Sam Masry Award presented to Denis Hains
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Sam Masry Award Presented to Denis Hains at Canadian Hydrographic Conference 2024

 
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-canadian-hydrographic-association/

Lire la version française de l’article ici.

Who is Denis Hains?

Denis Hains is a leader in the global hydrographic community and is recognized for his substantial contributions, commitment and influencer role as the global instigator of the Hydrospatial Movement Club & Community (https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12556091/) and his leadership in advancing ocean mapping networking, technologies and standards.

A bit more than a year after retiring as the Director General of the Canadian Hydrographic Service with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and as Hydrographer General of Canada; he founded H2i (Hains Hydrospatial International Inc.). He is also notable for being the US-Canada representative on the International Hydrographic Review (IHR) Editorial Board of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO).

Denis also holds the honor of being one of the five international members of The Nippon Foundation, General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO)-Seabed 2030 Strategic Advisory Group. He also shares his expertise and leadership as an affiliate research scientist at the University of New Hampshire’s Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping in the USA.

What is the Sam Masry Award and why is it important?

Salem (Sam) Masry (1938–2020) was a pioneer in digital mapping and hydrography. Born in Egypt and immigrated to Canada. He joined the University of New Brunswick (UNB) faculty as a professor and the department’s founding member. He started the digital mapping software business CARIS in 1979. Due to his contributions to hydrography and his community, Masry was bestowed with many honours, such as appointments to the Order of Canada and the Order of New Brunswick.

In recognition of exceptional contributions to hydrography and allied fields, the Canadian Hydrographic Association (CHA) established the Sam Masry Award. The Sam Masry Award recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the hydrographic profession. Presented every two years at the Canadian Hydrographic Conference (CHC), the award honours those who have actively shared advancements in the field and helped develop the profession.

The Sam Masry Award was first given posthumously to Sam Masry in 2020. In 2022, Larry Mayer, professor and director of the University of New Hampshire’s Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping (UNH-CCOM) in the USA, was given the award.

This year at the CHC 2024 in St. John’s NL, hydrography and Hydrospatial leader Denis Hains was the third individual to receive the prestigious Sam Masry Award.

Denis Hains

Denis Hains has advanced hydrographic science, technology, and standards throughout his career. His work has influenced research, policy, and operational standards, having a significant impact on hydrographic practices both domestically and internationally. The CHA presented Denis Hains with the Sam Masry Award in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the hydrographic sector. He received the award for his commitment to advancing hydrography and his tenacious efforts advocating the global adoption of the term “Hydrospatial”, and for encouraging the networking, the exchange of ideas and innovations in the field with the new generation of Hydrospatial professionals.

Source: 2024/05/29 at the Canadian Hydrographic Conference in St. John’s, NL – Left image: From left to right: Dale Nicholson, President of the Canadian Hydrographic Association (CHA); Richard Sanfaçon, previous President of CHA and current member of the CHA Board of Directors; and Denis Hains, 2024 Recipient. Right image: Denis Hains, 2024 Recipient.

Denis Hains’ major achievements and leadership roles:

  • Founder, President & CEO of H2i: Providing strategic guidance and support for transforming organizations from ocean science to hydrospatial data-centric systems.
  • Member of the GEBCO-Seabed 2030 Strategic Advisory Committee: Contributing to global efforts in seabed mapping.
  • Affiliate Research Scientist at the University of New Hampshire: Involved in cutting-edge ocean mapping research.
  • President of the Board of Directors at CIDCO: Leading initiatives in Hydrospatial and hydrographic operational research and development, advice services to industry and certified international training program.
  • Former Hydrographer General of Canada in his 35+ years career in the Canadian Public Service: Directed the Canadian Hydrographic Service as Director General and significantly advanced Canada’s hydrographic leadership and capabilities.

Denis Hains has also been contributing substantially to hold numerous “Pro Bono” (volunteer) other influential positions, including:

  • Co-Chair of WG4.4 Hydrospatial Domain & Maritime Administration at FIG: Since March 2023.
  • Member of the Board of Directors at CIDCO: Since June 2022.
  • Member of the Panel Hydrographic Professional Accreditation Scheme (HPAS), International Federation of Hydrographic Societies (IFHS); February 2021.
  • Member of the Nippon Foundation’s GEBCO Seabed 2030 Strategic Advisory Group: Since January 2020.
  • US-Canada representative on the International Hydrographic Review (IHR) Editorial Board: Since March 2019.
  • Affiliate Research Scientist at the University of New Hampshire, USA: Since July 2019.
  • Special Senior Advisor Canadian Ocean Mapping Research & Education Network (COMREM); since March 2019.

His last 20-year active Public Service career includes many interesting and important executive roles:

  • Hydrographer General of Canada & Director General of the Canadian Hydrographic Service: From March 2014 to January 2018.
  • National Executive Director, Canadian Geodetic Survey at Natural Resources Canada: From September 2007 to March 2014.
  • Executive Director, Earth Observation & GeoSolution + Atlas of Canada at Natural Resources Canada: From April 2006 to September 2007.
  • Director General, Integrated Business Management Services at the Canadian Coast Guard: From December 2004 to March 2006.

Next month GoGeomatics will publish our exclusive interview with Denis Hains. Denis will provide a glimpse of his career journey, insights into the future of Hydrospatial and hydrography, and thoughts on receiving the 2024 Sam Masry Award. Join us in August for that piece… 

Kruti Mehta

Kruti is a geospatial professional and passionate Ph.D. scholar at the University of Ottawa. She is working on quantifying urban perception using deep learning. Her current research is focused on perceptual walkability using Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI). She is working as a Geomatics Officer co-op at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, where she is working towards detection of undersea features. She is from mathematical background and her research area includes Geospatial data analysis, Hydrography, Remote Sensing, Urban planning, Geomatics, GIS, and Machine learning. She has worked as a teaching assistant for GIS courses at the university of Ottawa. She has also worked as a geospatial analyst at Space Applications Centre, ISRO and developed an operational technique to generating classified sea ice images. Kruti is currently looking for new opportunities to bring her passion and enthusiasm to geospatial community.

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