retired from the USDA, Forest Service as director of Information Resource Management in 1996. During his tenure with the Forest Service, he had overall management and leadership responsibility for programs focused on photogrammetry, remote sensing technologies, GIS, and information technology. He was responsible for the initiation of the high-resolution digital orthophoto program in support of resource management in Oregon and Washington. As part of this effort, a high accuracy survey net using remote sensing technologies was established in 19 National Forests in Oregon and Washington. This remote sensing effort led to a complete inventory of forest resources. Prior to joining the Forest Service, Crystal worked for the Corps of Engineers, Middle East Division, in Saudi Arabia. He was the chief photogrammetrist providing technical leadership for the Division. Because of his highly regarded contributions, he received the Meritorious Service Award from the Forest Service.

Crystal’s contributions to ASPRS have been exceptional. He was president of the Society in 1997-98, having previously served as vice president (1995-96) and president-elect (1996-97). He has received several ASPRS Presidential Citations for Meritorious Service. He was a member of the national ASPRS Strategic Planning Committee, and is currently serving on the Nominating Committee and the Convention Policy and Planning Committees. Crystal was convention director for the 1999 Annual ASPRS Conference in Portland, Oregon. He has also served as Professional Practice Division director as well as the national director, president, vice president, and secretary-treasurer of the ASPRS Columbia River Region. He also served as conference director for the regional GIS in Action Conference in Portland, which is co-sponsored by the Columbia River Region. Crystal is also a Certified Photogrammetrist (ASPRS).

The Sustaining Membership of ASPRS unanimously elected George Southard to chair the ASPRS Sustaining Members Council. The Council’s role is to provide ASPRS Officers and Directors with input on how the Society’s corporate members can make more of a contribution to the success of ASPRS in the national and international community. The Council will also advise ASPRS on how the Society can support its corporate members throughout the profession and industry.

Southard is a regional director with LH Systems and has overall responsibility for sales and support in the Americas of all LH Systems’ product lines. Southard has been with LH Systems since its formation in 1997 and before that with its parent company, Leica Geosystems, since 1993. His career in the field of geomatics began in 1977 and has included assignments as an aerial photographer, aerial photo lab manager, sales representative, business development manager and sales manager. He earned a Master’s Degree in Geography with an emphasis on surveying and mapping in 1977 from Brigham Young University. During his career, Southard has worked for ENH Mapping, Intermountain Aerial Surveys, and Analytical Surveys.

Upon learning of the ratification of his appointment Southard commented, “I am pleased with this opportunity to be of service to ASPRS and thereby the growing geomatics industry. It is my expectation that having an active Sustaining Members Council will promote even greater cooperation between the business community and the Society at large.”

Southard’s two-year term as chair began in April at the ASPRS 2001 Annual Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. The Council, made up of the chair, two sustaining member representatives, the ASPRS President and Executive Director, convened during the Conference. Southard’s plans include helping ASPRS introduce a new multi-tier membership program for sustaining members that is designed to increase sustaining membership, especially from smaller companies; and, recommending incremental improvements to regular ASPRS activities, such as conferences, symposia and regional events, in order to maximize their value to the membership at large.

James Plasker, executive director of ASPRS, stated, “ASPRS is delighted that George has agreed to serve as chair of our Sustaining Members Council. We are very interested in strengthening our ties with the sustaining members. I believe the Council can be the catalyst for helping that happen.”

In April, ASPRS and RAND announced the availability of their jointly published book Commercial Observation Satellites: At the Leading Edge of Global Transparency, John C. Baker, Kevin M. O’Connell, and Ray A. Williamson, editors. The book brings together an international group of experts to analyze the diverse issues presented by the new, higher resolution commercial and civilian observation satellites.

With more than two dozen chapters and numerous satellite images, the book’s authors examine emerging policy issues, provide a survey of the U.S. and many non-U.S. satellite remote sensing programs, and offer case studies on international security applications of satellite imagery. The authors discuss remote sensing programs and policies from the following countries: Russia, France, Japan, Israel/Middle East, India, and Canada. Written to reach nonspecialists, as well as policy-makers and commercial practitioners, the 644-page book is divided into four parts:

• Policymaking Context
• National Remote Sensing Programs and Policies
• Remote Sensing Applications to International Problems
• Emerging International Policy Issues

Commercial Observation Satellites illustrates how higher resolution images from satellites can enhance global transparency, encourage economic development, and contribute to international security. However, as the book points out, this technology does not come without risks, and not all users may have benign intentions. The book editors observe that, “The primary challenge is to find ways of hedging against the potential risks that unprecedented global access to overhead imagery poses without diminishing the many positive contributions that commercial observation satellites can offer for civil, commercial, and international uses.”

ASPRS Executive Director James Plasker said, “ASPRS agreed to co-publish this book with RAND because of its clear relevance to professionals in the field of remote sensing and the outstanding credentials of its editors and authors.” John C. Baker is a technology policy analyst at RAND specializing in commercial observation satellite issues. Kevin M. O’Connell is a senior international policy analyst and manager of Intelligence Community Programs at RAND. Ray A. Williamson, a longstanding member of ASPRS, is a research professor of Space Policy and International Affairs at the George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute, which is part of the Elliott School of International Affairs.

Books may be purchased from ASPRS on line at http://www.asprs.org. Click on Publications, then on The ASPRS On-line Store, or email orders to: asprspubs@pmds.com.

Top

Home