Pecora 17 – The Future of Land Imaging…Going Operational November 18 – 20, 2008 Denver, Colorado GEORGIAVIEW INTERNSHIP PROGRAM 2004-2008 GEOSPATIAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND STATEWIDE OUTREACH Rebecca L. Dodge, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Geosciences Midwestern State University Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 rebecca.dodge@mwsu.edu Marguerite Madden, Ph.D. Director, Center for Remote Sensing and Mapping Science Department of Geography The University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602 mmadden@uga.edu ABSTRACT GeorgiaView is a founding member of the AmericaView (AV) Program, a partnership between the U.S. Geological Survey and the AmericaView SM Consortium. A national program currently active in 33 states, AV was created to advance the widespread use of land remote sensing data. The Consortium is the federal government's primary partner in achieving the AV Program goals, which focus on helping the academic, government and industry sectors in each state identify, develop, and distribute the kinds of remote sensing applications each state needs most. GeorgiaView has established and maintained a focus on preparing undergraduate and graduate students to apply remote sensing and other geospatial technologies to identify and address statewide and regional resource management issues, through internships with industry, local, state and federal government, and academic partners. This presentation highlights student activities and results from GeorgiaView partner institutions, including student testimonials and career choices influenced by internship experiences. An example of GeorgiaView-funded undergraduate internships hosted by the Center for Remote Sensing and Mapping Science (CRMS), Department of Geography at the University of Georgia, will highlight student involvement in several projects integrating remote sensing, GIS, GPS and geovisualization for monitoring human impacts on natural and cultural resources. Over the past four years several students have successfully completed their internships, obtained degrees and either gone on to graduate school or begun geospatial careers in top-notch companies and government agencies. AV funds and data are clearly making an impact on geospatial workforce development and on the lives of motivated students. INTRODUCTION In 2007 the Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space of the National Research Council (NRC) published a community assessment and strategy for the future addressing Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond. The executive summary clearly highlights the necessity for an education and training program aimed at diverse end-user communities for satellite remote sensing observations, to ensure a robust supply “of future scientists who are needed to interpret observations, and who will turn the measurements into knowledge and information” (NRC, 2007, p.16). This report directs that “NASA, NOAA, and USGS should pursue innovative approaches to educate and train scientists and users of Earth observations and applications” (NRC, 2007, p.16). The U. S. Geological Survey had already recognized during the mid-1990s that there was a need for a program that would help state and local agencies develop applications and train the workforce to use satellite imagery to address local, statewide, and regional needs. In partnership with ten Ohio universities and other partners including NASA Glenn Research Center, OhioView was established in 1996. Primary goals for the program included facilitating the development of applications for satellite imagery and the development of educational and training programs, by providing economical and timely data access as well as networking opportunities for applied