IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - December 2023 - 6

All of this is rounded out by our fantastic GRSS eNewsletter
(https://www.grss-ieee.org/publications/geoscience-and
-remote-sensing-enewsletter/), where you can stay in the loop
on all GRSS activities, conferences, meetings, events, job opportunities,
webinars, and so much more. Visit https://
www.grss-ieee.org/publications/geoscience-and-remote
-sensing-enewsletter/ to sign up for free!
The GRSS continues to engage its members via technical
activities across eight technical committees:
◗ Earth Science Informatics (https://www.grss-ieee.org/
technical-committees/earth-science-informatics/)
◗ Frequency Allocation in Remote Sensing (https://www.
grss-ieee.org/technical-committees/frequency-allocations
-in-remote-sensing/)
◗ Geoscience Standards in Earth Observation (https://
www.grss-ieee.org/technical-committees/standards-for
-earth-observations/)
◗ Geoscience Spaceborne Imaging Spectroscopy (https://
www.grss-ieee.org/technical-committees/geoscience
-spaceborne-imaging-spectroscopy/)
◗ Image Analysis and Data Fusion (https://www.grss-ieee.
org/technical-committees/image-analysis-and-data
-fusion/)
◗ Instrumentation and Future Technologies (https://www.
grss-ieee.org/technical-committees/instrumentation
-and-future-technologies/)
◗ Modeling in Remote Sensing (https://www.grss-ieee.org/
technical-committees/modeling-in-remote-sensing/)
◗ Remote Sensing Environment, Analysis and Climate Technologies
(REACT) (https://www.grss-ieee.org/technical
-committees/remote-sensing-environment-analysis
-and-climate-technologies-technical-committee
-react-tc/).
To learn more about our technical committees, check
out " Down to Earth: A Podcast for Geoscientists, by
Geoscientists " (https://grssieee.podbean.com/). Listen to
season 2 to get an engaging introduction to our technical
committees, dive into season 4 on open science, and follow
the ongoing season 5 sponsored by REACT, which focuses
on the amazing geoscientists who have dedicated
their lives to understanding the intricate workings of
our planet's climate system. I also cordially welcome the
newly appointed technical committee chairs and encourage
all readers to connect with their technical community
via our technical committees. Our technical committees
curate their own eNewsletters to keep their members in
the loop on their technical activities. Please check out the
above websites for contact information for each technical
committee.
In our professional activities portfolio, we continue to
support our GRSS chapters with access to Distinguished
Lecturers and Industry Distinguished Lecturers (https://
www.grss-ieee.org/community/distinguished-lecturers/).
Our GRSS Young Professionals (YP) team continues to
organize a wide range of events and activities (https://
www.grss-ieee.org/community/groups-init iat ives/
6
young-professionals-yp/) such as a YP webinar series, YP
competitions (three-minute thesis competition and photo
contest), conferences and forum activities, the RISE UP
YP Mentorship Program, the Global YP Connect Program,
and µVolunteering, and 2024 will bring many
new activities. Take also a moment to spread the word
about our GRSS awards (https://www.grss-ieee.org/
resources/awards/)
(major, special, publicat ion,
and symposium) and nominate suitable candidates by
the annual deadline of 15 December. The GRSS is also
extremely proud of its IEEE Fellows and continues to
support annual GRSS nominations (https://www.grss
-ieee.org/about/membership/fellow-information/). Finally,
the GRSS Inspire, Develop, Empower, Advance (https://
www.grss-ieee.org/community/groups-initiatives/idea/)
committee organizes a Women Mentoring Women program,
administers US$500 professional development
microgrants, and organizes conference and forum activities.
In January 2023, I formed the Ad Hoc Committee
on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging
(https://www.grss-ieee.org/community/groups
-initiatives/the-ad-hoc-diversity-equity-inclusion-accessibility-belonging-deiab-committee/),
which is focused
on broadening the diversity at all levels of the Society via
institutional change by removing barriers and championing
initiatives that promote a Society where all feel included,
valued, respected, and engaged, and this committee will
continue to take a look across our Society in 2024.
The education portfolio continues to provide learning and
other opportunities, such as GRSS schools (https://www.
grss-ieee.org/education/grss-schools/), GRSS educational
webinars (https://www.grss-ieee.org/events/webinars/
grss-webinar-program/), high school and undergraduate
student outreach, our travel grant program, and much
more. In particular, I'd like to point out the excellent
GRSS-cosponsored Coursera course on " Remote Sensing
Image Acquisition, Analysis, and Applications "
(ht tps://www.coursera.org/learn/remote-sensing),
which already has more than 12,000 learners, as well
as the GRSS Fourth Student Grand Challenge (https://
www.grss-ieee.org/community/groups-initiatives/ieee
-grss-student-grand-challenge/) focused on developing
image processing and classification techniques for the
detection and tracking of whales using spaceborne remote
sensing data.
As of October 2023, the GRSS serves 5,742 members,
with 1,057 (18%) female members, 11% female Fellows,
and 3% female Life Fellows. The GRSS is organized into
134 chapters (75 professional chapters and 59 student
branch chapters) and 12 ambassadors all over the world.
The GRSS is working hard to increase its member diversity
(geographical, gender, seniority, etc.) and is encouraged to
see a slow but steady growth in its membership. My hope
for 2024 is that the GRSS can truly become a professional
home for its members: a place for technical excellence, a
place where the members are welcome and belong, and a
IEEE GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2023
IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - December 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - December 2023
