This year, the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) awarded scholarships to 20 recipients. Five Ph.D. candidates, eight master’s students, five undergraduates and two graduating high school seniors received scholarships. High school recipients received $2,000 scholarships, and all others received $5,000 scholarships. Three of these winners are currently studying at USGIF-accredited schools. Through the USGIF Accreditation Certification Program colleges and universities are able to accredit their geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) programs accompanying a college degree.

“This is the largest single-year scholarship total awarded by USGIF to date,” said Max Baber, USGIF director of Academic Programs. “USGIF is dedicated to advancing geospatial intelligence, and we are progressing toward a target of $100,000 invested annually in scholarships to further support development of the next generation of GEOINT professionals.”

All scholarship recipients were chosen based on their academic and professional excellence in a field related to the geospatial intelligence tradecraft. Qualified candidates were selected by the Foundation’s Scholarship Subcommittee.

“Our volunteer selection board was really impressed by the depth and breadth of our applicant pool this year,” said USGIF President Keith Masback. “There are some remarkable young people studying in the GEOINT field, and I am intensely proud of how USGIF’s sustaining members have allowed us to consistently grow our annual capability to award scholarships to truly deserving candidates.”

The 2011 Scholarship Program recipients are:

• Jacob Adams, undergraduate student, Brigham Young University
• Adam Benjamin, graduate student, University of Florida
• Anthony Clark, graduating high school senior, Edmond Burke School, Washington D.C.
• Monica Cook, doctoral student, Rochester Institute of Technology
• Thomas Davis, undergraduate student, Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi
• Andrew Ferguson, graduate student, University of Missouri at Columbia
• Caleb Gaw, graduate student, George Mason University
• Morgan Lamon, undergraduate student, University of Mary Washington
• Ryan Lash, doctoral student, University of Georgia
• Jason Laura, graduate student, Penn State University
• Matthew Moore, graduate student, University of Oklahoma
• Tyler Packett, graduate student, San Diego State University
• Tanya Petach, graduating high school senior, Fairview High School, Boulder, Colo.
• Sergey Reid, undergraduate student, Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi
• Shadrock Roberts, doctoral student, University of Georgia
• Jennifer Stitt, graduate student, University of Southern California
• Leanne Sulewski, doctoral student, University of South Carolina
• Allison Terry, graduate student, University of Denver
• Jennifer Veilleux, doctoral student, Oregon State University
• Edward Walsh, undergraduate student, University of South Carolina

Applications for the 2012 USGIF Scholarship Program will be posted in early 2012. For more information on the Scholarship Program please visit usgif.org/education/scholarships or contact scholarships@usgif.org.

USGIF is a non-profit educational foundation dedicated to promoting the geospatial intelligence tradecraft and developing a stronger GEOINT Community with government, industry, academia, professional organizations and individuals whose mission is the development and application of geospatial intelligence to address national security challenges. For more information, please visit www.USGIF.org.

Article courtesy of USGIF.