SSI’s Steven D. Fleming receives the 2020 USGIF Distinguished Academic Service Award
On September 29, 2020, the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) presented its 2020 Distinguished Academic Service Award to COL [R] Steven D. Fleming, Ph.D., professor of the practice of the Spatial Sciences Institute (SSI) and the Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) at the University of Southern California (USC).
Dr. Camelia Kantor, USGIF vice president of academic affairs, made the announcement at the conclusion of the USGIF GEOINTegration Summit, which was held virtually. Kantor indicated that this award is in recognition of Fleming’s outstanding contribution to geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) education and tradecraft. “Thank you for your service and leadership in GEOINT!,” said Kantor.
Fleming, a veteran who served 30 years in the U.S. Army, has been a regular contributing author to the annual USGIF State and Future of GEOINT Report and chairs the USGIF Academic Planning Committee. As the USGIF APC Chair, Fleming also serves on the USGIF Academic Advisory Board.
John P. Wilson, Ph.D., SSI founding and professor, said, “This is a much deserved award, given Steve’s leadership of the academic efforts of the USGIF and mentorship of our students near and far as they strike out to begin and develop their own careers.”
At USC, Fleming has been instrumental in establishing human security and geospatial intelligence (HSGI) as an academic and research strength of the Spatial Sciences Institute. Along with Dr. Andrew J. Marx, associate professor of the practice of SSI and ICT and former Air Force officer and Dr. Jason Knowles, adjunct associate professor of the practice of spatial sciences and former Naval officer, Fleming and other faculty teach in SSI’s M.S. in HSGI, graduate certificate in GEOINT, graduate certificate in remote sensing and earth observation, B.S. in HSGI, and minor in HSGI.
With Marx, Fleming co-directs the USC Human Security and Geospatial Intelligence Lab, which conducts research at the intersection of government, industry and academic GEOINT priorities. Student articles on research undertaken in the HSGI Lab and in the USC SSI academic programs in HSGI have been published in peer-review journals.
Fleming also serves on the Faculty Advisory Board of the USC Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence, established in 2020 by the Office for the Director of National Intelligence to promote the education and training of the next generation of diverse young professionals for the intelligence and national security communities.
