Professor Randolph Wynne received a Society of American Foresters award recognizing his research in remote sensing applications that have resulted in significant advances in forestry. In his nomination of Wynne for the society’s annual Award in Forest Science, Professor Harold Burkhart cited Wynne’s mastery of remote sensing topics, technically sound research, and eagerness to mentor students and recognize collaborators. “Randy strictly adheres to the highest professional standards when developing and carrying out research projects, most of which are done in collaboration with others or with graduate students. His work has great scientific merit and is of tremendous practical value,” Burkhart wrote.

Wynne’s research has addressed two main themes: improving the accuracy of land-use and land-cover classifications, and applying the remote sensing method LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) for forest monitoring and modeling. Direct results of the research include better ways to identify forests and the natural and anthropogenic changes that affect them, plus improvements to spatially explicit information that improves silvicultural decision-making.

“I guess all I ever had in mind from the start was to help our profession better understand, and thus manage, forests,” Wynne said. “It is gratifying to feel that I have made a difference!”

Contact: