Twelve Months as a Science Fellow at the State Department: Overview, Activities, and Opportunities

Twelve Months as a Science Fellow at the State Department: Overview, Activities, and Opportunities

Dr. John Kerekes
Professor
Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, RIT

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Abstract:
The Department of State is the oldest cabinet-level agency in the Executive Branch. Originally known as the Department of Foreign Affairs when created in 1789, it is responsible for representing the United States government to foreign countries and international bodies. Concerned with issues of policy, trade, commerce, culture, and security, it is the primary face of the United States to the international community. In 2003 the Department established the Jefferson Science Fellows (JSF) program to place university academics for a one year assignment at State or the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Managed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the JSF program is open to tenured faculty from science, technology, engineering, and medical departments of U.S. institutions of higher learning. One of eight Fellows who served during 2019-2020, Prof. Kerekes was placed in the Bureau of Management working with the Greening Diplomacy Initiative. There he advised the Department on the use of satellite remote sensing technology to complement ongoing environmental monitoring activities at its overseas embassies and consulates. In addition, he assisted with other environmental initiatives and represented the Department as a liaison with several government agencies and international groups on topics of earth observation and environmental monitoring. In this public lecture Dr. Kerekes will provide an overview of the functions and operations of the State Department, discuss his activities and contributions while serving as a JSF, and highlight opportunities at State for students and faculty.

Speaker Bio:
Dr. Kerekes is a Professor in the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science where he teaches, advises students, and conducts research in the development and use of earth observation remote sensing systems. He received his BS, MS, and PhD degrees in electrical engineering from Purdue University. Prior to joining the RIT faculty in 2004 he spent fifteen years as a Technical Staff member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, Massachusetts. While at RIT he has served as Imaging Science Graduate Admissions Chair, Graduate Program Coordinator, and as Director of the Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing Laboratory. He is a Senior Member and active volunteer with the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society, currently serving as its Chief Financial Officer. In addition, he is a Senior Member of the Optical Society of America and SPIE, and a member of the American Geophysical Union and the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. He has served as the primary advisor for more than 40 graduate students and has over 175 scientific publications.

Intended Audience:
All are welcome. Those with interest in the topic.