Day: April 7, 2009

Nicole Wayant Announced as 2009 Winner of the ASPRS Abraham Anson Memorial Scholarship

/ Matt Artz

Nicole Wayant is the first winner of the Abraham Anson Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship was established in 2008. The purpose of the award is to encourage undergraduate students currently enrolled or intending to enroll in a U.S. college or university who have an exceptional interest in pursuing 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 this discipline to excel in their profession. This annual scholarship will consist of a certificate and a check in the amount of $1,000 and a one-year student membership (new or renewal) in the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS).

Wayant is a senior at Kansas State University (KSU), studying for her BS in Geography and her BS in Mathematics. She has received several academic honors and awards for her scholastic achievements. She has also worked on several research projects at the university, notably, on a project entitled “Spatial-temporal Analysis of Malaria in Paraguay: Correlating Malaria and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index.” She expects to graduate in May 2009 and intend to pursue further studies in a graduate program in remote sensing.

For over six decades, Lt. Col. Abraham Anson, affectionately known as Abe, devoted a considerable period of his life to the cause of the Society in various forums and forms, as an author of many articles, Associate Editor of the Manual of Color Aerial Photography and the first edition of the Manual of Remote Sensing, and the editor of the Proceedings of the Aerial Photography Workshop for the Plant Sciences. He served on the Society and the Potomac Region Boards and numerous committees. After his retirement, Anson assumed the task of compiling the history of the ASPRS and the Potomac Region from its founding days, working countless hours with great dedication for several years.

ASPRS Announces Sergio Bernardes as 2009 Colwell Fellowship Winner

/ Matt Artz

The Robert N. Colwell Memorial Fellowship for 2009 was awarded to Sergio Bernardes.  He is a doctoral candidate at the University of Georgia (UGA) where he expects to earn a PhD in Geography in 2010.

This award was presented by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) through the ASPRS Foundation from funds donated by students, associates, colleagues and friends of Robert N. Colwell. The award consists of a grant in the amount of $5,000, a certificate, and a one-year student or associate membership (new or renewal) in ASPRS. The presentation of the award took place at the ASPRS 2009 Annual Conference held in Baltimore, Maryland in March.

The Colwell award was established in 2006 to encourage and commend college/university graduate students or post-doctoral researchers who display exceptional interest, desire, ability and aptitude in the field of remote sensing or other related geospatial information technologies, and who have a special interest in developing practical uses of these technologies.

Bernardes’ research involves multi-temporal and multi-sensor analyses of biophysical parameters of vegetation in the Brazilian Amazon forest and savanna transition areas. His research on modeling of carbon sources and sinks, understanding human impacts on Brazilian Amazon forests and savanna, and advancing remote sensing image processing techniques will provide an important contribution to global change monitoring and modeling. Bernardes’ research program is consistent with the emphasis on practical applications of remote sensing to natural resources that characterized the career of Dr. Colwell, in whose memory this Fellowship is awarded.

Bernardes earned a BS degree in Agricultural Engineering from Vicossa Federal University, Brazil in 1991 and an MS degree in Remote Sensing from the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research in 1996.  He held a highly competitive university-wide Graduate School Award for two years at the UGA and received the ASPRS GeoEye Award and other UGA graduate awards in 2008.

Citizen Science Opportunity: The USA National Phenology Network

/ Matt Artz

logoThe USA National Phenology Network brings together citizen scientists, government agencies, non-profit groups, educators, and students of all ages to monitor the impacts of climate change on plants and animals in the United States. The network harnesses the power of people and the Internet to collect and share information, providing researchers with far more data than they could collect alone.

2009 Boeing Award for Best Paper in Image Analysis and Interpretation Announced by ASPRS

/ Matt Artz

The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) Boeing Award Selection Committee recently announced the winners of this year’s Boeing Award for Best Paper in Image Analysis and Interpretation.

The winners are Robert A. Chastain, Jr., Matthew A. Struckhoff, Hong S. He, and David R. Larsen for “Mapping Vegetation Communities Using Statistical Data Fusion in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri, USA.” PE&RS 74, (2), 247-264.

Presentation of this award took place in March during the ASPRS 2009 Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. The award is presented by ASPRS through the ASPRS Foundation, with funding provided by Boeing I&SS Mission Systems. The purpose of the award is to stimulate development and recognize achievement in image interpretation and analysis through special acknowledgment of superior publications in the field. The award consists of a presentation plaque provided by Boeing and cash award of $500.

Established in 1965 as the Autometric Award, this grant recognizes development and achievement in the field of photographic interpretation through special acknowledgment of superior publications on the various aspects of image analysis and interpretation.