Google's Rebecca Moore a White House 'Champion of Change'

A Googler has caught the attention attention of the White House.

Rebecca Moore, an engineering manager who initiated and leads the development of Google Earth Engine, will be honored on June 20th as a Champions of Change for her use and promotion of open scientific data to better the world, the White House announced Tuesday.

Moore and 12 others share their science in a manner that the Obama administration believes "is a proven strategy for driving positive change." They cite how the Human Genome Project has accelerated progress in the biomedical industry and how the open use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite data has allowed companies to innovate, the development smartphone apps and allowed for the creation of car navigation systems.

A resident of Los Gatos, Moore's open-sourced Google Earth Engine gives scientists around the world access to satellite imagery online that can help them understand the world. She also developed and leads the Google Earth Outreach program, which gives the same access plus support to nonprofits, communities and indigenous peoples who want to use Google's maps for environmental conservation, human rights and cultural preservation.

Moore graduated with honors from Brown University in Artificial Intelligence and a Master’s degree from Stanford University.

To Moore's recognition live, visit www.whitehouse.gov/live at 11 a.m. PDT on June 20th. To learn more about the White House Champions of Change program, visit www.whitehouse.gov/champions.