Obituary—Prof. Dr. Fraser Taylor

It is with deep sadness that we share the news that Prof. Dr. Fraser Taylor, Editorial Board Member of the ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, passed away on 22 March 2025. We are grateful for his contributions to the journal and the legacy that his research has left in the academic world.

A cartographer, geographer, and research professor of international renown, Prof. Dr. Fraser Taylor received numerous awards in recognition of his lengthy, remarkable, and internationally influential research career, with the most recent being his appointment as Officer of the Order of Canada and others being the 3M Environmental Award, the Carl Mannerfelt Gold Medal of the International Cartographic Association, the Killam Prize for the Social Sciences, and the appointment as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

He introduced the concept of Cybercartography in 1997, and in 2003, he founded the Geomatics and Cartographic Research Centre at Carleton University. Here, he and his team developed a robust platform of technology, research, project development, and publication to advance the creation of digital atlases that put map creation into the hands of map users and communities. Indigenous communities have engaged actively in this work from its inception and have advanced the research with the inclusion of culture, language, place names, and history for over two decades.

Prof. Dr. Taylor served in leadership roles on United Nations strategy teams and in several academic associations, including the International Cartographic Association, the Canadian Cartographic Association, and the Canadian Association of African Studies. He impacted the thinking in cartography and geography significantly with his extensive publication history; he also worked tirelessly as a General Editor for the Elsevier Modern Cartography Series.

His passing creates a huge void not only on his university but also for our journal. His death is a significant loss to the academic community, as well as to anyone close to him, on both a professional and a personal level. We offer our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.