PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
May 2020
283
Abraham Anson Memorial Scholarship
2020 recipient: Alberto Loera
Alberto Lorea is a junior at California State University at Fresno, enrolled in a
major of Geomatics Engineering specializing in Land Surveying. He intends
to graduate in the spring of 2021. Hewas the valedictorian of his high
school and has been on either the Dean’s or President’s List in each of his se-
mesters at Fresno and has a GPA of 3.68. Lorea has been active inmultiple
volunteer activities both professionally and in his community. He is involved
in a number of relevant clubs at his university and has obtained professional
experience as a survey technician for several years. His accomplishments
and interests are an excellent match for the AbrahamAnson Scholarship.
Purpose: To encourage students who have an exceptional interest in pur-
suing scientific research or education in geospatial science or technology
related to photogrammetry, remote sensing, surveying and mapping
to enter a professional field where they can use the knowledge of their
discipline to excel in their profession.
Donor: This award is presented by the ASPRS Foundation from funds donated
by the Anson bequest and contributions from the Society and the Potomac
Region as a tribute to Abe Anson’s many contributions to the field of photo-
grammetry, remote sensing, and long, dedicated service to the Society.
The award consists of a certificate, a check in the amount of $2,000 and
a one-year student membership (new or renewal) in the Society.
John O. Behrens Institute for Land Information (ILI)
Memorial Scholarship
2020 recipient: Elizabeth Hanwell
The 2020 John O. Behrens Institute for Land Information (ILI) Memo-
rial Scholarship is award to Elizabeth Hanwell. Hanwell is a senior at
West Virginia University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in environmen-
tal geoscience. She has demonstrated academic excellence in geo-
spatial engineering technology and related math and science courses.
Hanwell has pursued four professional work internships that focused
on generating, curating, and analyzing geospatial data and plans to
explore graduate programs focused on Earth observation applied to
hazard mapping and disaster response.
The John O. Behrens ILI Memorial Scholarship was established by the In-
stitute for Land Information (since officially dissolved) as a tribute to the
many contributions of Mr. Behrens to the field of geographic and land re-
lated information and technology. John O. Behrens was a founder of the
ILI and the author of many articles about the value of spatial information,
land assessment and taxation, and land information policy. In recog-
nition of Mr. Behrens outstanding contributions over his distinguished
career, funds from the ILI have been donated to the ASPRS Foundation to
be administered for the John O. Behrens ILI Memorial Scholarship.
Purpose: To encourage students/persons who have an exceptional interest
in pursuing scientific research or education in geospatial science or technol-
ogy or land information systems/records to enter a professional field where
they can use the knowledge of this discipline to excel in their profession.
Donor: The ASPRS Foundation from funds donated by the ILI.
The Award consists of a certificate and a check in the amount of $2,000.
Robert N. Colwell Memorial Fellowship
2020 Recipient: Colin Doyle
Colin Doyle completed a B.S. degree in Environmental Biology from
Georgetown University (2013) and a MA degree in Geography and the
Environment fromThe University of Texas at Austin (2017). He is pursu-
ing a PhD degree at UT-Austin, focusing on understanding the hydrology
of a large ancient floodplain canal and a raised field agricultural system
in Belize by using field, laboratory, and remote sensing methods. This
agricultural complex, which is potentially the largest known extent
of ancient Maya agricultural development, was discovered by Doyle’s
UT research group using multispectral LiDAR and other data. Doyle is
applying novel applications of machine learning with multispectral
LiDAR intensity data to distinguish features that the LiDAR-derived DEMs
could not. His work will show how ancient Maya agriculture and water
management practices were adapted to past climate change, and have
impacted the modern landscape across the Maya lowlands of Belize,
Guatemala, and Mexico. Before entering graduate school, Doyle worked
on remote sensing projects involving multiple NGOs and government
organizations at the NASA-Goddard DEVELOP National Program. He was
the DEVELOP Center Lead for a project using Earth observations to aid
flood monitoring in Southeast Asia along the Mekong River. Moving
to the Goddard Hydrological Sciences Branch, he built a near real-time
flood mapping platform for the Mekong River Commission.While pur-
suing his PhD, Colin works as Director of Technology for Cloud to Street,
a company he helped start that uses remote sensing-based tools to
identify people at risk to flooding, improve watershed management, and
develop near real-time flood assessment. Supported by theWorld Food
Programme, theWorld Bank, and Africa Risk Capacity, these tools have
been applied in 11 African and South Asian countries. Doyle’s career
goals are to both advance scientific frontiers and translate the newest
science into practical tools to bridge the gap between geospatial scien-
tists and the disaster managers in middle- and low-income countries.
Over the course of more than a half century, Dr. Robert N. Colwell devel-
oped a reputation as one of the world’s most respected leaders in remote
sensing, a field that he stewarded from the interpretation of aerial
photographs during World War II, to the advanced acquisition and anal-
ysis of many types of geospatial data frommilitary and civilian satellite
platforms. His career included nearly 40 years of teaching and research
at the University of California, Berkeley, a distinguished record of military
service reaching the rank of Rear Admiral, and prominent roles in private
