Media Relations
News Releases
For Release Upon Receipt - November 10, 2011
Contact:
Richard Taffe, 617-353-4626, rtaffe@bu.edu
BOSTON UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR HONORED BY MISSOURI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
School bestows “Most Influential Alumnus” award on Prof. Farouk El-Baz
(Boston) – Boston University Prof. Farouk El-Baz, former NASA scientist and now director of BU’s Center for Remote Sensing, is being honored by the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, MO, as “Most Influential Alumnus” during a November 12 celebration.
El-Baz obtained his graduate degrees from the university (M.S. in 1961 and Ph.D. in 1964) while it was named the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy. The university previously honored him with an “Alumni Achievement Award for Extraordinary Scientific Accomplishments” (1972), an honorary Professional Degree (2002), and a Doctor of Engineering (2004).
At the celebration events Dr. El-Baz was to meet with faculty and students of the Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering and lecture to students on “Pursuit of Excellence: The Apollo Experience.” An interview on his professional journey in applying space photography to geological investigations was being video-recorded by the university.
Dr. El-Baz, a veteran of NASA’s Apollo program of lunar exploration, is a pioneer in applying space images in the fields of geology, geography and archaeology. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America and member of the National Academy of Engineering. He has been noted for research on desert landforms and the location of groundwater resources in arid lands. Under his direction, the Boston University Center for Remote Sensing was selected in 1997 by NASA as a “Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing.”
Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 30,000 students, it is the fourth largest independent university in the U.S. It has 17 colleges and schools and a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes, which are central to its research and teaching mission.
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