Silver Spring, MD (Oct. 4, 2019) — Woolpert Chief Scientist and Senior Associate Qassim Abdullah, Ph.D., CP, PLS, has been named to a four-year term on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP).
The HSRP was created to provide NOAA with independent advice on hydrographic operations, research and development, as well as the acquisition and dissemination of data and information pertaining to hydrographic surveying, shoreline surveying, nautical charting, water measurements, geodetic measurements, geospatial measurements, geomagnetic measurements and other applications.
The HSRP is composed of experts in these disciplines, as well as in vessel pilotage, port administration, tides and currents, coastal zone management, recreational boating, marine transportation and academia.
Abdullah will join the 15-member panel Jan. 1. Rear Adm. Shep Smith is the panel’s designated federal official and acting deputy assistant administrator of NOAA’s National Ocean Service.
“As we continue to see advancements in navigation products and services, we look to the Hydrographic Services Review Panel members to provide subject matter expertise from their unique perspective in the maritime community,” Smith said in NOAA’s press release. “The panel’s recommendations on topics ranging from commercial vessel traffic, recreational boaters, tides and currents, geospatial needs, remote sensing, among so many others are critical to the efficient transport of goods in and out of our nation’s ports.”
Abdullah said he was delighted to be appointed to this prestigious panel, to build on his great working relationships with panel members and to serve the HSRP, whose many objectives relate directly to his experience and skillset.
“Recent trends in geospatial mapping technologies are contributing to advances in shoreline restoration and management, safe waterway navigation and port management,” Abdullah said. “The utility of bathymetric lidar to map waterways and BIM (building information modeling) and Smart City concepts for port facilities make this the right time to introduce the concept of ‘Smart Port,’ which enables ships to navigate more safely and cargo to move more efficiently through precise 3D modeling and smart GIS databases. I’m excited to be on board.”
About Woolpert
Woolpert is committed to a vision to become the premier architecture, engineering and geospatial (AEG) firm, and one of the best companies in the country. It’s a vision we’ve been fine-tuning for decades. It guides our decisions and investments, provides our clients with optimal solutions and offers our employees unrivaled opportunities. Woolpert is recognized as a Great Place to Work by its employees and is America’s fastest growing AEG firm. With more than a century of experience, close to 1,000 employees and 30 offices, Woolpert supports public, private, federal, and U.S. military clients nationally and around the globe. For more information, visit woolpert.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
