Dr. Rasool was the 2002 recipient of the William T. Pecora Award.

Dr. Ichtiaque Rasool was recognized for outstanding international leadership in advancing remote sensing as a fundatmental element of Earth System science. His contributions included researching the Earth’s climate and vegetation, guiding governmental research programs in remote sensing, and developing global environmental datasets. Dr. Rasool was the co-founder of the International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project and one of the founders of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program. He has held numerous positions at NASA and was at the time an independent researcher and consultant in remote sensing related to carbon and the water cycle.

The William T. Pecora Award is presented annually to individuals or groups that make outstanding contributions toward understanding the Earth by  means of remote sensing. The award is sponsored jointly by the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The award was established in 1974 to honor the memory of Dr. William T. Pecora, former Director of the U.S. Geological Survey and Under Secretary,  Department of the Interior. Dr. Pecora was a motivating force behind the establishment of a program for civil remote sensing of the Earth from  space. His early vision and support helped establish what we know today as the Landsat satellite program.

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