Geospatial Science Students Win 2020 National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) Student Competition

Pictured, left to right: José Pilartes-Congo, Heather Zavesky, Kevin Michael, Demetri Andreadis, Allison Brozusky

After several podium finishes (first place in 2017 and second place in both 2018 and 2019), students from Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) finally take the gold at national competition placing first in the 2020 National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) Student Competition. The competition was to be held in conjunction with the NSPS Spring meeting on March 31st – April 2nd but proceeded remotely due to safety measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Teams were judged based on a Technical Report and Research Poster submitted to NSPS.

The topic this year was “The Terrestrial Reference Frames of 2022 (TRF2022) and the North American-Pacific Geopotential Datum of 2022 (NAPGD2022) of the modernized National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) and their application in your jurisdiction”.

Each team had to act as if they had been invited to present at a Professional Land Surveyors meeting/conference in their jurisdiction (e.g. state), and provide an overview of the 2022 datums highlighting the practical considerations of which attendees need to be aware with the release of the new datums. A Technical Report was prepared so that attendees could, in theory, use it to increase their understanding and aid in the development of competency on these issues.

To prepare for the competition, the students presented a rough draft of their project to more than one-hundred professionals in attendance at a free continuing education course hosted by the Conrad Blucher Institute earlier this year.

The team would like to take this time to thank the generous sponsors that supported them this year. The funds were not used for travelling expenses due to cancellation of the in-person meeting, so funds will be used by the team attending the same competition next year. The team extends their gratitude to Davey Edwards, Galen Scott, Randall Kircher, and Bryan Gillis for providing their invaluable feedback and recommendations.

2020 Sponsors: Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying & Science, Dark Seas Mapping Co., Fenstermaker, Fontier Surveying Co., H. A. Kuehlem Professional Surveyors- A Baseline Company, J.P.L.S.- Ron Kolacny, McGray & McGray, Native Survey Company, Ron Carroll Surveying, and Topographic.