NGA’s top 16 of 2016
A look at our most read stories, news items and podcasts of the year
By the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Office of Corporate Communications
From Senate testimony to an Olympic gold medal-winning NGA librarian to Cold War-era Soviet mapmaking — look back on our most read stories, news items and podcasts of 2016.
MEDIUM POSTS
During Women’s History Month, we looked back on the legacies of some of the amazing women who have contributed to the field of geospatial intelligence. Pioneers in their fields, these women broke down barriers, defied expectations and continue to inspire us daily. Read their stories.
On Monday, May 16, Robert Cardillo, the director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, delivered a keynote address at the GEOINT Symposium in Orlando, Florida, where he announced new initiatives and stressed NGA’s continued focus on people, partners, profession and value. Find out the 5 things you need to know from the GEOINT Symposium.
Mapmaking behind the Iron Curtain — on a scale of 1:200,000 — how well did the Soviets map the world? Find out in this interview with John Davies and Alex Kent, PhD who sat down sat down to talk about the hows and whys of Soviet Cold War mapmaking, and its impact on modern-day cartography. Read more.
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Director Robert Cardillo testified in an open hearing before members of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in Washington, D.C., Sept. 27, a first for the agency before that committee. Get a recap of the testimony.
Stephens was a technical librarian at NGA predecessor agencies from 1950–1976 and stood a full six feet tall amid stacks of charts and papers in the Second Street Library in St. Louis, Missouri. Her broad shoulders supported a head of short, curly dark hair, and her size 12 feet confidently paced the spaces between bookshelves. Librarian Helen Stephens was anything but mundane.
PODCASTS
NGA’s Geointeresting podcast talks to former director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, U.S. Air Force Gen. Michael V. Hayden. In this podcast, Gen. Hayden discusses innovation, leadership and transparency in the intelligence community. Listen now.
Terry Ford, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, National Intelligence Manager — Africa and Dr. Odean Serrano, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, intelligence community lead for combating wildlife trafficking, detail the impact of the IC’s role in combating wildlife trafficking and poaching, and the importance of the collaborative, information and data-sharing National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency combating wildlife trafficking portal. Listen now.
Alex Kent, Ph.D., professor of cartography and geographic information at Canterbury Christ Church University, and John Davies, a lifelong map lover and collector, talk Cold War-era Soviet mapmaking and its impact on modern-day cartography. Listen now.
Listen to learn about the National Photographic Interpretation Center culture, the day-to-day lives of imagery analysts, and about the leaders who helped mold the NGA legacy organization and whose leadership values are still followed, today.
Get the inside perspective of two NGA interns from this past summer, as they discuss their unique experiences in the intelligence community. Listen now.
NEWS RELEASES
NGA deployed a disaster support team Aug. 18 to assist the Federal Emergency Management Agency with damage assessments of flooded areas in Louisiana. Read more.
NGA, in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey, is seeking applications through Feb. 15 from schools and universities interested in become partners in the Centers for Academic Excellence in Geospatial Sciences program. Read more.
This month, millions of Americans will tune into Olympic coverage to watch U.S. athletes compete in track, swimming, gymnastics and more.
But while most Americans enjoy the spectacle at home, NGA analysts deployed to Rio de Janeiro will be hard at work, joining forces with a range of different U.S. government agencies as well as the Government of Brazil, to ensure the safety of athletes, world leaders, spectators and workers at the 2016 Olympic Games. Read more.
NGA launched a new public website Oct. 5 to host unclassified geospatial intelligence data, products and services to assist U.S. Government response efforts for Hurricane Matthew. Read more.
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Science Foundation publicly released new 3-D topographic maps of Alaska Sept. 1 in support of a White House Arctic initiative to inform better decision-making in the Arctic. Read more.
Bonus! Find out how a nuclear ‘crisis’ was averted using imagery analysis.
Take a look at the Cuban Missile Crisis through the eyes of National Photographic Interpretation Center analysts. Read more.
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About NGA: The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency delivers world-class geospatial intelligence, or GEOINT, that provides a decisive advantage to warfighters, policymakers, intelligence professionals and first responders. Both an intelligence agency and combat support agency, NGA fulfills the president’s national security priorities in partnership with the intelligence community and the Department of Defense.
