It is an honor and pleasure to address Prof Dr Sc Miljenko Lapaine on the occasion of awarding the Honorary Fellowship of the International Cartographic Association. This award is given to a cartographer of international reputation who has made special contributions to ICA.
Professor Lapaine is internationally recognized for his work in geodesy and map projections and he has made special and significant contributions to the ICA. He is a cartographer who understands the fundamental basis of mathematics and computer science for geodesy, map projections and cartography in general. His international reputation is among the best in the world and he has made numerous special contributions to ICA through his work at International Cartographic Conferences, his support of ICA commissions and activities and his chairmanship of the Map Projection Commission.
He was born in 1952 in Zagreb. In his college education, he studied mathematics graduating in 1976 from the University of Zagreb, Department of Theoretical Mathematics. He received a master’s degree in 1991, with a thesis entitled Contemporary Approach to Cartographic Projections and a Ph.D. in 1996 with a dissertation under the direction of Prof Dr Sc Nedjeljko Frančula, on Mappings in Cartographic Projection Theory also from the University of Zagreb. While still studying mathematics, he started working, first as a teacher at a primary school then high school in Zagreb. At the Faculty of Geodesy, University of Zagreb, he was assistant professor, associate professor and awarded full professor status in 2003. He teaches courses in Cartography and GIS, Multimedia Cartography, Transformations in Cartography and History of Geodesy. At the postgraduate study of the Faculty of Geodesy University of Zagreb he taught Approximation Theory, Computer Graphics in Surveying, Surveying Cartography and Cartographic Heritage; at the postgraduate study of Geography at the University of Zadar he taught the application of digital cartography in the geography of littoral; and in graduate studies at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Sarajevo Geodetic Cartography.
His scientific work is primarily in the application of mathematics and computer science in geodesy and cartography. He collaborated with surveyors where he worked on a variety of practical and engineering tasks in geodesy, equalization calculus, mechanics, hydrography, photogrammetry and cartography. One highlight is his computer system Kartomatika for removing deformities from drawings, plans or maps. He has published more than 450 articles in proceedings of scientific conferences and journals.
In working with students, he is particularly committed to introducing them to scientific research, so he is expert in assisting in the preparation of diploma and seminar papers successfully leading some twenty students who received The Rector’s Award.
He is the Project Manager of the State Border of the Republic of Croatia at Sea, Drawing in Science, Official Proposal cartographic projections of the Republic of Croatia, Cartography and new technologies. He is the head of the Department of Cartography of the Faculty of Geodesy 1999/2000; Vice Dean for Geodetic Studies Faculties 2003/05. For ten years he was the library manager at the Faculty of Geodesy. He is an associate of the Lexicographic Institute “Miroslav Krleža” since 1999. He has been an Associate of the Croatian Academy of Engineering since 1998 and major secretary since 2003; a member of the Croatian Chamber of Architects and Civil Engineers since 2002. He is founder and first President of the Croatian Cartographic Society and editor-in-chief of the journal Kartografija i geoinformacije (Cartography and Geoinformation) published in Croatian and English. He is a member of the Croatian Mathematical Society, the Croatian Society for Structural Geometry and Computer Graphics, Croatian Geodetic Society Croatian Geographical Society and associate member of the International Association of Geodesy.
Prof Dr Sc Lapaine has been a corresponding member of the ICA Spatial Data Standards Commission since 1995. He has participated in all International Cartographic Conferences since 1987. He was elected chair of the Map Projections Commission of the ICA in 2011 and successfully led that commission until 2019 with numerous workshops around the world; developing and publishing the book, Choosing a Map Projection. He graciously agreed to continue with the Map Projections Commission as vice-chair from 2019-2023.
Prof Lapaine has labored to address misconceptions about map projections and distortion properties. He maintains a clear perspective that all map projections are mathematically based and understanding map projection concepts requires understanding the mathematics. He is truly a leader in the theory and development of map projections and continues to mentor students and others in the field with his knowledge.
Prof. Dr. Sc Miljenko Lapaine is an outstanding scientist, teacher, mathematician, cartographer, and friend and a true contributor to cartography and the ICA.
My sincere congratulations on a well-deserved award for an outstanding scholar and person!
