Remote Sensing, Geospatial Analysis, and Geographers at the Centennial of the Association of American Geographers

Abstract

This paper is a selected overview of the contribution of American geographers in the development of remote sensing, highlighting the role of the Remote Sensing Specialty Group (RSSG) of the Association of American Geographers (AAG), on the occasion of the centennial of the AAG. The RSSG was formed in the late 1970s, with Benjamin Richason, of Carroll College, as the first Chair. The RSSG grew rapidly from approximately 200 members in 1981, to just under 500 members in 1988, a level at which it has subsequently remained relatively stable. The RSSG was the fourth largest specialty group in the AAG throughout much of the late 1980s, and since 1999 has consistently been the third largest group, behind the GIS and Urban Geography Specialty Groups. The RSSG Outstanding Contributions in Remote Sensing Award has been presented annually since 1992. In 2004, in honor of the centennial of the AAG, the RSSG is instituting a new award, the Early Career Award in Remote Sensing.