The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) announces the establishment of The Robert N. Colwell Memorial Fellowship Award.  Friends and colleagues of Dr. Colwell (1918-2005) created this Award as a memorial to him from donated funds to be administered by the ASPRS Foundation.  The award consists of a $2000 check, a certificate, and a one-year student or associate membership (new or renewed) in ASPRS.  The award will be made to a graduate student (Masters or Ph.D. level) currently enrolled or intending to enroll in a college or university in the U.S. or Canada, or a recently graduated (within three years of graduation) post-doctoral researcher, who is pursuing a program of study aimed at a career in remote sensing or other related geospatial information technologies.  It is expected that the award will be given for the first time at the ASPRS 2006 Annual Conference in Reno, Nevada next May.

Over the course of more than a half century, Dr. Colwell developed 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 analyses of many types of geospatial data from 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 industry and as a consultant for many U.S. and international agencies.  Among the many awards bestowed upon Dr. Colwell, he had the distinction of being one of the 25 Honorary Members of ASPRS, chosen from the Society’s 6000 members.

The ASPRS Foundation’s goal is to eventually fully endow this award.  An initial period of fund raising will occur over a five-year period, thus allowing a potential contributor to make a pledge with incremental contributions.  One-time contributions will be accepted and encouraged.  Six contribution levels have been established that reflect Dr. Colwell’s professional and/or personal life:  Hiker ($99 or less), Fisherman ($100 to $499), Consultant ($500 to $999), Professor ($1,000 to $4,999), Admiral ($5,000 to $9,999), Honorary ($10,000 or more).  Donations to the Robert N. Colwell Memorial Fellowship are invited and may be made online at www.asprsfoundation.org/donate; by mailing checks, money orders or credit card information to ASPRS, 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 210, Bethesda, Maryland, 20814-2160; or faxing credit card information to ASPRS (fax: (301) 493-0208).  Information about the ASPRS Foundation’s other awards can be found at www.asprsfoundation.org.

Founded in 1934, ASPRS is an international professional organization of 6,000 geospatial data professionals. ASPRS is devoted to advancing knowledge and improving understanding of the mapping sciences to promote responsible application of photogrammetry, remote sensing, geographic information systems and supporting technologies.

The ASPRS Foundation, Inc., founded in 1979, is an independent 501(c)3 organization established to provide grants, scholarships, loans and other forms of aid to individuals or organizations pursuing knowledge of imaging and geospatial information science and technology, and their applications across the scientific, governmental, and commercial sectors.  The Foundation is the primary funding source for all non-sponsored awards and scholarships recognized by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.