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2004 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium
Danielle Graves, October 26, 2004, ONR-NRTS
September 19-26,2004, Anchorage, Alaska

On Sunday, September 19, 2004, I, along with several other Minority Student Travel Program (MSTP) participants traveled to Anchorage, Alaska to attend the 2004 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS). MSTP participants were from several institutions from all over the world including Virginia State University, Norfolk State University, Hampton University, Clark Atlanta University, the University of Arizona, Morgan State, the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, and Southern University. Our travel and participation in this symposium was supported and made possible by the efforts of Mr. Charles Luther of the Office of Naval Research, Dr. Linda Hayden, Principal Investigator-ECSU ONR/NRTS Program, and Dr. Mohamed Mohamed of Lockheed Martin.

This year's theme was "Science for Society: Exploring and Managing a Changing Planet" On Sunday I attended the Opening Reception which was held in the Anchorage Museum of History and Art. The reception was a "meet and greet" event where we were able to mingle with other conference participants and affiliates. I also had the opportunity to tour the museum and learn about Alaska's history.

On Monday morning, I attended the plenary session entitled "Exploring and Managing a Changing Planet" Here, conference attendees were welcomed by Lt - Governor Loren Leman and Dr. Albin Gasiewski, President of the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society. Of one-thousand plus conference attendees, fifty-one percent were international and forty-nine percent were from North America. Lt. Governor Leman gave us a brief history of Alaska and told us about some of its natural wonders including Mount McKinley (which is North America's highest peak) and glaciers. He also informed us that Alaska is "world renowned for its ample water, fish and game resources." Following Dr. Gasiewski, Gov. Leman made a presentation on "Remote Sensing in Service for Alaska." He said that "Remote sensing has been used in Alaska for about the last thirty-five years." Some of the uses that Alaska gets out of remote sensing include "detecting smoke from fires as far away as Greenland, ice edge monitoring where near real time imagery is used to advise "skippers" on boats." Remote sensing is also used to "manage fisheries by tracking king salmon as well as determining stock composition and type."

Following the plenary session, began an entire week's worth of oral and poster presentations on topics relative to remote sensing including: Disasters and Hazards, Cryosphere Sensing, Land Cover Classification, Soil Moisture, Hyperspectral Sensing Missions, Environmental Degradation and Pollution, Water Management, Policy Society and Education, and Clouds and Aerosols.

In order to fulfill requirements of being an MSTP participant, I made a poster presentation on a research project from the summer of 2003 entitled "Science, Settlement, and Remote Sensing: Locating the Remains of the Lost Colony of Northeastern North Carolina." This was a grand opportunity in that I, as a minority and a student, was able to present my efforts to the remote sensing realm to individuals from all over the world. The directors of the MSTP program are to be commended for their efforts in exposing minority students to an environment where, they may have been unaware of or easily overlooked.


Post Symposium Feedback
Moogega Cooper
Validation of SABER Temperature Measurements Using Ground-based Instruments
Department of Physics, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668
 
The benefits of the Minority Travel Program or MTP are numerous! The IGARSS 2004 Symposium was my first trip away from home and my first symposium experience. With hotel and eating expenses covered, the MTP gave me the freedom to focus my attention on becoming educated through the symposium lectures and activities. Through the experiences I have gained in the symposium, I have strengthened my presentation skills and my networking skills.

During my poster session, I was approached by scientists from various fields in remote sensing. With each question I was asked, my knowledge in the project strengthened, and at times, I would learn something new. For example, I was asked what the spatial resolution of my instrument was and I would reply that I was unaware of this parameter. Fortunately, there was a young scientist who most energetically explained what he thought it was and why. Now enlightened, I forged forward with the knowledge of my instrument’s spatial resolution! The feedback from the scientists is one of the many benefits that the symposium has given to me.

One of the many exciting facets of the IGARRS symposium is the opportunity to make connections. As a student trying to find the best graduate school for my major, meeting contacts from the first graduate school on my list was amazing. Furthermore, I was ecstatic to meet international scientists from countries to include Turkey, Germany, South Africa, and Korea. Amazingly, one contact from Germany was so impressed with my work and my institution that he was compelled to give a guest lecture at Hampton University. We are currently in the process of setting that up.

Lastly, and most importantly, the MTP allowed me the opportunity to fellowship with other bright and successful minority students and professors. I was given encouragement from participants such as Dr. Mohamed and future doctor Derrick Lampkin with respect to graduate school, which I am greatly appreciative of. I would like to express my gratitude to all facilitators of the program such as Dr. Charles Luther, Dr. Linda Hayden, Mrs. Keisha Wilkins, Dr. Mohamed, and Mrs. Tammy Stein. I would also like to thank Dr. Ali Omar for recommending me for the MPT. The special bonds created between all MPT participants is invaluable and will continue to hold as time goes by.