The GRSS Director of Global Activities is responsible for maintaining and enhancing the relationship between GRSS and other technical societies and institutions worldwide involved in geoscience and remote sensing activities to promote the expansion of GRSS geographically and in terms of number of members.

Some Specific Duties of the Director of Global Activities

  • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of societies, institutions, and key individuals worldwide involved in geoscience and remote sensing activities.
  • Maintain broad channels of communication between GRSS and the above-mentioned societies, institutions, and individuals.
  • Work with the IGARSS Facilitator to enhance participation in IGARSS through joint sessions with other societies, institutions, and plenary session speakers.
  • Work with AdCom to suggest new strategic directions for GRSS that increase GRSS expansion globally, taking into account the unique aspects of each region, namely China, India, Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.
  • Nominate the GRSS liaison to the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) for a term of one year. The term may be renewed annually up to a maximum of three. The GRSS liaison to GEO, if not an Elected Member of the AdCom, must be a GRSS member and shall be appointed by the President. GRSS liaison to GEO will report his/her activity to AdCom at the AdCom Fall meeting. Note: GRSS membership in GEO as a Participating Organization for the period 2017-2019 was approved by the AdCom on November 2016, and this decision will be reviewed in November 2019 to evaluate the effectiveness of its involvement and assess the benefits accruing to the Society of continued membership. In case the membership is not renewed, the position of GRSS liaison to GEO will discontinue.
  • Coordinate with the required VP(s) in the activities/initiatives in which the Society is engaged.


There was a special session on Sunday before IGARSS 2016 that gave an overview of these activities. The viewgraphs from that session are available here.