The Harley C. Gilmore Memorial Surveying Scholarship was established in 2021 through a donation from Harley Gilmore’s family to honor his 66- year career in the land surveying profession in Florida. The scholarship aims to award geomatics (surveying and mapping) students who excel in their studies and have a strong passion for serving in the field. Gilmore’s long professional service as a licensed surveyor and passion for teaching and education.
“Each year, geomatics students are invited to fill out the scholarship application,” said professor Amr Abd-Elrahman of the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) at the University of Florida’s (UF) School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences.
The 2026 recipient of the Harley C. Gilmore Memorial Surveying Scholarship is Mason Mcloughlin.
“When I received the news that I had received the Harley Gilmore Scholarship, I was immediately grateful,” Mcloughlin said. “Any help that I am provided with is such a blessing, and it is extremely beneficial when balancing many bills while still being in school. As I am actively working to send my wife to nail school, I was very relieved to find out that I had received help in funding my academics.”
Mcloughlin is originally from Hawaii, but he has a deep passion for the profession, and surveying is the sole reason that he moved to Florida at 18.
“Once I learned about UF’s highly regarded surveying program, I was eager to join,” Mcloughlin said. “Learning from a distance makes it easier to maintain a balanced life, as I am newly married as well. I also work 24 hours a week, enriching my school learnings with real-life work experience. I highly recommend this pathway, as it has changed my life for the better.”
The geomatics program’s hybrid model allows Mcloughlin to study locally while working in the profession and gaining invaluable experience. It has made continuous, career-aligned learning possible for Mcloughlin.
“Mason has a bright future in surveying,” said Katie Britt, assistant director for the Geomatics Extension program at UF/IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences. “After graduation, he plans to pass the Fundamentals of Surveying exam and earn his Florida Professional Surveyor and Mapper license.”
“His passion began on the island of Hawaii, where he worked as a surveying technician while still in high school,” Britt said. “He later transferred to the University of Florida, settled in West Florida and continued to build hands-on surveying experience. Though he misses surfing in Hawaiian waters, he’s confident about his future in geomatics.”
