Faculty

Education:
Professional Experience:
Students Supervised:
Ryan Morrison, Geomatics, US, MS 2001, CCE (Status: Chair)
Anders Ryerson, Chemistry, US, MS 2001, CCE (Status: Co‐Chair)
Devin Drake, Geomatics, US, MS 2002, CCE (Status: Chair)
J. Hong, Geography, S. Korea, MS 2003, CCE (Status: Chair)
Juan Fernandez (Fulbright Scholar), Aerospace & Electrical Engineering, Honduras, MS 2007, CCE (Status: Chair)
Abhinav Shinghania, Civil Engineering, India, MS 2007, CCE (Status: Chair)
Raghav Vemula, Civil Engineering, India, MS 2007, CCE (Status: Chair)
Capt. William Wright, Geography, US, MS 2006, CCE (Status: Chair)
Kittipat (Bot) Kampa, Electrical Engineering, Thailand, MS 2008, ECE (Status: Member)
Sai Sudha, Geoinformatics, India, MS 2009, CCE
J. Y. Park, Oceanography, S Korea, Ph.D. 2001, CCE (Status: Co‐Chair)
Mark Lee, Computer Science, US, Ph.D. 2002, CCE (Status: Co‐Chair)
Brian Luzum, Astronomy & Physics, US, Ph.D. 2004, CCE (Status: Co‐Chair)
Sirish Bhat, Hydrology, Nepal, Ph.D. 2004, CCE (Status: Member)
Heezin Lee, Electrical Engineering, S. Korea, MS/Ph.D. 2008, ECE (Status: Member)
Mike Starek, Coastal Engineering, US, Ph.D. 2009, CCE (Status: Chair)
John Caceres (Fulbright Scholar), Computer Engineering, Columbia, Ph.D. 2009, CCE (Status: Chair)
Sweung Cheung, Electrical Engineering, S. Korea, MS/Ph.D. 2009, ECE (Status: Member)
Hyun‐chong Cho, Electrical Engineering, S. Korea, MS/Ph.D. 2009, ECE (Status: Member)
Tristan Cossio, Electrical Engineering, US, MS/Ph.D. 2009, ECE (Status: Member)
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
- Co‐Convener (2009) , “Airborne Geodetic Imaging: Advances in Instrumentation and Methods”, Fall Meeting, AmericanGeophysical Union (AGU), San Francisco, CA.
- Co‐Convener (2007) , “Geodetic Laser Scanning: Technologies and Methods for Data Acquisition and Processing I”,Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union (AGU), San Francisco, CA.
- Co‐Convener (2007) , “Geodetic Laser Scanning: Technologies and Methods for Data Acquisition and Processing II”,Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union (AGU), San Francisco, CA.
- Member (2006), Committee on Floodplain Mapping Technologies, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, Divisionon Earth and Life Studies, National Research Council of the National Academies
- Co‐Convener(2004), “Emerging Earth Science Applications of ALSM: Geodesy, Hydrology, and Tectonophysics,”2004 Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union (AGU), San Francisco, CA.
- Chair, Local Organizing Committee, American Geophysical Union’s“Chipman Conference”‐An InternationalConference on Microgal Gravimetry: Instruments, Observations and Applications sponsored and funded by NSF, NASA, NOAA, IFAC (Institute of Applied Geodesy, Germany), and University of Florida; St. Augustine, Florida, March 3‐6, 1997.
- Chairman: Multi‐Purpose Cadastre (MPC) Sub‐Committee, Geographic Information Management Systems (GIMS)Committee, American Congress on Surveying Mapping (ACSM) and American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), 1987‐89.
- Journal Paper Review: Surveying and Land Information Systems, Journal of the American Congress on Surveyingand Mapping, 1986‐1989, 1995‐96
- Book Review Editor: Surveying and Mapping Editorial Review Board, the American Congress on Surveying andMapping, 1987 ‐ 1991.
- Session Chair: "Teaching Methods and Techniques,"XVth. North American Geomatics Teachers Conference,Quebec, Canada, May 29‐31, 1995.
- Session Chair: "Continuing Professional Competency,"The American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM)and the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) Technical Sessions, ACSM/ASPRS '95 Annual National Convention and Exposition, Charlotte, North Carolina, March 2, 1995.
- Newsletter Editor: The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), Florida Region, 1995‐present.
- Co‐Organizer: “XIVthNorth American Surveying and Mapping Teachers Conference,"Gainesville, FL, May 17‐20,1993.
- Session Chair: “Future Vision of Surveying and Mapping Education,"XIVth North American Surveying and MappingTeachers Conference, Gainesville, May 18, 1993.
- Panelist: "Forum for Multi‐Purpose Geographic Database Guidelines for Local Governments,"ASPRS PanelDiscussion, ACSM/ASPRS Convention, Sept. 1988, Virginia Beach, VA.
- Member: American Geophysical Union (AGU).
STUDENT RELATED ACTIVITIES (UF)
- Faculty Advisor Surveying and Mapping Student Chapter at UF (1990‐93)
- Reach‐Out And Recruit (ROAR) Director (1990‐1993): Responsibilities included formulating policies to increaseundergraduate student enrollment by integrating community colleges students, high school students, surveying and mapping societies, local chapters, industries, professionals and individuals in Florida
- Conference Chair and Organizer; ROAR Conference 1993
- Conference Chair and Organizer; ROAR Conference 1994
- Plaque and Citation by the UF Surveying and Mapping Student Chapter for an "Outstanding Support to the Student Chapter,"1992.
Awards & Honors:
Research Interests:
My primary research focus is in the applications of new and evolving technologies such as laser scanning and digital mapping technology to provide research‐grade data to scientists all across the country. As the Director of NCALM, my responsibility includes extensive interaction with academic researchers all across the country to assist them in the development of their research proposals for submission to NSF. Once projects are approved, I lead the preparation of a schedule to deploy UH laser mapping instrument, which is mounted in a Cessna 337 aircraft. I also manage the day to day activities of the staff and graduate students reducing and analyzing the laser mapping data to provide the highest possible “research” grade data to Principal Investigators. So far NCALM has provided such data for to over 25 Universities in the nation, including UC Berkeley, MIT, Sanford University, Stanford University, Caltech, Penn State, University of Colorado, Ohio State University, University of Southern California, University of Texas‐ Austin and Purdue.
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Co‐Founder and Director of NSF National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM), 2003 ‐ 2013. Instrument and Facility, Division of Earth Sciences NSF, provides base funding for NCALM operation to collect, reduce and deliver research‐grade ALSM data to Principal Investigators awarded grants under the NSF competitive peer review process (http://www.ncalm.org). In addition, other NSF Programs that have funded NCALM are listed in Table 1. The table also shows other federal and state agencies that have funded UF and NCALM for LiDAR research.
NCALM is jointly operated by the CEE Department at UH and the Department of Earth and Planetary Science, UC Berkeley.
Table 1. Research Grant Sponsor List
#NSF Programs Supporting NCALMFederal Gov. & MilitaryState & Others1Division of Earth SciencesOffice of Naval ResearchFlorida DEP2BiocomplexityUSGSFlorida DOT3Civil and Mechanical SystemsUSDAPinellas County4Continental DynamicsUS National Park ServiceBroward County5EarthScopeNASALake County6Geology and PaleontologyUS ARMYMiami‐Dade County7Geomorphology & Land Use DynamicsNOAAAlachua County8Hydrologic Sciences (SGER)US Forest ServiceFlorida International University9Mathematical GeosciencesFAASan Francisco Public Utilities10Petrology and GeochemistryJoint Precision Strike ForceTennessee DOT Demonstration, VAState of FL Division of Forestry11Science and Technology Center GrantUS DOTGeorgia DOT12Tectonics University of Georgia13 Swiss Federal14 CA Water Quality Control Board15 South FL Water Man. Dept.16 St. Johns Water Man Dept.17 SW FL Water Man. District18 Jones $ Edmunds Associates, Inc.19 Sabina & Waters, Inc.20 Nova Digital Corporation Currently, 31 Principle Investigators nationwide have been funded by NSF and are participating with NCALM in the use of research‐grade LiDAR data in a varieties of research. - Founder of Optech Center of Excellence in Laser Mapping, 2002 (UF)
Supported by Optech, Inc. Canada, the major hardware and software manufacturers of airborne and land lasers. - Founder and Director of the Geosensing Engineering and Mapping (GEM) Research Center for Natural Disasters, 2001 (UF)
- Founder of Multi‐Disciplinary GSE Graduate Program, 2003 (UF)
The GSE graduate program established in 2003 offers unique graduate studies with approved courses from 9 UF Departments in four colleges: Agriculture and Biological Engineering, Astronomy, Civil and Coastal Engineering. Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE), Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE), Geography, Geological Science, Mathematics, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, and Urban and Regional Planning.