Fairmont State Celebrates New National Honor Society for Geospatial Technology Inductees Across Campus and Community

Fairmont State University is proud to announce its latest lifetime inductees into Gamma Sigma Theta, the National Honor Society for Geospatial Technology, in West Virginia. This prestigious honor recognizes both students and faculty for excellence in geospatial technology and applied geographic research. 

This year, seven students and thirteen faculty members were inducted into the honor society. Each inductee receives lifetime membership and gains access to specialized training, software, and professional mentorship through key national technology partners, including the Geospatial Professional Network, the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, the GIS (Geographic Information System) Certification Institute, and DroneDeploy. 

“My pride in Fairmont State University being West Virginia’s first Gamma Sigma Theta chapter grows as we induct the newest members into honor society,” said Associate Professor of Geography Dr. Barb MacLennan “Our faculty can find creative ways to integrate Geospatial technologies into teaching, research, and service and our new student inductees are well-positioned for successful careers from their exposure to using maps, spatial analysis, and other geospatial tools from both our faculty and our community partners.” 

In addition to Fairmont State students and faculty, four community members—Hussein Elkhansa, Jessica Garrett, John Pitman, and Sandra Scaffidi—were also inducted. The ceremony included brief presentations by Frank LaFone, Fairmont State faculty member and Director of Institutional Effectiveness, who spoke on the recent history of GIS, and Don Teter, Professional Surveyor, who presented “An Aging Skeleton, New Bones, and the Old and New Skin: The Evolution of Historic Geodetic Networks and Modern Geodesy.” 

Student members also receive a certificate from Gamma Sigma Theta recognizing their academic and professional achievements in the geospatial field. 

Student Inductees: 

• Quinn Arzt – Architecture major; minors in Political Science and History; Shepherdstown, WV 
• Zoe Nevaeh Boyles – Dual major in Occupational Safety and Community Health Promotion; Fairmont, WV 
• Ernestine Darcey Dabbs – Aviation Management major (Professional Flight concentration); minors in Business Administration and Geographic Information Science; Charleston, WV 
• Brody Sheldon Seckman – Survey Engineering major; Tyler, WV 
• Dexter Simon – Secondary Education major with a concentration in History; Bluefield, WV 
• Jayden Wilson – Architecture major; minor in Geographic Information Science; Alum Creek, WV 
• Alec Bolyard – Majors in National Security & Intelligence, Political Science, and History; minor in Geographic Information Science; Kingwood, WV 

 

Faculty Inductees: 

• David R. Abruzzino – Fairmont State University, National Security and Intelligence Program 
• Hayley R. Bowman – Assistant Professor of History, Fairmont State University 
• Andrew Damion Cahall – Assistant Professor of National Security & Intelligence; Director, Open Source Intelligence Exchange, Fairmont State University 
• Samantha Godbey – Director of the Civics Institute, Fairmont State University 
• Andrea Christine Haney – Associate Professor of Public Health, Fairmont State University 
• Robert L. Kelly – Professor and Director, Graduate Program in Architecture, Fairmont State University 
• Tabitha Lafferre – Associate Professor of Civil Engineering Technology, Fairmont State University 
• Janie M. Leary – Professor of Community Health Promotion; Assurance of Learning Director, Fairmont State University 
• Moshe Machlev – Assistant Professor, Fairmont State University 
• Julia Miller – Sociology Professor, Fairmont State University 
• Nenad (Ned) Radulovich – Associate Professor of History and Social Studies Education, Fairmont State University 
• Joshua Revels – Education Outreach Specialist, Fairmont State University 
• Donald L. Teter – Assistant Professor of Surveying, Fairmont State University 

To learn more about the Geospatial Technologies Honor Society and Fairmont State’s contributions, visit the interactive story map.