Brookings, SD – U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Director Marcia McNutt today highlighted the work being done in the state by EROS and its partnership with South Dakota State University. Johnson and McNutt held a roundtable discussion with SDSU President David Chicoine and faculty members in Brookings and then traveled to EROS headquarters to get a firsthand look at the facility’s cutting-edge research.
“I am pleased that Director McNutt accepted my invitation to visit South Dakota and that she was able to see some of the great work being done at EROS,” Johnson said. “SDSU and EROS have a solid partnership and it is important for us to continue to invest in the facility, which employs more than 600 South Dakotans.”
At SDSU, Johnson and McNutt discussed with President Chicoine and others regarding the various collaborations between the school and EROS, including the Geographic Information Science Center of Excellence (GIScCE). Faculty and students involved with the initiative conduct research on remote sensing, geographic information systems, geography, cartography, aerial photo interpretation, engineering and land surveying, environmental sciences, and landscape architecture.
The two then toured the EROS Data Center, a research field center for USGS. The Center stores, analyzes and distributes data from Landsat satellites. Scientists, colleges, government agencies and the public rely on data from EROS for a wide range of applications.
“Our state takes great pride in EROS, and I look forward to that work advancing in exciting directions as time goes on,” Johnson said. “I feel we have only scratched the surface of what these and other scientific institutions can achieve, and I intend to continue serving as a strong advocate for science-related activities at the federal level.”
As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Johnson has annually pushed to fund the EROS Data Center in recognition of their scientific importance to the entire nation and their contribution to the South Dakota economy.
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For more information on Senator Tim Johnson visit his website at http://johnson.senate.gov
