Mike Renslow, chair of the Evaluation for Certification Committee has announced final approval of the new ASPRS certification program for technologists. This certification was instituted to give those working at the technologist level an opportunity to be recognized by ASPRS for their respective contributions. The technologist certification is geared to drafters, inspectors, photographers, laboratory technicians, stereoscopic instrument or plotter operators, computations technicians, field survey assistants, interpretation technicians, image analysts, data processors, and digitizers.

The technologist level is defined as work that is primarily of a technical nature, often demanding a high degree of skill, done under the direction of a professional person who is responsible for its outcome. Such work is pre-professional when performed by a professional trainee who, having completed courses of specialized intellectual instruction and study, is seeking to attain professional status.

The following categories of technologist certification are now being offered:

Certified Photogrammetric Technologist (ASPRS)
A technician who performs or supervises technical photogrammetric tasks to extract spatial data from photographic or digital imagery.

Certified Remote Sensing Technologist (ASPRS)
A technician who performs or supervises tasks to interpret, manipulate, extract, process and convert remotely sensed data from photographic or digital imagery.

Certified GIS/LIS Technologist (ASPRS)
A technician who integrates a variety of spatial data sets into a GIS format designed for graphic output or analysis.

Requirements applicable to all Technologist categories include:

1. A total of three years experience, of which two years are in the specialty category.
2. Four references from persons knowledgeable of the applicant's work experience and personal conduct.
3. A non-refundable application fee.

   An Associate, or other higher education degree can be counted as one-half year towards total time.

   To maintain active certification, all Certified Technologists must apply for recertification every three years.