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Maloney honored with Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy Award

Lauren Maloney honored with 2020 Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy Award in Geospatial Intelligence

To say that Lauren Maloney is busy would be an understatement. Lauren is a full motion video analyst for BAE Systems’ Intelligence & Security sector, where she analyzes full motion video to support the Global War on Terrorism and serves as the senior training coordinator for her team.  She has been instrumental in training new analysts and helping them to develop a geospatial perspective and refine their analytical skills. She also serves as deputy chief of intelligence in the U.S. Air Force Reserves at Westover Air Reserve Base in Massachusetts. In addition to balancing a full-time job at BAE Systems and her Reserve duties, she is also pursuing a master’s degree in Homeland Security at Penn State University. Maloney took charge of her professional development, and in doing so, was honored with Penn State’s “2020 Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy Award in Geospatial Intelligence.”

 

Lauren Maloney

 

“I am truly honored to receive the award because I am passionate about the field of Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT), and I strive to incorporate the new skills I have acquired from this program into every aspect of my work,” said Maloney. “Additionally, as a military member, being selected for an award named after Lt. Michael Murphy is a profound honor for me.”

The award was established in honor of the distinguished Penn State alumnus Lt. Michael P. Murphy, U.S. Navy. The award recognizes the achievements of a Penn State University graduate student who has demonstrated exceptional contributions while serving within the geospatial intelligence community or the military. The Medal of Honor was posthumously awarded to Lt. Murphy for his valiant acts in Afghanistan as a Navy SEAL.

“Since May of 2018, I have been enrolled in Penn State’s Homeland Security Master’s program, specializing in Geospatial Intelligence,” said Maloney. “This challenging program covers a broad range of topics, from the ethical concepts of homeland security, to how to think critically about intelligence topics from a geographical perspective.”
 
Additionally, Maloney said the hands-on courses have given her the opportunity to develop skills in remote sensing and imagery analysis, the creation of cartographical products, and developing automated object detection routines for imagery.
 
As part of Maloney’s work, she created an automated change detection routine for satellite imagery on Landsat to analyze vegetation growth patterns in areas affected by wildfires in Glacier National Park (see example screen shots below). She created an interactive application demonstrating the change.  Another focus of Maloney’s work was an analysis of another country’s military developments using a variety of sources, including satellite imagery, historical trends, and publicly available reporting.
 
Classification based on Landsat 7 - August 3, 1999
 
Classification based on Landsat 8 - August 15, 2018
 
“Penn State’s GEOINT program has expanded my skillset and given me new tools to use in my work as a full motion video analyst for BAE Systems,” continued Maloney.
 
Maloney has a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Syracuse University and hopes her master’s degree will advance her career in the geographic information field, an intelligence competency of BAE Systems. She expects to graduate in May of 2020.