PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
February 2014
127
ASPRS
NEWS
Young Professional Council | Student Advisory
Council | Member Champions | New Members |
Certification
ASPRS APPOINTS DR. MICHAEL HAUCK AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
A
SPRS announces the appointment of Dr. Michael Hauck as the
incoming ASPRS Executive Director. Outgoing Executive Director,
James Plasker, announced his retirement from ASPRS, effective Janu-
ary 10, 2014. Hauck becomes only the fourth Executive Director in the
past 47 years of the organization’s history. Both incoming and outgo-
ing Executive Directors look forward to working together to ensure a
smooth and effective transition.
Hauck has over 20 years of experience in the creation
and application of remote sensing and geospatial infor-
mation technologies. Reflecting the diverse membership
of ASPRS, he has practiced in academic, government,
Fortune 500, and start-up settings; and in industries
that include transportation, energy, telecommunica-
tions, and defense. In addition to technical breadth, he
is a versatile, collaborative, and adaptive leader with
over a decade of general management experience that
includes both board and executive positions in not-
for-profit organizations. His volunteer work includes
service on local, State, and National boards, e.g. the
Venture West Network of entrepreneurs, the State of
Wyoming Telecommunications Council, and the Trans-
portation Research Board of the National Academies.
His key scientific accomplishment has been the acqui-
sition, processing, and interpretation of the first-ever
deep seismic reflection profiles through the Himalayas,
which were part of his PhD dissertation in Geological
Sciences at Cornell University. Beyond training in
science and engineering, Hauck is also a student of sci-
ence and technology communications, and a graduate
of the Leadership Wyoming trustee leadership develop-
ment program.
In accepting his appointment, Dr. Hauck said in
part, “I am excited about the opportunity to join you,
the other officers and directors, councils, advisory
groups, members, and external stakeholders as we
collectively advance the goals of ASPRS. The wom-
en and men of ASPRS have immense technical depth
across a broad range of disciplines that few professional
societies can match. The work of ASPRS members is
integrated into so many aspects of modern life that it
is easy to take their work for granted. From the inter-
nal workings of GPS to the imagery embedded in the
daily weather forecast, ASPRS members are behind the
scenes making it all work for the betterment of human-
kind. Whether they serve in academia, government,
or industry, I want to help members tell their stories,
maintain their skills, grow in their profession, inspire
others to join us, and build the future in an ethical way
that honors the public support that ASPRS receives. I
am honored to be asked to join this winning team.”
Speaking on behalf of ASPRS, President Steve De-
Gloria expressed his excitement and enthusiasm for the
appointment of Dr. Hauck as an effective leader of our
professional society and geospatial community, “All of
us welcome Michael and look forward to working with
him, headquarters staff, and our volunteer members to
build and sustain ASPRS as a professional organization
and to advance imaging and geospatial science and
technology for all of society in the coming years.”
comings of each in drought monitoring. Chapter 13 discusses
a technique for estimating precipitation known as the Precipi-
tation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using
Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN) algorithm. Methods
for climate analysis and mapping for Famine Early Warning
Systems Network (FEWS NET) across portions of Africa are
detailed in Chapter 14. Chapter 15 contains applications of
remotely-sensed data for monitoring snow coverage, depth,
and water equivalence which are important for soil moisture
in many parts of the world. Part 5 contains only one chap-
ter, Chapter 16, which provides a succinct summary and
highlights many future opportunities for drought monitoring
using remotely-sensed data.
The book offers a variety of applications for the use of
remotely-sensed data in drought assessment and monitor-
ing. Each chapter details data sources, methodologies, and
advancements in drought monitoring, and the logical pro-
gression of the book aids in its function as a reference text.
Figures are provided as color plates in the middle of the book,
though it may be easier to view them in context if they were
placed within the text as they were referenced. The chapters
provide enough information and detail that an individual does
not necessarily need to be an experienced practitioner, mak-
ing this an ideal book for graduate students and scientists
from other fields that are interested in drought monitoring.
BOOK REVIEW
