Dr. Compton J. Tucker Elected to National Academy of Sciences
Dr. Compton J. Tucker, a senior researcher at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and a long-standing adjunct professor in the Department of Geographical Sciences, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences—one of the highest honors in American science.
Dr. Tucker is a pioneering figure in satellite-based environmental analysis and has been a valued member of the LCLUC (Land-Cover and Land-Use Change) scientific community. He served as a co-investigator on LCLUC - funded project, contributing significantly to the program's advancement of global environmental monitoring through remote sensing.
Since 1975, Dr. Tucker has led the use of satellite data, including NOAA AVHRR, Landsat, and high-resolution commercial imagery—to track land vegetation dynamics, forest health, drought, deforestation, food security, and carbon storage. His innovative work includes mapping over 10 billion individual trees in semi-arid Africa to estimate carbon stocks, offering groundbreaking insights into ecosystem sustainability.
Dr. Tucker’s enduring collaboration with our department and the broader LCLUC community exemplifies the program’s mission of fostering impactful, interdisciplinary science for global land-use challenges.