SDSU and EROS

[89rabbit]

Highlights from an Argus Leader story:

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...509020332/1001

SDSU opens new research center
Scientific team to study habitat, hazards

RANDY HASCALL
rhascall@argusleader.com

Published: 09/2/05

South Dakota State University and EROS are partners in a new science center that will use the world's largest collection of satellite images and a staff of scientists to study habitat development and natural hazard risks.

The partners say the newly created Geographic Information Science Center of Excellence will be one of the top six research centers of its kind in the world.

"This will add really powerful research capabilities to the technology EROS has been operating for years," said Tom Loveland, an EROS research geographer and director of the USGS Land Cover Institute. "We've got a very strong research program at EROS already. This moves us to another level in our work."

The center, housed in Wecota Hall at SDSU in Brookings, was dedicated Thursday in a ceremony that drew U.S. Sens. Tim Johnson and John Thune.

A staff of 13 internationally known geographic research scientists has been assembled.

Matthew Hansen, co-director of the GIS Center, said a global search resulted in a pool of 200 applicants for the positions. Twenty people were invited to interview on the SDSU campus, and he offered jobs to five. All five accepted.

Seven other scientists on the staff already were working at the Earth Resources Observation and Science Data Center north of Sioux Falls. . . .

The center is well established and fully supported from top administrators on down, said Hansen, who came to SDSU from the University of Maryland.

"The institutional support is fantastic," he said.

Several of the scientists have arrived, and the center is in operation this week. It will be a research arm for EROS, and the 13 scientists will have space at both institutions.

"We're instantly one of the biggest centers, and in quality, I'd say we're already on par with anyone in the business," Loveland said. . . .

The idea for a center was discussed two years ago with the South Dakota Board of Regents and its executive director, Robert "Tad" Perry.

In May, the Regents voted to proceed with the plans. State money and a research grant are funding the budget and staff. SDSU has guaranteed the salaries of the job, which is one reason the center was able to hire some of the best scientists, Loveland said. Growth of the center will come through grants.

SDSU faculty and students will work with the scientists to carry out research.


Go State! ;D

[jackmd]

Re: SDSU and EROS

From the Argus an editorial. As an aside, the move up to DI is good for academics.

A home for research

SDSU's new geographic information center should draw attention to state

Published: 09/13/05

Efforts to make South Dakota a research center recently took a giant step forward, with the opening of the new Geographic Information Science Center of Excellence at South Dakota State University.

"We're instantly one of the biggest centers, and in quality, I'd say we're already on par with anyone in the business," said Tom Loveland, a research geographer at EROS and director of the USGS Land Cover Institute.

EROS and SDSU will be partners in the new center, which will use satellite images to study habitat development and natural hazard risks, monitoring and analyzing such things as deforestation of the Amazon River basin, African flood risks and fire frequency in North America.

The new center "will get at nagging, underlying issues we haven't been able to get to in the past," Loveland said.

The research operation will be part of EROS - the National Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science - a part of the U.S. Geological Survey headquartered in Sioux Falls. EROS uses satellite images for mapping and other purposes.

The center will have a staff of 13 geographic research scientists, whose salaries are funded by state money, a research grant and SDSU. Growth will come from grants.

"The institutional support is fantastic," said Matthew Hansen, co-director of the GIS Center.

One exciting part of this is that SDSU faculty and students will work with the scientists on their research.

The idea for the new operation was discussed two years ago with the South Dakota Board of Regents and in May, Regents voted to go ahead with plans.

When Gov. Mike Rounds announced his 2010 Initiative two years ago, a major component of the plan was to ramp up research in South Dakota, which was at the bottom for grants and programs. Progress has been slow, but that's no big surprise. It takes time - and money - to get things started. And more time and money before they can become self-supporting by drawing grants from the federal government and private sources.

But it's clear we're making progress, in the medical field, certainly, and even with new hopes for turning the old Homestake mine in Lead into a national underground laboratory.

SDSU already is making inroads into agricultural research. And Dakota State University is moving forward with tech-related research projects.

We aren't where we want to be, not by a long shot. There's so much more that we need.

But the new GIS Center is a major step forward that will bring international recognition to work being done in South Dakota. That recognition and attention will bring more opportunities.

And that's all we need - the opportunities.

This is terrific news for SDSU and the state, as a whole.