Students Receive $1 Million in Scholarship Awards from USGIF

Herndon, VA (September 20, 2016)—The United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) last month awarded $112,000 in scholarship funds to students studying geospatial science or related topics. The annual USGIF Scholarship Program recognizes the achievements of graduating high school seniors, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students, and helps to further the advancement of the geospatial tradecraft. Since the USGIF Scholarship Program began in 2004, USGIF has awarded $1,003,000 in scholarship funds.

“Eclipsing $1 million in scholarships awarded is a remarkable milestone for the Foundation,” said USGIF CEO Keith Masback. “We continue to deliver on our fundamental proposition as an educational nonprofit.”

Additionally, USGIF awarded the Ken Miller Scholarship for Advanced Remote Sensing Applications in partnership with nonprofit company Riverside Research for the first time this year. The $10,000 scholarship benefits master’s degree students studying remote sensing who plan to enter the defense, intelligence, or homeland security workforce.

“The partnership which supports the new Ken Miller scholarship is a model USGIF would like to replicate in the future,” Masback said.

USGIF’s volunteer Scholarship Subcommittee evaluates all scholarship applications and makes selections based on academic and professional excellence.

“We are proud of our ongoing scholarship program,” said Dr. Darryl Murdock, USGIF vice president of professional development. “Our scholarship subcommittee takes its role seriously. Great care and consideration go into the selection process, which is quite challenging given the number of highly qualified applicants.”

The 2016 USGIF scholarship awardees are:

Ken Miller Scholarship for Advanced Remote Sensing Applications

• Anne Aryadne Bennett, University of Southern California*

Doctorate

• Michael Brady, Rutgers University
• Monica Medel, Texas State University
• Brad G. Peter, Michigan State University
• Emanuel Arnal Storey, University of California, Santa Barbara/San Diego State University
• Jennifer L. Whytlaw, Rutgers University

Graduate

• Roxanne Ahmadi, Pennsylvania State University*
• Allison Bohlman, Alabama A&M University
• James Osundwa, University of Redlands*
• Andrew Ryan, George Mason University*
• Christopher Smith, Delta State University
• Zachary Toll, George Mason University*
• Claire Weber, University of Utah*

Undergraduate

• James Christianson, Delta State University/Mississippi Delta Community College
• Hailee Hettrick, Cornell University
• Tilden Remerleitch, University of Vermont
• Kristin Sonsteby, Pennsylvania State University*
• Elijah Staple, University of Colorado, Boulder

Graduating High School Seniors

• Georgia Bass, Monument Mountain Regional High School, Great Barrington, Mass.; now attending University of Massachusetts, Amherst
• Courtney Fassett, Northwood High School, Irvine, Calif.; now attending University of Southern California*
• John Golden, Archer High School, Lawrenceville, Ga.; now attending Georgia Institute of Technology
• Emma McFee, Bainbridge-Guilford High School, Bainbridge, N.Y.; now attending University of Utah*
• Gillian Sullivan, Fairfax High School, Fairfax, Va.; now attending University of Mary Washington
• Grayson Sullivan, Westlake High School, Austin, Texas; now attending University of Utah*

*These institutions are accredited by USGIF to award GEOINT Certificates along with their degree programs.