Four students from North Carolina Central University (NCCU) have been selected to work at Fugro EarthData next summer as first-year participants in a 2-year Geospatial Research and Internship Partnership. Funded by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the program will provide graduate and undergraduate students from the school's Department of Environmental, Earth, and Geospatial Sciences (DEEGS) hands-on experience with NGA-related GeoSAR mapping projects.
Increasing Diversity, Growing the Field
"We are thrilled to offer our students the chance to work alongside Fugro EarthData's GeoSAR staff as they learn about dual-band IFSAR mapping capabilities and geointelligence data requirements," said Dr. Gordana Vlahovic, associate professor within the DEEGS Geospatial Research, Innovative Teaching and Services (GRITS) Center.
NGA awarded the Geospatial Research and Internship Partnership to NCCU through a competitive grant process among historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and minority institutions (MIs). Known as the NGA HBCU/MI Science Initiative, this program aims to build a more diverse workforce skilled in the disciplines important to NGA's mission for national security.
Durham-based NCCU is one of two southeastern HBCUs offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in the field of geography. "As NGA seeks to increase its skill depth and leadership in the geospatial sciences, NCCU serves as a ready source of potential employees that will fulfill the agency's talent and diversity needs," Vlahovic said.
A Developing Center for Geospatial Expertise
The internship program will be managed by NCCU's GRITS Center, which was established in 2006 with funding from the National Sciences Foundation to further the study of geospatial technology and applications. In short time, GRITS has partnered with national groups to tackle a number of important initiatives. Accomplishments include helping to establish provisional certification for recent graduates in GIS, remote sensing and photogrammetry by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing and becoming the first HBCU to join the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science.
For its part, Fugro EarthData is well apprised of NCCU's growing talent pool. Under Fugro EarthData's NGA Mentor-Protégé contract with Triangle Aerial Surveys, NCCU internships have helped the protégé business expand its capacity and capabilities. Based on this success, Fugro EarthData was pleased to support the university's grant proposal for the Geospatial Research and Internship Partnership.
The Internships at Fugro EarthData
During the 2-year grant period, a total of six NCCU students will take part in the research and internship program—four undergraduate students and two graduate students. The undergraduate students will rotate with the year; graduate students will remain throughout the grant period so that they may focus their research activities on their selected thesis topic.
First-year undergraduate participants and the graduate students will travel to Fugro EarthData's Frederick, Maryland, office next month to learn more about the company, its GeoSAR division, and its geointelligence work for NGA. "We look forward to the visit," said Kate Surdez, human resources director at Fugro EarthData. "Interns and new graduates infuse a certain amount of energy into the workplace and we are eager to share our knowledge and experience and to learn from them as well."
www.fugroearthdata.com
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