The History of Surveying and Photogrammetry at Ferris State University


Abstract: 

The Ferris State University surveying programs, established in 1957, have long been a fundamental part of surveying education in Michigan, producing skilled professionals equipped with the technical and practical expertise needed in the career. At the heart of the program is a commitment to educating surveyors through rigorous coursework, hands-on training, and strong industry connections. The program is bolstered by active student organizations, including the Burt and Mullett Student Chapter and the Lambda Sigma Survey Honor Society. Both provide opportunities for professional development, networking, and leadership. Significant faculty contributions and dedicated support from the surveying industry have been instrumental in maintaining the program’s excellence and reputation.



Author’s Note:

This text provides an in-depth look at the history of the surveying and photogrammetry programs at Ferris State. As a student in the program, my knowledge of the included information is largely based on interviews, printed materials, and photographs. I acknowledge that there may be inadvertent errors and welcome any corrections—please feel free to reach out to SurveyingHistoryFSU@gmail.com and I will be happy to make updates.    

-Josh Sanders, FSU Surveying Engineering Student (2021-2025).


Ferris Surveying Program History

1957/58:

The Ferris Surveying Program was established in 1957. According to the 1957-58 Ferris Institute Bulletin, the program was created to "meet the needs of the construction industry and to offer wider educational opportunities for Michigan students" (p. 126).


Wayne Lesher, one of the original faculty members, played a key role in developing the curriculum. A WWII U.S. Army veteran, Lesher was awarded the Purple Heart after being wounded in combat as a navigator on a B-17 Bomber. At this point Ferris operated on a quarter system, with most students attending three quarters per year and an optional summer quarter. A full-time course load consisted of 16-18 credits per quarter. Tuition costs per quarter were $61.67 for Michigan residents and $121.67 for nonresidents, totaling $185.01 and $365.01 per year, respectively. Adjusted for inflation, this equates to approximately $2,077.94 for residents and $4,099.61 for nonresidents in 2025 dollars.


First-year, second-year, and transfer students were required to live in campus residence halls. In 1957, dormitory costs were $204 per quarter—equivalent to approximately $2,291.22 in 2025 dollars.


Notably, the Bulletin states that "the Surveying and Topographical Drafting Technology Program is only open to men" (p. 126). Professor Lesher’s obituary later reflected on this, stating that "at that time, he did not feel that women should be doing the physically demanding and dirty work required on the job. He realized in later years that this was not at all the case."


In 1958, the Ferris Institute submitted A Self-Survey of the Nature and Operation of the College and Its Programs by the Professional Staff of the Institution. The report states that "studies have been made which resulted in establishing curricula in Environmental Sanitation, Dental Office Assistant, and Surveying and Topographical Development" (sec. I, p. 10).


The drawing room for the Surveying and Topographical Drafting program was housed in a "Temporary Building," which other sources refer to as the “Old Army Barracks." This structure was likely built after Old Main burned down in 1950. It was located between the automotive building and Alumni building which both still stand to this day (2025). The self-survey describes it as a one-story frame building situated between the Trade and Industrial Building and the Alumni Building. It was shared with the Student Health Service, Diesel Shop, and faculty offices. The report also notes that the building was slated for demolition as permanent facilities were being developed.


The Surveying and Topographical Drafting Technology program was part of the Collegiate Technical Terminal Division, which was established in the spring of 1956. The program aimed to "provide training in specialty skills at the technician level of training" while ensuring "an adequate general education background" (sec. III, p. 10). The curriculum spanned six quarters and required 96 quarter-hours to earn an Associate of Applied Science degree. Of these, 47% were classified as General Education, 6% as Electives, and the remainder as Professional coursework. According to the Self-Report, advisory committees played a key role in shaping the surveying program.



1959/60:

David Henry joined the faculty in 1959 after responding to an advertisement in a Detroit newspaper. He was interviewed for the position by Fred Swan, who was the dean at the time. Initially, Professor Henry taught in the old barracks.


In an article from the Big Rapids Pioneer, Professor Henry credited the rise of surveying programs at schools like Ferris to the launch of Sputnik. As larger engineering schools shifted focus to electronic and aerospace courses, many reduced or eliminated their surveying programs, creating a demand that Ferris helped fill. Professor Henry’s obituary notes that he “had a passion for golf, and he worked with his civil engineering students to help with the original surveys of Katke Golf Course in the early 70's.”


In the early 1960s, the Surveying and Topographical Drafting laboratory was relocated to the Ferris East Building, constructed in 1951. The 1962-63 College Bulletin describes the East Building as:

"A modern, fireproof structure which contains classrooms, lecture demonstration rooms, the Office Machines laboratories, the Typewriting laboratories, the Court and Conference laboratory, and the Office of the Dean of the School of Commerce. One room is designated for audio-visual aids purposes. The East Building also contains faculty offices, the Surveying and Topographical Drafting laboratory, the Dental Office Assistant and Physicians Office Assistant laboratories, and the Office of the Dean of the Collegiate Technical Division" (p. 55).



1960/61:

A Surveying Club is listed in the Ferris Institute College Bulletin for the first time under Instructionally Related Organizations (p. 85).



1961/62:

The Surveying Club is again listed under the Instructionally Related Organizations in the College Bulletin (p. 93). 





1962/63:

Surveying Club is listed under the Instructionally Related Organizations in the College Bulletin (p. 97). On July 1, 1963, the Ferris State Institute was renamed Ferris State College. Jack Pierson joined the surveying faculty as a professor.



1965/66:

The Swan Technical Arts building was constructed in 1965 and dedicated in 1966. It was named after Fred Swan, the first dean of the School of Technical and Applied Arts. Fred Swan was instrumental in the development of many academic programs that the Swan building was built to house. Fred Swan died unexpectedly before construction was finished. 


Professor Wayne Lesher left Ferris in 1966 after nine years of teaching.


Professor Dave Henry received his survey license in Michigan in 1966.



1966/67:

The Ferriscope yearbook dedicated a page to Chi Tau, “a service organization composed totally of members in Highway Technology and Surveying curriculums. Their activities are equally divided between service, class practice, and fellowship” (p. 107). It also states twenty Chi Tau members attended the Registered Surveyors convention in Detroit that year. They also had a toboggan party in February and a canoe trip in the Spring.



1968/69:

On July 31, 1969, Governor Milliken signed Act 141 P.A. 1969 into law. This act amended Act 240 P.A. 1937 and established that, beginning January 1, 1977, individuals seeking to apply for the registration survey examination in Michigan would be required to hold a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent. At the time, no educational institutions in Michigan offered a four-year degree in land surveying.


Professor Gerald Gray joined faculty in the fall of 1968.



1971/72:

Professor Jens Otto Rick joined faculty in 1971 or 1972.



1972/73:

In the summer of 1972, John Norton, department head of construction, announced that Ferris State University would begin offering a Bachelor of Science degree in Surveying upon completion of a four-year program.



1973/74

The Bachelor of Science Degree in Surveying was established at Ferris in the fall of 1973. Michigan was the first state in the country to require a degree for professional licensure in surveying FACT CHECK.

In the fall of 1973, the Ferris State College student chapter began the design and fabrication of a tape comparison device. The goal was to provide “prompt calibration service, applying standards derived directly from the National Bureau of Standards, to answer the needs of local surveying and engineering organizations” (Jens Rick). A committee comprising surveying students, Stuart Lakanen and Forrest Stanley, considered the different design options. Construction of a prototype began in early 1974. Improvements were made to this prototype and the Burt and Mullett Student Chapter began offering tape comparison services to surveyors and engineers without charge. A detailed writeup on this project is located under the miscellaneous tab on FerrisSurveying.org. It was published in Volume 35 of Surveying and Mapping, in 1975.


Burt and Mullett was founded in 1974. It was the first student chapter established to be recognized by the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM). 


Professor Jens Otto Rick received his Michigan Survey license in 1974.



1974/75:

In the spring of 1975, the Burt and Mullett Student Chapter requested assistance from the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) and the Michigan Society of Registered Land Surveyors (MSRLS) to establish a high precision comparison range in Michigan. The site of the range is one mile north of Big Rapids, at the Roben-Hood Airport. NGS performed the measurements and calculations of the range distance with assistance from Burt and Mullett Chapter members. The following students were involved in the project: Bruce Meinert, James Raly, Robert Walworth, Robert Burtch, and Gregory Ash. MSRLS provided financial support for materials used in the monument placement and lended measuring benches to the chapter. The line was made up of four brass caps set in reinforced concrete, at 0 M, 150 M, 800 M, and 1100 M. A detailed writeup on this project from the students involved in this project is located under the miscellaneous tab on FerrisSurveying.org. 



1975/76:

Sayed Hashimi was appointed as a Rank Technical Instructor in the fall under a one-year temporary assignment.



1976/77:

Sayed Hashimi left Ferris after his one-year term expired.



1977/78:

Dale Simpson came to Ferris to work in the Instrument Repair Department.



1978/79:

Professor Sayed Hashimi returned to Ferris as a tenure track Assistant Professor in the fall of 1978. He received his Michigan Survey license in 1979.



1979/80:

A Photogrammetric Mapping Technology Program (AAS) was offered by the Ferris Surveying program for the first time in the Fall of 1979. The focus of the program was steereophotogrammetry, control surveying, cartographic drafting, and photogrammetry. 


Robert Burtch joined the faculty as a technical instructor in November of 1979.


Joel Galloway became the Dean of the College of Technology in 1979.


A Ferris Torch article from May 8, 1980, states the Ferris photogrammetric laboratory has approximately $500,000 worth of equipment. This number is approximately 2 million dollars in 2025. Most of the equipment was donated or loaned to the college.



1980/81:

In May 1981, the MSPS Board gave the Burt and Mullett Student Chapter $1200 to print the Michigan Statutes and Administrative Rules pertaining to Land Surveying. Burt and Mullett members Richard Fresthy and Brian Reynolds compiled the books. In August 1981, the MSRLS passed a resolution commending Fresthy and Reynolds for a job well done. 


The first class in Photogrammetric Mapping Technology graduated from Ferris in the spring, 1981. In 1980, the only other non-governmental school training photogrammetric technicians was in Switzerland. 



1981/82:

There were 76 students pursuing the BS in Surveying. On October 3, 1981, Kenneth Markley, a student at Ferris State, was admitted to membership in the Michigan Society of Professional Surveyors as the first student member.


WILD Heerbrugg donated a new Aviograph AG-1 stereoplotter to the Ferris Center For Photogrammetric Training. This donation brought the total number of instruments to 12 in the stereoplotting studio. 



1982/83:

There were 68 students pursuing the BS in Surveying. 

Professor Burtch was promoted to Assistant Professor in September 1982.



1983/84:

The Ferris State Surveying Program was accredited by the Related Accreditation Commision (RAC) of ABET for the first time. It was the first bachelor of science surveying degree in the country to be ABET accredited. There were 55 students pursuing the BS in Surveying. 


Professor Sayed Hashimi was promoted to Associate Professor in June 1984.


March 30-31, 1984, the Burt & Mullett student chapter sponsored a 2-day course titled Land Information Systems I. Ferris State College and the Michigan Society of Registered Land Surveyors also helped sponsor the event. The course provided an introduction to the geographical information system and multi-purpose cadastre concepts, a review of the social and economic issues associated with land information systems, and an introduction to the role of the land surveyor - both current and historical - in providing information for the management of land resources.



1984/85:

There were 39 students pursuing the BS in Surveying.



1985/86:

There were 37 students pursuing the BS in Surveying. In April 1986, Professor Jack Pierson retired after 24 years of teaching.



1986/87:

The Surveying Program was reaccredited by ABET. There were 43 students pursuing the BS in Surveying. The Burt and Mullett student chapter had experienced an inactive period attributed to lack of physical facilities, and lack of student interest. It was revitalized during the 1986/87 academic year. Burt and Mullett sponsored a successful professional seminar on GPS. 


Professor Burtch was promoted to Associate Professor in September 1986.


Sayed Hashimi became the Surveying and Mapping Program Director in January of 1987. 



1987/88:

In August 1987, Dr. Khagendra Thapa joined the surveying faculty as an associate professor. In November of 1987, Ferris State College was renamed Ferris State University. In May 1988, a report was given from an academic advisory committee meeting that reported FSU was graduating an average of about 10 students per year. At that time, there were 70 students in the two year program and about 60 in the four year program.



1989/90:

In June of 1990, the self study document (nearly 300 pages) was submitted to ABET headquarters. In 1989 or 1990, Burt and Mullett became a student chapter of the Michigan Society of Professional Surveyors (MSPS).



1990/91:

In October 1990, three evaluators from ABET, along with three additional visitors, conducted an extensive on-site visit at Ferris.

The ABET evaluation team included:

The additional visitors were:


In the Ferris Academic Senate minutes from September 4, 19990, Groner reported that the Conference Committee (Technology Program) agreed to discontinue the Aerial Mapping program. 


In May 1991, Dr. Thapa was promoted to a full professor. In June 1991, Mr. Jim Shane, the Head of the Construction Department, retired. Mr. Ralph Shields replaced Mr. Shane as head of the department.


In spring of 1991, the Burt and Mullett student chapter hosted the first annual golf outing. Nearly 40 golfers and spectators attended.



1991/92:

In August 1991, the university was officially notified of its accreditation approval. The Surveying Science degree was renamed the Surveying Engineering degree and accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET. This accreditation allowed Ferris Surveying students to take both the professional engineering examination and the professional surveying examination upon completing the required professional experience. 


The new Surveying Engineering curriculum included only minor revisions from the previous Surveying program. Advanced Surveying Computation (SURE 324, 4 credits) was added in 1988, and General Chemistry (CHM 121, 5 credits) was introduced in January 1991. Former graduates who completed these two courses were given the opportunity to earn the new engineering degree.

In the spring of 1992, the final two students graduated from the Aerial Mapping Technology Program (AAS).


The Burt and Mullett Student Chapter had a successful year. In October, Larry Gerschbacher gave a presentation on the new Remonumentation Act at the annual venison dinner. The following month, the chapter, along with Professor Dave Henry, took a field trip to Lansing to visit the Michigan Museum of Surveying. After the museum tour, students split into two groups—one visiting Abrams Aerial Survey and the other the MDOT Photogrammetry Department.


Professor David Hanna joined surveying faculty as an adjunct in Fall of 1991.


Despite challenging economic conditions, all 1991 Surveying Engineering and Surveying Technology graduates secured employment, with job openings outnumbering graduates by a two-to-one ratio. In the summer of 1991, five FSU surveying students traveled to Alaska to work for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

In 91 or 92, the FSU Surveying Engineering Program received a $144,000 matching grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The grant proposal was prepared by Dr. Thapa and Professor Burtch. The funding was used to purchase three Digital Video Plotter (DVP) units, a Zeiss P33 analytical stereoplotter with software and computers, and a Leica SD2000 analytical stereoplotter.


In the spring of 1993, Jack Dangermond, Founder and President of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) in Redlands, California, was awarded an honorary doctoral degree.


In the summer of 1993, the Surveying Engineering program hosted the third annual stereoplotter operator training session. This seven-week program was designed for members of the Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors (MAPPS).



1993/94:

Ferris transitioned from a quarter schedule to a semester schedule in the fall of 1993.


Ferris received consignment of the following from Trimble Navigation and Magellan Corporation:

-Two Trimble 4000 Series GPS receivers and ten copies of Trimble GPSurvey software.

-Two Magellan NAV PRO 5000 with submeter kits.


TopCon Corporation of America consigned to Ferris five total stations and a laser level for the academic year.


During the fall ABET exit interview in October 1993, Ferris State University President Dr. Helen Popovich referred to the Surveying Engineering program as one of the "flagship" programs in the College of Technology.


Professor Burtch took a sabbatical leave during the 1994 spring semester to participate in a fellowship at Ohio State, where he was both teaching and studying as a student.


Professor Marvin Myers, a 1979 graduate of the program, joined faculty as a temporary adjunct in the spring of 1994.


Burt and Mullett hosted the Annual Venison Dinner at the Old Jail in Big Rapids. Student members John May and Craig Steffensmeier presented on the EDMI calibration process and a computer program they had made that reduces observations taken on a calibration baseline.


1994/95:

In 1994, Professor David Henry retired after 35 years of teaching in the surveying program at Ferris.


In 1995, Charles Trimble, Founder and President of Trimble Navigation Ltd. of Sunnyvale, California, received an honorary doctoral degree.



1995/96:

Carl Shangraw became an Assistant Professor at Ferris in August, 1995. 


In 1996, during the restructuring of the College of Technology, the department changed the full-time program director position to a program coordinator role. Professor Sayed Hashimi served as program director until 1996 and then as program coordinator until August 1998. In the fall of 1998, Dr. Khagendra Thapa was appointed program coordinator. As part of the restructuring, the Surveying Engineering Program was also elevated to the Surveying Engineering Department.


Also in 1996, Larry Ayers,Vice President of Intergraph Corporation, of Huntsville, Alabama, received an honorary doctoral degree.


In early 1996, Dr. Steven Johnson, a professor of land survey engineering at Purdue, reached out to Carl Shangraw, P.S., an assistant professor of surveying engineering at Ferris. He proposed that Ferris State University establish a chapter of Lambda Sigma and travel to West Lafayette for the initial induction.


Lambda Sigma was founded at Purdue in April 1978 with the following objectives:

Tonya Schneider, President at the time of the Burt and Mullett student chapter of ACSM, led the creation of the charter and membership criteria. On March 31, 1996, the first members of Lambda Sigma at Ferris State University were inducted: Jeffery Bartlett, Brian Fish, Andrew Semenchuk, Fredd Ziobron, Cynthia Campbell, Thomas Wiles, David Bowerman, Andrew Iler, Greg McArdle, Lisa Stecker, David Vandenberg, and Carl Shangraw, P.S. (First Faculty Advisor).


Ferris became the second university with an ABET-accredited surveying engineering program to establish a Lambda Sigma chapter. The chapter’s first officers were:

Dr. J. McEntyre and Dr. E. Mikhail served as keynote speakers at the first induction ceremony at Purdue. Additional details on the formation of Lambda Sigma at FSU can be found under the Lambda Sigma tab at FerrisSurveying.org.



1998/99:

The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) established a 200 km line of 3D marks through Michigan but lacked funding for first-order leveling within the network. This led to the creation of the FMNL Leveling Initiative, named after its four participating groups: Ferris, MDOT, NGS, and Leica Geosystems. Rotating crews of Ferris students, working in six-person teams, carried out the project. The MDOT Design Survey Division provided vehicles and hourly wages for students, while NGS offered training, technical support, bluebooking, and quality control. Leica Geosystems supplied a calibrated first-order digital level, invar rods and struts, and instrument support. Between 2000 and 2006, FMNL contributed 456 km of first-order level lines to Michigan’s First-Order Vertical Network.


In 1999, Mary Feindt, surveyor and owner of Charlevoix Geomatics in Charlevoix, Michigan, received an honorary doctoral degree. Dr. Feindt was the first woman in Michigan to become a registered land surveyor, earning her license in 1942. She played a key role in organizing the Ferris surveying department and also served on its advisory committee.


G. Waldheim was chosen as Dean of the College of Technology in 1999.



1999/2000:

Jens Otto Rick retired in December 1999, after twenty-seven years of teaching at Ferris. That fall, the survey department had a total enrollment of 101 students. During the 1999-2000 academic year, Dr. Thapa led a fundraising campaign that raised approximately $46,000. The funds were used to purchase nineteen Dell 800 MHz computers and a laptop to upgrade the computer mapping laboratory.


In 2000, Richard R. Sauve II of Leica Geosystems, a 1983 Ferris graduate, helped establish the Burt & Mullett Guest Speakers Club. Every Tuesday, when no classes were scheduled between 11 a.m. and noon, professional speakers from across the country would visit to present on surveying topics, their companies, and other professional development subjects.



2000/01:

In 2001, Dean G. Waldheim left their position as the Dean of the College of Technology after two years in the role. Charles Matrosic was chosen as Interim Dean.



2001/02:

In August, 2001, Dr. Yaron Felus joined faculty. Prior to his time at Ferris, Dr. Felus worked in surveying and GIS roles in Israel, the Netherlands, and Antarctica.


Katy Moore joined the Ferris Faculty as a survey equipment room attendant in February of 2002.


Professor Carl Shangraw was promoted to Associate Professor in August 2001.


W. Chang was chosen as Dean of the College of Technology in 2002.


Students Nathan VanRaemdonc, Rocco Corsetti, Tim Platz, Nick Jarrett, Matt Morrison, and Charles Langolf represented the Ferris Surveying Engineering program at the NSPS student competition in Washington DC. The theme was Roman Era Surveying Equipment and Techniques.



2003/04:

In the fall of 2003, overall university enrollment declined significantly. However, the Surveying Engineering program saw its highest enrollment in over a decade, with a total of 116 students across the two-year and four-year programs. The student body represented 11 different states, with nearly 12% coming from outside Michigan.


In 2003, Dean W. Chang left their position as the Dean of the College of Technology after one year in the role. Charles Matrosic was again chosen as Interim Dean.


Between November 6, 2003, and January 9, 2004, FSU Surveying faculty held multiple meetings to revise the courses in the BS and AAS surveying degree programs. The goal was to integrate emerging technologies such as GPS, GIS, remote sensing, and digital photogrammetry. Key changes included requiring four-year students to begin with Calculus I (MATH 220) instead of Advanced Algebra (MATH 130). Additionally, a new course, Evidence & Procedure for Boundary Location (SURE 366), was introduced.


Professor Burtch was the Department Chair of the surveying program from 2003 to 2004.


In the spring of 2004 a Michigan Spatial Reference Network station was installed on the hill near the Ewigleben Sports Complex on the FSU campus. 



2004/05:

Leica Geosystems provided the surveying program with six sets of System 1200 GPS receivers, Leica Geo Office Software, six TCRP 1205 total stations, and six DNA 10 digital levels on consignment for the academic year.


The Mary Feindt Chapter of Lambda Sigma at FSU inducted its tenth class of students in April of 2005.


Dale Simpson retired from the Electronics Department after working at Ferris for twenty-eight years. Dale was responsible for the repair of electrical components of the surveying and photogrammetry equipment at Ferris.


In August of 2004, Professor Sayed Hashimi became the Surveying Engineering Department Chair.


Thomas Oldfield was chosen as Dean of the College of Technology in 2005.



2005/06:

In the fall of 2005, the John R. and Lynda D. Fenn Digital Photogrammetry and GIS Endowed Laboratory was established. At first, the lab had 15 stations equipped with the Leica Geosystems Photogrammetry Suite and Leica Geosystems High-Definition Surveying (HDS) systems courtesy of Leica Geosystems. It also had ESRI’s ArcGIS 9.0 software. Although neither John nor Lynda Fenn are Ferris alumni, they have been strong supporters of the program through scholarships and other financial contributions.


Leica Geosystems upgraded the GPS receivers on consignment to the FSU program to six of the Leica GX1230 model.


In 2006, Ferris took first place in the NSPS Student Competition in Orland, Florida. The team members were Elizabeth Chesla, Matthew Gotham, Nick Battjes, and Jacob Duham. The 2006 competition was a solar and celestial observations theme.



2006/07:

For the second consecutive year, Ferris State won the NSPS student competition. This year, it was held in St. Louis, Missouri, at the ACSM annual conference. The team members included Elizabeth Chesla, Nick Battjes, Matthew Gotham, and Jacob Dunham. The theme in 2007 was Railroad Surveys: History and Curve Computations. 


Twenty-six students graduated with surveying degrees in the spring of 2007.


John Fenn was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Business and Industry at the College of Technology commencement.


July 11-13, 2007, Ferris hosted the 21st North American Surveying and Mapping Educators (NASME) Conference, a biennial event. Over sixty people attended from other U.S. universities and colleges. Some even attended from Europe and Canada. FSU faculty led by surveying Program Coordinator Dr. Khagendra Thapa organized the presentations, business meetings and discussion panels. The keynote speaker was retired Rear Adm. John Bossler. 


The Surveying Technology AAS program was modified so that all classes would count towards the Surveying Engineering BS degree.


Carl Shangraw was promoted to Professor in the surveying program.



2007/08:

Fall 2007 marked the 50th anniversary of surveying education at Ferris.

In 2008, Ferris took 3rd place at the NSPS Student Competition for their paper, The Michigan-Indiana Border Survey. The team was comprised of Nathaniel Ovans, Nathan Plooster, Krag Caverly, Andrew Mclean, Autumn Park, and Carrie Bell. The theme was Historically Significant Surveys. The competition took place in Spokane, Washington, at the ACSM conference. 


Leica Geosystems upgraded the GPS receivers on consignment to the FSU program to six of the Leica GG Smart Rovers.


In the spring of 2008, there were 106 students in the surveying programs.



2008/09:

The 2009 NSPS Student Competition took place in Salt Lake City, Utah. Ferris took first place for the third time in four years with their paper on Calculating Devices and Methods From Around the World. The 2009 team had Autumn Park, Ryan Miller, Jeremy Thompson, Carrie Bell, Chris Schafer, and John Schug.


Dr. Kurt Shinkle joined faculty as an Associate Professor. 


In August of 2009, Professor Sayed Hashimi would change positions from the Surveying Engineering Department Chair to the Surveying Engineering Program Coordinator. Professor Hashimi had been Department Chair for five years.


In 2009, the College of Technology became the College of Engineering Technology.



2009/10:

The Surveying Engineering program hosted an Alumni Reunion at the homecoming weekend in October.


The 2010 NSPS Student Competition was held in Phoenix, Arizona. The theme was Forensic Surveying. Students Joel East, Chris Schaefer, Ryan Miller, John Schug, and Carrie Bell represented Ferris. They were awarded second place.


In 2010, Dean Thomas Oldfield left their position as the Dean of the College of Engineering Technology after five years in the role. R. McKean was chosen as Interim Dean.



2010/11:

After nine years of teaching, Dr. Felus resigned from Ferris in the fall of 2010.


After two years of teaching, Dr. Kurt Shinkle resigned from Ferris in August of 2010.



2011/12:

The NSPS Student Competition was hosted in Portland, Oregon. The theme was Surveying Applications in GIS. Students Cory Smith, Eric Bollaert, Andrew Bollaert, Jeremy Dancer, Jared Miller, Steven Gangi, and Mark Stoeckle represented Ferris. They were awarded an Honorable Mention. 


Professor Sayed Hashimi retired. (NOT SURE OF EXACT YEAR).



2012/13:

In 2012, Gabor Barsai was hired as a professor.


In August of 2012, Sagar Deshpande was hired as an assistant professor.


There were 52 students in the program.


Matt Nawrocki and his wife, Sara, created the Nawrocki Gratitude Endowment Fund for Ferris State Surveying Engineering students.


Larry Schult became the Dean of the College of Engineering Technology in December 2013. 



2014/15:

There were 63 students in the program.



2015/16:

Spring of 2016 marked the 20th anniversary of the Mary Feindt Chapter of Lambda Sigma at FSU. 


Professor Carl Shangraw announced he would be retiring after the spring semester of 2018. All Lambda Sigma members were invited to attend the black tie 2016 Lambda Sigma event that also included a surprise retirement party for Professor Shangraw. Over one hundred of Professor Shangraw’s past students showed up to celebrate him.


Professor Barsai received his Michigan Professional Surveyor License.


There were 76 students in the program.



2016/17:

Roughly twenty Burt and Mullett members along with Dr. Richard Sauve received a tour of the Mackinac Bridge from Mr. Robert Sweeney, P.E., Chief Executive Officer of the Mackinac Bridge Authority. Mr. Sweeney had also been the keynote speaker at the fall of 2015 Wild Game Dinner. 


In March of 2017, Professor Sagar Deshpande received his Ph.D. from Ohio State University and his Michigan Professional Surveyors license.


Dale Simpson, who worked in the Instrument Repair and Electronics departments at Ferris for 28 years, passed away in May 2017.


Katy Moore endowed her scholarship, the James D. and Katy Moore Surveying Engineering Scholarship.


Matt Nawrocki, a 1995 FSU Surveying Engineering graduate, received the Ferris State University Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016.



2017/18:

After nearly 23 years of teaching at Ferris, Professor Shangraw retired as a Ferris professor in May 2018. 


Dr. Deshpande was promoted to an associate professor in August of 2017.


Dean Larry Schult retired in spring 2018, after four years in the position. Richard Goosen was named interim dean of the College of Engineering Technology.



2018/19:

The $30 million Swan Annex has been completed. While the survey labs and classrooms remained largely unchanged, the second-floor bridge was relocated.



2019/20:

After thirty-three years of teaching at Ferris, Dr. Thapa retired in August of 2020.

After eight years of teaching, Dr. Deshpande left Ferris in August of 2020.


Due to COVID, the 2020 NSPS Student Competition was held virtually. The theme was TRF2022 & NAPGD2022 of NSRS. FSU students Devon Andersen, Daniel Beyer, Timothy Dyer, Jedidiah Lewis, William Putnam, and John Vary earned an Honorable Mention for their essay.


Michael Staley was named Dean of the College of Engineering Technology in July 2020.



2021/22:

In January 2022, Professor Jack Pierson passed away. He taught at Ferris from 1962 to 1986. The 2022 NSPS Student Competition was held in Washington DC. The FSU team members were John Vary, Zach Bemben, Nick Belka, Michelle Abramson, and Dylan Dankenbring. They placed first in the competition.

John Vary, a student in the program, attended GeoWeek in Denver, Colorado.



2022/23:

The 2023 NSPS Student Competition was held in Washington DC. The FSU team members were Zach Bemben, Nick Belka, Taylor VanDyke, Dan Martin, and Josh Sanders. FSU scored first place for the second year in a row. 


Nick Belka, Zach Bemben, and Dan Martin, seniors in the program, attended GeoWeek in Denver, Colorado.


College of Engineering Technology Dean, Michael Staley, left Ferris after three years in the position. Kate O’Connor was named Interim Dean.



2023/24:

Professor Jens Otto Rick passed away in October of 2023. He taught at Ferris from 


Burt and Mullett covered the lodging for twenty of its student members to attend the MSPS convention in Grand Rapids. 


The 2024 NSPS Student Competition was held in Washington DC. The FSU team members were Josh Sanders, John May, Blake Farmer, Taylor VanDyke, and Luke VanderHill. They unfortunately did not place.


Burt and Mullett hosted their most successful annual golf outing to date. Thirty-eight survey companies and professionals sponsored holes and eighteen teams competed at Katke Golf Course. 


Katy Moore retired after twenty-two years at Ferris working in a variety of roles supporting the FSU Surveying program. Burt and Mullett presented her with a personalized survey brass disk monument.


In July 2024, Interim Dean Kate O’Connor was selected as the Dean of the College of Engineering Technology.



2024/25:

September of 2024, Professor Dave Henry passed away at the age of 90. He taught at Ferris from 1959 to 1994. 


After over four years of Dr. Barsai being the sole full-time faculty member in the surveying program, Michael Flowers, a 2017 FSU graduate, was hired as an Assistant Professor in a tenure-track position in January 2025.

In the fall, Burt and Mullett member John May organized a field trip to the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University. Dr. Barsai also attended the field trip. Peter Manwiller, a 2012 graduate from FSU, works at FRIB as a Particle Accelerator Alignment Engineer. He showed students how to use a laser tracker to align elements and explained how control had been established through the facility. 


Josh Sanders, a senior in the program, attended GeoWeek in Denver, Colorado.

Burt and Mullett covered the lodging for thirty of its student members to attend the MSPS convention in Grand Rapids. All 17 FSU students who applied received MSPS scholarships.


The History of Ferris Surveying website was created by Josh Sanders. Thousands of photos and program material have been digitized. It can be found at FerrisSurveying.org. 


Seiler Geospatial provided the program on consignment with the following Trimble equipment: 1 SX12 scanning total station, 1 X9 scanner, 5 S5 total stations, 5 R980 RTK receivers, 5 TSC5 controllers, 5 TSC7 controllers, 2 tablets, and 5 DINI levels with rods.


As stated at the start of this paper, it is still a work in progress. If you see errors or have events that should be added, please reach out.