Worcester, MA — Dr. J. Ronald Eastman, developer of the IDRISI GIS and Image Processing software and Professor of Geography at Clark University, will be honored at the 2010 Annual AAG Meeting in April as he is presented with the Distinguished Career Award from the AAG Geographic Information Science and Systems Specialty Group (GISSG).

The Distinguished Career Award is presented to honor senior scholars for sustained and effective research contributions to geographic information science and/or systems. The honor is bestowed once each year based on a protracted record of published research and other outstanding achievements.

Dr. Jeremy Mennis of Temple University, chair of the AAG GISSG Award Committee, stated, “Throughout his career, Dr. Eastman has made substantial contributions to theoretical geographic information science and its application to global climate change, land use science, and other fields. One of Dr. Eastman’s key contributions is the development of the IDRISI GIS software, which introduced many students and researchers throughout the world to GIS, and remains one of the most widely used GIS packages due to its mix of both accessibility and advanced analytical capabilities.”

“What particularly impresses me about Dr. Eastman’s work, however,” Dr. Mennis said, “is that not only has he made substantial contributions to the theoretical and technical components of our field, but that he has worked tirelessly to ensure that GIS technology is used effectively to address some of the most pressing problems facing the world today, such as famine and ecological sustainability, particularly in developing countries.”

The AAG Geographic Information Science and Systems Specialty Group (GISSG) established its Distinguished Career Award in 2004 and named it in honor of Robert T. Aangeenbrug. Dr. Robert Aangeenbrug, one of the pioneers in GIS, had a distinguished career, including service as the chair of the Department of Geography at the University of South Florida, Executive Director