SAC positions for 2023-2024

Oscar Duran
Chair
As a Senior Geomatics Analyst, Oscar Duran performs many geomatics processes involving imagery, photogrammetric mapping, and LiDAR data. Having more than ten years in our profession, Oscar has worked for multiple federal, state, and local municipal agencies in Canada and the US before joining Towill, Inc. in 2019. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Geomatics Engineering from Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, and a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering - Geomatics concentration from California State University, Fresno, Oscar is currently pursuing a PhD in Civil Engineering - Geomatics concentration at Purdue University. During his time as a graduate student, Oscar has been awarded various scholarships, including the ASPRS Francis H. Moffitt Memorial Scholarship, and the ASPRS Robert E. Altenhofen Memorial Scholarship for his research in the field of Photogrammetry. Additionally, he is a Project Management Professional, a Canadian Professional Engineer and a California Licensed Surveyor-in-Training. Culturally, Oscar has visited and lived in many countries and speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Ali Alruzuq
Deputy Chair
Ali is a graduate student at the University of Florida in the Department of Geography and the Department of Civil Engineering. He has MS from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. His interests are in Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS), Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), hydrology, geomorphology, sustainability, socioeconomic impacts, natural resources, and natural hazards and disasters, particularly under the circumstances of climate change. His Ph.D. research is focused on understanding how anthropogenic activities can influence a geographical area using Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) and other advanced methods.
Rabia Munsaf Khan
Communications Councilor
Rabia Munsaf Khan will serve as 2021-2022 ASPRS Student Advisory Council Communication Councilor. She is a Fulbright PhD scholar specializing in Geospatial Information Science and Engineering from State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Her research is focused on water quality monitoring using multi source earth observation data. She is also serving as Secretary for International Student Association SUNY ESF and Pakistan Student Association at Syracuse University. Rabia is also serving as Director Writing Team for a student run online magazine Earthly Perspective. She is also selected as Region Lead for IEEEXtreme programming competition. While being in SUNY ESF she had an improbable opportunity to work on UN projects. She was also a session manager for technical sessions for IGARSS 2020 and also won second position in "Women in Geoscience" Inspire Us photo contest. She has had the honor of being featured in IEEE GRSS promotional video and IEEE magazine and also on "Women in Geospatial+" Linked page and "Sisters of SAR" twitter page. Rabia is also a quintessential altruist and has moderated and inspired hundreds of students in the past years through various social media platforms. In addition, her passion and inquisitiveness for solving environmental problems using geospatial technology, stands firm.
Lauren McKinney-Wise
Immediate Past Chair
Lauren McKinney-Wise is a Portland State University Geography/GIS graduate student. As a Graduate Assistant Lauren works on the Oregon Connectivity Assessment and Mapping Project (OCAMP) which is focused on understanding and mapping corridors of movement used by various Oregon species. She also works as a GIS tutor at Portland Community College (where she acquired a certificate in GIS). She served as the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) GIS Club Student Chapter President at PSU from 2019 – 2020 and has been a member of the local student chapters for several years. As a student leader, Lauren is highly invested in helping her fellow students grow their GIS skills and connections. In her free time, Lauren likes to skateboard, read science fiction novels, and watch star trek.


Please click the button below to apply for the vacant SAC positions!

The Student Advisory Council (SAC) was introduced at the 2006 Annual conference in Reno, Nevada.  SAC supports and strengthens the ASPRS student community through events, education, and partnership. SAC works hard to weave students into the fabric of ASPRS and our greater geospatial community in order to help them access crucial resources and opportunities.

Student initiatives can cover a broad range of areas such as:

  • developing a technical session career track for upcoming annual conferences
  • organizing a student networking reception at the annual conference
  • recommending publications for the ASPRS Bookstore
  • reviewing books and software
  • initiating a student blog on the ASPRS website
  • stimulating an exchange among members of student chapters across the country
  • organizing a Student Summer Education Assembly

Oversight of this Council is the responsibility of the most recently elected Board officer from the academic sector. The SAC is open to all ASPRS members – especially students associate members faculty advisors of ASPRS Student Chapters and other interested parties.