PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
February 2014
113
If you could have two super powers, what would they be
and why?
Wouldn’t it be great if we could just take a quick look at
something and be able to remember it in detail? Be able
to tell what it is, what it’s made of, how big it is, how far
away it is, whether it’s moving or not? Oh wait, that’s pho-
togrammetry! Wouldn’t it also be great if we could enter
a completely dark room and be able to feel the presence of
another person? Hear their footsteps? Feel their warmth?
Smell that they didn’t take a bath? Oh wait, that’s
remote sensing! I guess all ASPRS members already have
superpowers.
Is there one bit of advice you wished someone would
have shared with you when you first started your geo-
spatial career?
Find a mentor – a person who has had the kind of career
path or professional impact that you would aspire to.
Don’t be shy. Go to the top of the company, the head of
an agency, the most respected professor. We have many
mentors within ASPRS, and many would-be mentors just
waiting to be asked. There is one other thing, too. When
people tell you that something can’t be done, don’t let that
discourage you. They might be right, but they might be
wrong. The world is changed by people who actually do
what cannot be done.
What would you consider to be your most rewarding
accomplishment thus far in your career?
It has always been in helping a colleague succeed, partic-
ularly a younger colleague, or a disenfranchised colleague,
or a colleague who needed help explaining their technical
work to a business person.
New ASPRS Executive Director
Michael Hauck
,
PhD
What is the most interesting location your career has
taken you to?
That’s easy. Tibet! I was fortunate to be part of a research
program called INDEPTH, which stood for International
Deep Profiling of Tibet and the Himalayas. It was led
by Cornell and sponsored by the US National Science
Foundation and the Chinese Ministry of Geology and
Mineral Resources. I got to spend two summers in Tibet
collecting a variety of geophysical data. We slept at 14,000
feet and got up early to deploy sensors on the roof of the
world. Tibet has some of the most beautiful scenery in the
world and the Tibetan people were curious about every-
thing. I would love to go back some day.
What are two things you are passionate about within
the geospatial industry?
We’ve got the coolest tech going, don’t we? I love our
technology. I’m just a geek at heart. The sensors, the plat-
forms, the navigation systems, the images, the software,
the data fusion, the analytical conclusions, all the different
ways we can explore and characterize our world.… But
the other thing I care about is how we use that tech. Do
we use it responsibly? For the betterment of humankind,
or for their oppression? To protect people, or to take from
them? To provide value, or to engorge ourselves? We
wield such power through our technology that we have a
serious responsibility as well.
You’ve worked in every discipline of the industry, from
academic to Fortune 500, what area has left you with
the fondest memories and why?
Well, actually, there are many different industries that
create, support or use photogrammetry, remote sensing,
I N T E R V I E W
The new ASPRS Executive Director, Dr. Michael Hauck,
graciously answers a few questions on topics such as: advice
he has for young professionals, his vision for ASPRS in five
years and beyond and his life passions. Enjoy this candid
interview and inaugural Member Profile article.
