History

IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society History

The Society was first known as the Geoscience Electronics Group, formed in 1961. It then became the Geoscience Electronics Society in January 1979. A year later, the name of the Society was changed to the Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS), as it is currently known, to more accurately reflect the broad scope of its interests and activities. Since 1980, it has sponsored the highly successful International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS) series.
 

1961

Geoscience Electronics

The IEEE Professional Technical Group on Geoscience Electronics (G- GE) formed in 1961 as the 29th technical group of the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE).
1961

1963

Transactions on Geoscience Electronics

The first issue of The Transactions on Geoscience Electronics was published in Dallas in December 1963, and it contained only four peer- reviewed papers. Over the next 15 years, the scope of G-GE expanded to include oceanography, meteorology and weather forecasting.
1963

1979

Fight For Survival

In 1979, IEEE appointed a three-person team to evaluate the performance of the IEEE Group on Geoscience Electronics and to recommend one of two options: (a) either to dissolve G-GE or ( b) to reconfigure it along a path that would make it more relevant to IEEE members.
1979

1980

The Birth of GRSS

A few months afterwards, IEEE accepted the proposed plan and Professor Ulaby was appointed President of G-GE. Over the next year, he led a major transformation including: (a) appointment of a new Administrative Committee, (b) appointment of new editors for the Transactions and Newsletter, (c) changing the name to IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society, or GRSS for short, and (d) introducing a new statement to describe the technical scope of the new Society.
1980

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