Outstanding students receive a total of $130,000 for academic excellence in GEOINT

Herndon, Virginia (August 7, 2019)— The United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) recently awarded $130,000 in scholarships to 25 individuals studying geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) and related topics. This is the largest annual amount USGIF has distributed to date, thanks to the contributions of USGIF Organizational Members. Since the USGIF Scholarship Program began in 2004, the Foundation has awarded more than $1.3 million to students with aspirations in GEOINT.

USGIF offers $5,000 scholarships annually to outstanding doctoral candidates, graduate students, and undergraduate students as well as $2,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors.

Accompanying the USGIF awards are three scholarships funded entirely by USGIF Organizational Members:

• The first ever $15,000 Dun & Bradstreet Geospatial Data Science Scholarship, awarded to a student pursuing a Master of Science or Ph.D. in data science who is focused on solving large-scale, location-based problems.
• The fourth Ken Miller Scholarship for Advanced Remote Sensing Applications sponsored by Riverside Research, which awards $10,000 to a graduate student studying remote sensing who plans to enter the defense intelligence workforce.
• The second Reinventing Geospatial Inc. (RGi) Scholarship for Geospatial and Engineering, a $10,000 scholarship awarded to an undergraduate student pursuing engineering and geospatial disciplines.

“As the saying goes, ‘The best way to predict the future is to create it.’ USGIF and its member organizations are addressing an uncertain future by supporting those who will soon join the GEOINT workforce,” said Dr. Camelia Kantor, USGIF’s Vice President of Academic Affairs. “These students are smart and willing to fulfill the workforce expectations of a rapidly changing GEOINT environment. After reading their scholarship applications, it is apparent they are also curious, creative, and have multidisciplinary competencies. The community’s role is to help them turn their dreams into reality.”

The 2019 scholarship winners are as follows:

The Dun & Bradstreet Geospatial Data Science Scholarship

• Yaneev Golombek, University of Colorado, Denver

The Ken Miller Scholarship for Advanced Remote Sensing Applications

• Kris Erickson, Northeastern University*

The RGi Scholarship for Geospatial and Engineering

• Kevin Mercy, University of Southern California*

Doctorate USGIF Scholarships

• Duncan Eddy, Stanford University
• Christopher Olayinka Ilori, Simon Fraser University
• Rachel Jones, Missouri University of Science and Technology
• Emilio Mateo, The Ohio State University
• Stephanie Mundis, University of Florida

Graduate USGIF Scholarships

• Madeleine Guy, University of Maryland, College Park*
• Scott Howard, Colorado State University
• Jong Su Kim, University of Southern California*
• Zach Little, University of Alaska, Fairbanks
• Rebecca Malone, Georgetown University
• Brett Ruether, University of Utah*
• Kylie Tokar, University of Maryland, College Park*

Undergraduate USGIF Scholarships

• Alexander Chrvala, University of Mary Washington
• John Jacobson, Arizona State University
• Mikhail Kaminer, University of Colorado, Denver
• Brandon Staple, University of Colorado, Denver
• Sarah Marie VanSchoick, University of Florida

Graduating High School Senior USGIF Scholarships

• Dean Alvarez, Strawberry Crest High School; now attending Cornell University
• Trevor Burke, St. Mark’s School of Texas; now attending Southern Methodist University
• Alyssa Ann Cassano, Fairfax High School; now attending James Madison University*
• Erin Dowdy, Edwardsville High School; now attending University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign
• Sierra Taylor, Richmond Heights High School; now attending The Ohio State University

Congratulations to this year’s deserving awardees! Learn more about the USGIF Scholarship Program at usgif.org/education/scholarships.

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

About USGIF

USGIF is a nonprofit educational foundation dedicated to promoting the geospatial intelligence tradecraft and developing a stronger GEOINT Community among government, industry, academia, professional organizations, and individuals who develop and apply GEOINT to address global security challenges. USGIF achieves its mission via its strategic pillars: Build the Community | Advance the Tradecraft | Accelerate Innovation.