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President's Letter |
 Ferris Surveying Engineering students are among the best-equipped in the world. From 1830 to 1850, surveyors set points - every half-mile across the state of Michigan - from which all land boundaries are defined. Today, one of the tasks of the survey engineer is to be the guardian of these land-corners and utilize them to determine property boundaries. In the world of surveying engineering, Ferris State University stands out as the leader in preparing students for the fundamental tasks of surveying, construction,
"If money was no object, and the task was to outfit a surveying lab with the best available equipment in the world, the result would be Ferris' Survey Engineering lab," says Richard R. Sauve II, Michigan technical sales representative for Leica Geosystems, Inc. Sauve is a recipient of a 2004 Distinguished Alumnus Award. He also received an honorary Doctorate in Science and Industry from Ferris in 2005. "Leica Geosystems donates a million dollars worth of state-of-the-art technology to the University each August, which enables Ferris students to have skills above and beyond what other universities can offer. The lab has the newest software and instrumentation in both conventional surveying applications, as well as GPS, satellite imagery, High Definition Scanning and data analysis." Originally established to provide surveying manpower (in recent years this has notably changed to include women-power, as well) for the highway boom of the late 1950s, the Surveying Engineering program has flourished. With a current enrollment of 118 students, Ferris has the largest such undergraduate degree program in the United States. "Ferris students are the crčam de le crčam of new hires in my organization. The technical and theoretical skills they obtain at Ferris put them on the top of the list for recruiting in our organization, which enables them to work up to the managerial level quickly," says Martin Dunn, survey manager, Metco Services, Inc., Warren, Mich. "In my experience, the students who come out of Ferris in addition to their technical abilities also carry with them a work ethic that brings the whole operation to a higher level." On April 1, 2005, the Surveying Engineering program achieved a milestone when it dedicated the John R. and Lynda D. Fenn Digital Photogrammetry and GIS Laboratory. Equipped with the Leica's Photogrammetry Suite, High Definition Surveying Systems and other revolutionary technology, the new lab enables students to work with the latest in remote-sensed imagery to build maps relating to everything from property boundaries, forestry and agriculture, to drainage and land utilization,
Ferris students are also fortunate that the campus is home to a Michigan Spatial Reference Station, which is sensitive enough to measure plate tectonics and provide precise 3-D positioning. Using mobile GPS positioning stations, surveyors fix positions exactly in time and space at the centimeter level. The information travels from the base station to a Web server in Lansing, checks itself against more than 50 other reference stations in Michigan, and delivers the coordinates back to the surveyor wirelessly via the Web. With the program's emphasis on the newest developments in the field, it's difficult to find an application where precise measuring is required (including cartography, geodetic boundary surveying and geophysical surveying, among others) in which a Ferris-trained surveying engineer isn't involved. Although the University is ahead of the curve in terms of technology and instrumentation, students are still taught basic measurement skills. "Sometimes the best tool for a surveying measurement is still a steel tape," says professor Bob Burtch. "It's our responsibility as instructors to equip our students with the knowledge required to work with both the basic measurement tools as well as the highest technology." Given that wide spectrum of technology, Ferris' Surveying Engineering program is noted for its ability to adjust to changing methods. "As is typically the case with academics, change is very slow when it comes to modifying a curriculum, and as a result, students may not be afforded the ability to work with the latest technology. This is not the philosophy of the Surveying Engineering program at Ferris," notes Sayed Hashimi, professor and program manager. "We do our utmost to adapt our program to ensure that the newest technology is available to our students, exposing them to the tools required to be leaders in their field upon graduation." And the application of those technologies is far from merely academic. "As illustrated by the recent hurricane-related disasters in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi, accurate positions [latitude, longitude and elevations of critical infrastructure such as water valves, gas lines and electrical junctions] are critical to emergency management. All of this critical information is managed with a Geographical Information System," says professor Yaron Felus. "Surveyor engineers are responsible for this critical data. Thanks to the Fenn Digital Lab, our students receive the best training in managing and establishing GIS systems." Although the technology has advanced significantly since the 1830s, the quality of the men and women tasked with advancing the science of
And with Global Positioning Systems, Point Clouds and Spatial Reference Stations, it only gets better. |
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