Editor’s note: This is the second of three interviews with retiring UW-Madison professors Frank Scarpace, Alan Vonderohe, and Tom Lillesand. All three have had a tremendous impact on geospatial technology not only in Wisconsin, but nationally and internationally as well. Our final interview, with Tom Lillesand, will appear in the August Bulletin.
This month, I spoke with Dr. Alan Vonderohe, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Al has a long and distinguished career at UW-Madison, and has taught many courses focused on photogrammetry, surveying, geodesy, and GPS. He is also known as the technical mastermind behind the recent Wisconsin County Coordinate System redesign project known as “WISCRS.”
It began with a job I had after finishing high school in my hometown of Danville, IL. The father of a close friend, who was a land surveyor, asked if I would be interested in working with him during the summer. I had always been good at math and science in school, so I saw surveying as a tangible way to apply the things at which I thought I was good. That summer job got me hooked.
I went on to college at the University of Illinois, where my interests matured. While there, I started looking for courses that suited my interests, and eventually determined that civil engineering was the best fit. My dad was a locomotive engineer, so it took me a while to figure out this was a very different kind of engineering!
What other jobs did you have before coming to Wisconsin?
After finishing my undergraduate civil engineering degree with specialties in photogrammetry and geodetic science in the spring of 1970, I became a commissioned officer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for three years. I spent time on ships doing hydrographic surveys, tidal benchmarking, and nautical charting. I look back on my NOAA days with a lot of fondness. I’ll have to admit though, at the time I wasn’t really happy about it; for one thing I was prone to sea sickness. For another, I didn’t very much like taking orders.
I eventually left NOAA to start graduate school back at the University of Illinois. During grad school, I went through a period where I wanted to be in business for myself. So, I formed a partnership with one of my fellow graduate students, and we developed a business focused on software development for surveying applications.
It took me about six weeks to figure out that I didn’t want to be in business, and about another year to get out of it! But I didn’t go broke in the process, so it worked out okay in the end. I loved the technical aspects, but couldn’t deal with the business side of things.
What originally attracted you to Wisconsin, and UW-Madison?
When I came to campus in 1978 to interview for a tenure track position, I was impressed by the open and relaxed environment, and the cordial relationships I observed between faculty, staff, and students. Honestly, I couldn’t tell the faculty apart from the graduate students. The institution seemed to fit my own personality very well.
Also, from an academic standpoint, UW faculty placed a strong emphasis on quality education, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Research has always been important, but back then it was on equal ground with teaching. In fact, that’s one of the reasons I chose to go into this type of career– teaching and learning are very important to me. In many ways I’ve been a graduate student throughout my life. I finally figured out how to be paid for it in 1979!
In the end though, what sold me on UW-Madison was the people. By coming here, I could work with the “giants” in the field that I had only read about: Paul Wolf, Red Wagner, Arthur Robinson, Joel Morrison, Phil Muehrcke, Ralph Keifer, David Moyer, Ben Niemann, Frank Scarpace, and the list goes on. Coming to Wisconsin was simply an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
You’ve been on this campus since January of 1979. What’s changed over that period of time?
My students have always been diverse, not only in terms of race, gender, and culture, but also academically. I’ve worked with numerous students who didn’t have undergraduate degrees in engineering. The diversity of the student body hasn’t changed much.
My own teaching methods have changed dramatically over the years, somewhat due to changes in technology. For the first 20 years I was here, I thought being a “teacher” meant you stood up in front up people, delivered a lecture, and then administered an examination.
Then, about 8-9 years ago I realized that I don’t teach people, I help them learn. If people don’t want to learn, you can’t teach them. What I’ve tried to do more in the classroom is challenge people to open up and talk, and ask questions. My classroom style is much more interactive than it was in the past, and I’ve encouraged smaller group discussions.
What is your proudest professional achievement?
That’s a great question. I’ve deeply enjoyed passing along and sharing knowledge with excellent students, and seeing them make their way independently. My reward is seeing the people I’ve mentored go on to accomplish great things in life.
You’ve done so much for the UW, what do you hope to be remembered for?
Honestly, I hope I’m remembered for my versatility. I’ve covered an awful lot of bases in my career here. I added them up once, and realized that I taught 34 different courses over the years. I developed probably two-thirds of them from scratch, with topics ranging across legal aspects of land surveying, engineering applications of GIS, analytical photogrammetry, and geodesy. As my colleagues have retired over the years, I’ve spread out and covered a lot of material.
As you prepare to end your career at the UW, what concerns you the most, and where do you think things are headed?
Institutionally, the university has changed dramatically over the years, so much so that I’m very concerned about the future. It’s not that individuals have changed their philosophies; there’s been an institutional shift in the highest priorities. In my opinion, funded research has evolved into a top priority on this campus. This is very different compared to when I started here over 25 years ago.
The reason for this shift is probably multifaceted. One thing you can point to is the declining percentage of state revenue flowing into the University system. In the face of that, from a business standpoint, you have to figure out how to stay operational and keep your head above water. One way to do this is to go after external funding. For most faculty on campus, this is now a big part of what we do— finding new ways to bring in money to support research. If this trend goes too far, my fear is that teaching will suffer as a result.
Do you have any recommendations for students considering a career in the mapping sciences?
First, I would tell them they are making a wonderful choice for wanting to specialize in this area! When I started my career many years ago, there were plenty of interesting aspects to the field, but the evolution of opportunities over the last 30 years is nothing short of astounding.
My advice to prospective students is to find an educational institution that offers the most promise for providing them with the breadth and depth they need to be successful. Go there, and challenge the faculty to provide it.
On behalf of everyone at the SCO, I want to wish Al the very best in his retirement! You can send your own best wishes to him at apvonder@facstaff.wisc.edu.