UNH Natural Resources and the Environment, 56 College Rd (2026)

17/04/2024

The poster session at the GRC is such an incredible time to see all the cool research our students are doing. A huge shout to all the NREN and NRESS students!

27/02/2024

Russ Congalton, professor of natural resources and the environment, has been awarded 2023 William T. Pecora Award for achievements in remote sensing and earth observation! The award, established in 1974, is given jointly by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.

“Remote sensing plays a pivotal role in mapping and monitoring our planet,” said Congalton. “And without these technologies, it would be impossible to monitor changes to our forests from deforestation, fire, pests and pathogens, climate change, and other natural disasters. The information we gain from remotely sensed data allows us to more effectively and efficiently manage our natural resources.”

Congalton’s contributions to the remote sensing community span from the earliest days of the Landsat program through the beginning of commercial Earth observation ventures, to the latest research in Light Detection and Ranging (LiDar) sensor use via unpiloted aerial systems (UAS), or drones. More than 30 years ago, while at the University of California, Berkeley, Congalton authored a foundational remote sensing paper, “A Review of Assessing the Accuracy of Classifications of Remotely Sensed Data” – a paper that has influenced subsequent generations of remote sensing scholars and has received more than 9,850 citations to date. Congalton has also served in leadership roles with the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program, the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), and the AmericaView consortium.

Congalton adds, “It has been a pleasure to introduce thousands of students to the fields of remote sensing and geospatial technologies. These are skills that are crucial to all natural resource and environmental science students in today’s world, and I have learned so much from the over 65 graduate students that I have mentored and taken so much joy in seeing their amazing successes.”

“I had some fantastic and caring professors and mentors throughout my education and career and I am so pleased to be able to give back what was so generously provided to me.”

Congratulations on this achievement! 🎉