Leica Geosystems Endows Chair in Geospatial Imaging

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging has established the Leica Geosystems Chair in Geospatial Imaging in Fulbright College at the University of Arkansas.

Fulbright Dean Donald Bobbitt has appointed University Professor W. Fredrick Limp, director of the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST), as the inaugural holder of the Leica Chair. Limp will direct efforts to build an expanded curriculum in geospatial modeling, data storage and analysis, as well as advance scholarly research in these fields.

UA Chancellor John A. White said: “Professor Limp is one of the most respected members of the UA faculty. He is a national 'thought leader’ in the use of advanced spatial technologies. It is most appropriate for him to be honored with an endowed chair. We are indebted to Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging for their investment in the University of Arkansas and in Dr. Limp.”

“I am most grateful to the leaders at Leica for their support of CAST, which under Fred’s leadership, has built a national reputation for its research and outreach initiatives and established productive relationships with many industry leaders such as Leica,” said Dean Bobbitt.

In May 2005, Leica made a gift-in-kind of photogrammetric and remote-sensing software, maintenance, support and services to establish the inaugural Leica Geosystems Center of Excellence in Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing at CAST.  To fully endow the chair, that gift in kind has been matched with $1.5 million through the Matching Gift Program.

“We are pleased that Fred has been named the first Leica Geosystems Chair in recognition of the significant contributions he has made to geospatial education and innovation in geoscience research at CAST,” said Bob Morris, president of Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging. “His leadership has helped establish CAST as a leading center in the field, and we look forward to working together with him and the university to continue to drive innovation in both research and education.”

Leica Geosystems products and services are designed to capture, analyze and present spatial information. Based in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Leica Geosystems is a global company with tens of thousands of customers supported by more than 2,400 employees in 23 countries and hundreds of partners in more than 120 countries around the world. Leica Geosystems is a publicly listed company, registered with the Swiss Stock Exchange. (Go to www.leica-geosystems.com for more information.)

Limp, who earned his doctorate in anthropology from Indiana University, came to the U of A in 1976. He is a professor in the department of anthropology and in the environmental dynamics program and holds a joint appointment in the geosciences department. His annual salary is $165,000.

Limp has written or edited nine books, published more than 180 journal articles, chapters and articles in national and international professional magazines, served as keynote or plenary session speaker at 20 conferences, presented more than 120 scholarly and professional papers and organized six professional meetings. He serves as a contributing editor for GeoWorld and is a regular contributor to the industry press, including Earth Imaging Magazine. 

“I appreciate the confidence Leica Geosystems has shown in our programs and faculty,” said Limp. “I plan to use the resources of the Leica Chair to expand our research efforts, support our young faculty and improve the undergraduate and graduate curriculum. We are fortunate that the fruits of much of our research directly serve our local communities. The Leica Geosystems gift will also help us extend the benefits of our research, helping the region and state grow economically.”

Limp has been principal or co-principal investigator on more than $12.7 million in grants. He is currently the principal or co-principal investigator of 16 active research projects funded by agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautic and Space Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These projects include helping rural communities to employ geospatial systems, developing multi-terabyte geospatial data-systems with more than 3,000 users and creating three-dimensional representations from geophysical and laser scanning data. Articles on his research have appeared in the British magazine The Economist, Omni, New Scientist, ComputerWorld, and eWeek, as well as in National Geographic books and on National Public Radio, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. and German public television.

He is the recipient of the Fulbright College Master Researcher Award and both the Distinguished Research Award and the Distinguished Service Award from the UA Alumni Association.

Limp was a founder and served on the board of the Open Geospatial Consortium. He has also served on the boards of organizations such as AmericaView, the National Consortium for Rural Geospatial Innovations, the Oracle North America Users Forum, the Intergraph Geospatial Executive’s Board, the Foundation for American Archaeology and the University Consortium for Preservation Technology. He was appointed by then Gov. Jim Guy Tucker to the Arkansas Mapping and Land Records Modernization Board and by Gov. Mike Huckabee to the Arkansas State Land Information Board. He was treasurer of the Society for American Archaeology.

The establishment of this chair is a result of the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century, which had recorded $1.046 billion in gifts and pledges against the $1 billion goal as of June 30, 2005, the end of the seven-year capital campaign.