Award Winners

Recognizing the Texas GIS Community

The Texas GIS Community Awards recognize the individuals, teams, and organizations whose contributions have advanced the geospatial profession and strengthened the Texas GIS community. From groundbreaking projects and innovative solutions to a lifetime of leadership and service, these awards celebrate achievements that drive meaningful progress, inspire others, and leave a lasting impact on the field. Honorees represent the spirit of collaboration, innovation, and dedication that continues to shape the future of GIS in Texas.

2026 Luminary Award Winner

David R. Maidment

Professor at the University of Texas - Austin

Dr. David R. Maidment is recognized for his extraordinary contributions to hydrology, geographic information science, water resources engineering, and higher education.

David R. Maidment is the Hussein M. Alharthy Centennial Chair Emeritus in Civil Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, where he served on the faculty from 1981 to 2019. Through pioneering innovations such as Arc Hydro, leadership in national hydrologic information systems, and decades of distinguished teaching and mentorship at The University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Maidment transformed how water is understood, modeled, and managed around the world. His work has improved flood forecasting, advanced scientific collaboration, and inspired generations of engineers and scientists, leaving a lasting impact on society and the global water resources profession.

2026 Excellence Award Winner

Seneca Holland, Eng.D.

Geospatial Research Scientist, Texas A&M–Corpus Christi

Dr. Seneca Holland is a Geospatial Research Scientist at the Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science and an Instructor of Geospatial Science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Texas A&M–Corpus Christi.

She holds a Doctor of Engineering in Engineering Technology with a concentration in Surveying Engineering Technology from the University of Maine. She also holds a Master of Arts in Geography from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor of Science in Geography from Florida State University. Her work focuses on expanding access to geospatial education, integrating geomatics with Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), and advancing the application of artificial intelligence in geospatial technologies. She serves as Director of the Spatial Query Lab at the Conrad Blucher Institute, where she leads initiatives to make geospatial technology, education, and spatial information broadly accessible to students, educators, and communities.