Security First

Darren Martin Ruddell is a Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, and Co-director of the Human Security and Geospatial Intelligence Lab at the University of Southern California’s Spatial Sciences Institute (SSI) where he teaches and conducts research on issues of Human Security and Geospatial Intelligence (HSGI). Ruddell earned his Ph.D. in Geography from the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University and is a Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP). Ruddell has served in multiple leadership positions at USC and beyond to advance geospatial education, promote interdisciplinary research, and facilitate partnership between industry, government, and academia.

Diana Ter-Ghazaryan is an Associate Professor, Director of Undergraduate Studies, and Co-Director of the Human Security and Geospatial Intelligence Lab at the University of Southern California’s Spatial Sciences Institute (SSI), where she teaches and conducts research on issues of geopolitics in the context of Human Security and Geospatial Intelligence (HSGI). Ter-Ghazaryan earned her PhD in International Relations and Geography, with a specialization in GIS and Remote Sensing, from Florida International University and is a Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP).

Ronda Schrenk is the Chief Executive Officer for the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation and leads the Foundation in its mission to promote the geospatial intelligence tradecraft and develop a stronger GEOINT community among government, industry, academia, professional organizations, and individuals to promote national security. Ms. Schrenk is a recognized leader in the field of geospatial intelligence and has been on the leading edge of the geospatial intelligence tradecraft for most of her career, including 25+ years in a variety of leadership and analytic positions at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the National Security Agency (NSA), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), private industry, non-profit, and academia.