Initially established in 1982 as the Remote Sensing Applications Laboratory (RSAL) at the Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE) Department of the University of Florida, the Center for Remote Sensing (CRS) was established in 1997 by the late Dr. Sun-Fu "Tony" Shih as an Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Center.
The original funding for the Center was provided by the "Taiwan R.O.C. Fund" from the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID)/Chinese Taipei Committee (CTC) based in Taiwan. The University of Florida matched the endowment, securing the Center's long-term sustainability. Since its inception, CRS has conducted various international, national, regional, and local projects involving different remote sensing data and geospatial technologies.
Following Dr. Shih's passing in 2000, Dr. Judge joined the CRS as the Associate Director in 2001 and as Director in 2003. Dr. Judge is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Center and spearheads research, educational, and outreach initiatives.
Today, CRS is a leading interdisciplinary center dedicated to advancing the application of remote sensing, geospatial, and AI technologies to address both fundamental and applied challenges in agriculture and natural resources. Through cutting-edge research and the application of state-of-the-art remote sensing and related technologies, CRS contributes to water and food security, sustainable agriculture, and environmental conservation.
Founder - Center for Remote Sensing
Director - Center for Remote Sensing