David Cowen, geography, has been named a national associate by the Council of the National Academy of Sciences for "extraordinary service" to the National Academies.
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Cowen is the second USC geographer to earn the prestigious distinction. William Graf, a USC Educational Foundation Professor, earned the honor in 2001. The pair are among only four geographers in the nation to be named national associates and, in doing so, have placed USC's department of geography prominently in a national spotlight for achievement.
The National Academies, which include the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, advise the government and the public on matters of science, technology, and health. More than 6,471 scholars have been invited to contribute to the National Academies.
In 2001, the Council of the National Academy of Sciences established a "national associates" program to recognize individuals who have made extraordinary contributions over time to the National Academies through pro-bono service to the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine programs.
Cowen, a Carolina Distinguished Professor and chairman of USC's geography department, specializes in geographic information systems (GIS) and computer applications. He has served as chairman of the Mapping Science Committee of the National Research Council (NRC), which comprises scientists in academia and industry who advise federal agencies on scientific and technical matters related to spatial data handling and analysis or computer-produced maps. Cowen has been instrumental in making USC's department of geography a national leader in GIS.
Graf, a USC Educational Foundation Professor of Geography, is widely considered the nation's foremost authority on America's river and dam systems. A prolific author, Graf has written numerous texts that address the policy dimensions of public lands and water. He has earned many distinguished honors, including the Founder's Medal of the Royal Geographical Society, presented to him by Queen Elizabeth in 2001 for his research contributions on rivers and the use of environmental science in public policy.
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