FAROUK EL-BAZ ELECTED TO THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY OF MOROCCO

(Boston) - Dr. Farouk El-Baz, a Boston University research professor and director of the university's Center for Remote Sensing, was recently elected as a member of the Moroccan Royal Academy of Sciences and Technology.

The Academy Hassan II of Sciences and Technology of the Kingdom of Morocco is a prestigious institution whose membership is granted by H.M. Mohamed VI, King of Morocco. Its mission is “to be opened to the international scientific community and to encourage the cooperation and the fruitful dialog between the scientific communities throughout the world.”

Dr. El-Baz will attend the inaugural session of the Academy in Rabat on May 18, 2006 where he will aid in the election of committees for the Academy's various functions, including membership, budget and outreach to the international scientific community.

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A geologist and a veteran of the Apollo lunar exploration program, Dr. El-Baz has devoted the past 30 years of his career to the study of the origin and evolution of desert landforms. He has pioneered the utilization of space images in the field, particularly for the location of groundwater resources in arid regions. In 1986 he established the Boston University Center for Remote Sensing to conduct research in archaeology, geography and geology using satellite images and other data from airborne and ground sensors to study the Earth and its natural and cultural resources. Under his leadership, the center was named a "Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing" by NASA.

Dr. El-Baz is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences and the Geological Society of America (GSA). He is also the chair of the U.S. National Committee on Geological Sciences of the National Academies. In 1999, the GSA Foundation established "The Farouk El-Baz Award for Desert Research," to encourage and reward excellence in the study of arid lands.

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