Featured Member - Eric Cooper, PLS

1) Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a second-generation Professional Land Surveyor and ASPRS Certified Photogrammetrist with more than 30 years of experience including surveying, mapping, geodetic control, LiDAR-based mapping, remote sensing, and utility designation services. I currently serve as the Deputy Geomatics Service Line Leader at JMT, where I lead survey, mapping, reality capture, and SUE efforts. Surveying has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up around the profession and started learning early through boundary surveys on farms in southern Maryland. Growing up as a surveyor gave me an appreciation for the profession's traditional foundations, including understanding boundary evidence, the use of field judgment, the value of research, and professional responsibility. Over time, my career has expanded into modern geospatial technologies such as mobile LiDAR, terrestrial scanning, UAS mapping, photogrammetry, GNSS control, hydrographic surveys, and data fusion. I have always enjoyed that surveying is at the intersection of history, law, science, technology, and problem-solving. It requires precision, judgment, persistence, and integrity. I have also been fortunate to serve the profession through professional societies, including my current role as a State Director for the Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors and my prior service as President of the Maryland Society of Surveyors. Giving back to the profession and helping younger surveyors grow has become one of the most rewarding parts of my career.

2) What is the most unique project you have worked on, and why?

One of the most unique projects I have worked on was the Pennsylvania Avenue Mobile LiDAR project in Washington, DC. The project involved preparing topographic base mapping of Pennsylvania Avenue from the U.S. Capitol to the White House along Constitution Avenue. The survey covered more than 25 lane miles of urban streets and adjoining sidewalks, using a combination of 3D mobile LiDAR, terrestrial laser scanning, GPS, conventional total stations, and digital leveling. What made the project unique was the complexity of the location. The work required close coordination with numerous stakeholders, including federal entities, Capitol Police, the National Park Service, and multiple foreign embassies. The project also required very detailed asset collection, including curbs, signs, trees, crosswalks, signalization, push buttons, surface utilities, bollards, and street furniture. From a technical standpoint, it was a great example of where the profession is headed. We combined traditional survey control with mobile LiDAR, terrestrial scanning, subsurface utility designation, and GIS-ready asset mapping to create a detailed, practical geospatial dataset. Projects like that reinforce an important point: technology is incredibly powerful, but it still depends on sound survey methodology, strong control, careful QA/QC, and experienced professional judgment.

I am headed back out there soon to perform boundary surveys of almost 50 squares in conjunction with the redevelopment of the corridor.

3) Did you have a mentor? If so, how has it affected your career?

I have been fortunate to have many mentors throughout my career, but the most influential by far has been my father. As a second-generation surveyor, I was introduced to the profession at an early age and had the opportunity to learn from someone who understood not only the technical side of surveying, but also the character required to do the work the right way. My father taught me that surveying is about much more than measurements, monuments, and boundary lines. It is about responsibility, patience, judgment, and earning the trust of the people who rely on your work. He showed me the importance of doing careful research, respecting evidence in the field, and taking pride in work that may be relied upon long after the project is complete. Those lessons have stayed with me throughout my career. They influence how I manage projects, how I work with clients and colleagues, and how I mentor younger surveyors. While I have benefited from the guidance of many outstanding professionals, the foundation my father provided has had the greatest impact on who I am as a surveyor.

4) What advice can you give to other young surveyors? What do you see as the top benefits of going into the surveying profession?

My advice to young surveyors is to stay curious, learn the fundamentals, and do not be afraid of new technology. The tools we use today are far different from the tools used when I first entered the profession, and they will continue to change. However, the fundamentals still matter. Understanding boundary principles, measurement theory, geodetic control, field procedures, research, and professional ethics will always be essential. Young surveyors should also seek out mentors and be willing to learn from both field and office experiences. Some of the best lessons in this profession come from difficult searches for evidence, challenging control networks, complicated boundaries, and projects where the answer is not immediately obvious. Surveying's greatest benefit is its variety. Few professions allow someone to work outdoors, use advanced technology, study history and law, solve complex problems, and contribute directly to the development and preservation of communities. Surveying also offers strong opportunities for advancement, licensure, entrepreneurship, leadership, and lifelong learning. If you enjoy a challenge and want a profession where no two days are exactly the same, surveying is a great career path.

5) If you were reincarnated as a famous landmark, what would it be and why?

I would choose the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. A lighthouse provides a reliable point of reference through changing conditions, and I think that connects well with surveying. Surveyors provide certainty, guidance, and order in situations that can otherwise be unclear or disputed.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse also represents resilience. It has withstood harsh conditions, adapted to change, and remained an important landmark for generations. Those are qualities I admire in both people and professions. Surveying has changed dramatically over time, but its purpose remains steady: to provide trusted information that others can build upon.

6) Tell us an interesting or funny surveying story.

One of my more memorable surveying experiences involved locating an old iron pipe as part of a farm boundary. After searching for a while, we finally found what appeared to be the called for pipe and everything was lining up perfectly. Confident we had found our corner, I placed the prism pole into the top of the pipe and held it plumb while the angle sets were turned. The instrument operator yelled, " Good, " and I pulled the prism pole out of the pipe. I discovered that the iron pipe was serving a second purpose. Unfortunately for me, it had become the entrance to a yellow jacket nest. What happened next involved a rapid and completely unplanned demonstration of how fast (or slow) a surveyor can run through the woods while carrying a prism pole. Thankfully, the equipment survived, although my pride may have suffered a little damage. The experience taught me two valuable lessons: always inspect a monument before sticking anything into it and never underestimate yellow jackets' ability to defend their property. Surveyors spend a lot of time searching for monuments, but occasionally we find something else that's already claimed the corner.

7) Why did you become involved with PSLS?

I became involved with PSLS because I believe professional societies play an important role in protecting, promoting, and strengthening the surveying profession. Organizations like PSLS provide education, advocacy, networking, mentorship, and a collective voice for surveyors.

As someone who has benefited from this profession and from the mentorship of others, I feel a responsibility to give back. The future of surveying depends on experienced professionals helping younger surveyors develop technically, ethically, and professionally. Serving through PSLS is one way to support that future and help ensure the profession remains strong for the next generation.

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