Dr. Qassim Abdullah Earns ASPRS Lifetime Achievement Award

The Woolpert chief scientist and senior associate has been a trailblazer in lidar and remote sensing since the technology’s inception

Woolpert Chief Scientist and Senior Associate Dr. Qassim Abdullah (right) was awarded the ASPRS Lifetime Achievement Award on Tuesday in Denver. He is congratulated by Jeff Lovin (left), Woolpert senior vice president and director of Government Solutions. Lovin is holding Woolpert’s award for Outstanding Enterprise Achievement in Lidar. Photo courtesy of Woolpert

DENVER (Jan. 30, 2019) — Dr. Qassim Abdullah, Ph.D., CP, PLS, was honored Tuesday night with the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) Lifetime Achievement Award. The distinction, formerly known as the Honorary Member Award, is the highest honor the society bestows on an individual. This award recognizes Abdullah’s distinguished service to ASPRS and in advancing the science and uses of remote sensing, photogrammetry and related disciplines.

Abdullah, chief scientist and senior associate at Woolpert, received the award during Geo Week in Denver. The event started Friday with the MAPPS Winter Conference and continues through Thursday with the ASPRS Annual Conference and the International Lidar Mapping Forum (ILMF) joint conference.

At the event on Monday, Abdullah conducted a workshop on “Aerial Triangulation and Data Processing for the Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)” with Dr. Riadh Munjy of California State University, Fresno, early in the day before presenting a second workshop with Claire Kiedrowski from Cornerstone Energy Services Inc. on “Practical Approach to Using the ASPRS Positional Accuracy Standards for Digital Geospatial Data.” Abdullah also hosted a panel discussion Tuesday on “National Spatial Reference System Modernization of 2022,” and is slated to discuss “Advances in Lidar Technologies—Status of Commercial Linear Geiger and Single Photon Lidar Systems” today at 11 a.m. MT.

Abdullah, the creator and principal author of the new ASPRS Positional Accuracy Standards for Digital Geospatial Data Standards, also is a member of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Standardization Collaborative, developing standards to facilitate the safe integration of drones into the U.S. National Airspace System. He also publishes a monthly “Mapping Matters” column in the Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing (PE&RS) Journal, teaches graduate courses on geospatial subjects and has periodic blogs on the Woolpert website, including his most recent highlighting “The Geospatial Trends for 2019.”

Woolpert leadership lauded Abdullah’s volume of groundbreaking work and his dedication to the geospatial industry.

“The Woolpert family is very proud to see Qassim’s contributions to the photogrammetry and remote sensing community being recognized by such an esteemed organization as ASPRS,” Woolpert President and CEO Scott Cattran said. “This is a great honor for him and for Woolpert. Qassim exemplifies all of our core values at Woolpert, especially industry leadership. We are all very proud of you!”

“To become an industry leader, it takes focus on what matters each day; it takes determination and hard work,” Woolpert Chief Operating Officer Kirk McClurkin said. “Qassim’s positive impact on Woolpert, our clients and the geospatial community have been amazing. From the entire Woolpert family, we congratulate Qassim on his well-deserved success and accomplishments.”

Abdullah said he is grateful to be a member of the geospatial community and thanked ASPRS for this Lifetime Achievement Award.

“I am surrounded by this community of intelligent and creative friends and colleagues, who provide me with an invaluable technical and dynamic environment,” Abdullah said. “I am honored to be a part of this vital, thriving industry.”

About Woolpert
Woolpert is the fastest growing architecture, engineering and geospatial (AEG) firm in the country, delivering value to clients in all 50 states and around the world by strategically blending innovative design and engineering excellence with leading-edge technology and geospatial applications. With a dynamic research and development department, Woolpert works with inventive business partners such as Google and Esri; operates a fleet of planes, sensors and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS); and continually pushes industry boundaries by working with advanced water technologies, asset management, building information modeling (BIM) and sustainable design. The firm, which is 95^th among ENR’s Top 500 Design Firms, supports a mission to help its clients progress and become more progressive. For over 100 years and with 28 offices across the U.S., Woolpert serves federal, state and local governments; private and public companies and universities; energy and transportation departments; and the U.S. Armed Forces. For more information, visit woolpert.com or call 937-531-1258