Category Archives: Surveying

Jason Paris

Jason Paris – Sales Engineer, Leica Geosystems – California USA One of the challenges of developing highly sophisticated equipment and solutions is successfully conveying the benefits to potential users and clients. Jason Paris was nominated by some of his customers and colleagues in Leica Geosystems as someone who has a particular grasp of the practical...

Amanda Askren

Amanda Askren, PLS  – Survey Manager, the City of Renton & Young Surveyors Network (YSN) US Coordinator – Washington, USA If there is a committee or conference to organize, Amanda will be there. An accomplished surveyor, Amanda received engineering and geomatics degrees from Purdue University and has garnered professional awards, including the Surveyor of the...

Alasdair Begley

Alasdair Begley – Director – Saunders Havill Group – Australia Alasdair Begley views the design and development of commercial and public projects in a holistic manner and develops solutions to challenges— approaching each as integral parts of the design process rather than compartmentalized independent tasks.  And with his bachelor’s degree in surveying from the Queensland University of...

Gus Porter

Gus Porter – Vice President, Sawtooth Land Surveying – Idaho, USA Gus Porter views change as an opportunity, not only for his company but for his profession. Gus is a third-generation land surveyor who began surveying during his school breaks at the age of 14 and started his company with his dad.  He says he’s been fortunate to...

Society members were treated to a view of Mt. Baker while ferrying to events on nearby islands.

SHS 2015 Rendezvous

This past September, surveyors gathered to learn about and participate in the history of the Washington/Canadian border and the San Juan Islands. It was a fun and exciting time this year at the Surveyors’ Historical Society’s (SHS) annual rendezvous. Amidst the beautiful scenery of Washington State, surveyors from all around the country gathered for a...

Sampling Statistics

The Chi-squared Distribution In my most recent article (August 2015), I discuss Student’s t distribution and how its properties can be used to isolate blunders in observations. Another sampling distribution that is commonly used in least squares adjustments is the χ2 (chi-squared) distribution. It appears in the form of what is typically called the “goodness of fit”...