Our research is characterized by an interdisciplinary perspective on geospatial science driven by the advances of machine intelligence (e.g., GeoAI), earth observations (e.g., remote sensing and social sensing) and computational science. We are particularly interested in developing advanced quantitative methods (i.e., AI, statistical and computational methods) and software tools to model and communicate the complex spatiotemporal patterns buried in the sea of geospatial data to support uncertainty-aware knowledge discovery and decision making. We work closely with domain scientists to tackle the challenges in environmental sciences, climate science, environmental health, and social sciences. See below for the current and completed projects.
NASA: Understanding the effects of agricultural land use transformations on weather dynamics in southern high plains (2025-2028), $740k, PI (with X. Song and R. Abolafia-Rosenzweig)
USDA: Modeling Spatiotemporal Distribution of Mormon Crickets with Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (2024-2025), $134k, PI (with R. Srygley)
CU Internal: Understanding Community Disaster Resilience with GeoAI and Big Geospatial Data (2023-2024), $25k, Sole PI
NSF: ATD: Collaborative Research: A Geostatistical Framework for Spatiotemporal Extremes (2023-2026), $150k, PI
USDA: Geospatial Artificial Intelligence for Spatiotemporal Modeling of Pest Insects (2022-2023), $100k, PI
CU Internal: Understanding Social Dynamics with Location-Based Social Media (2022-2023), $15k, Sole PI
NSF: Deep Learning in Geospatial Uncertainty Modeling (2020-2024), $265,058, Sole PI
DOC NIST: Innovative Measurement and Modeling of Dynamical Social and Health Effects of Windstorms (2019-2022), $667,024, Co-PI (with PI: D. Liang)
USGS: Toward Near Real-time Monitoring and Characterization of Land Surface Change for the Conterminous US (2017-2022), $1,062,069, Co-I (with PI: Z. Zhu)
CH Foundation: Mapping Local Community Preparedness to Tornado Hazards in Lubbock, Texas (2018-2019), $29,500, PI
CH Foundation: Immersive VR Experience for Teaching, Learning, and Researching (2018-2019), $17,989, Co-PI
Texas Tech: Story Maps of Humanitarian Projects around the World (2017-2018), $90,000, Co-PI (with PI: P. Solis)
USAID: YouthMappers (2015-2020), $990,000, Co-PI (with PI: P. Solis)
USDA: Development of a GIS Model to Project and Map Future Water Availability (2015-2016), $119,895, Co-PI (with PI: K. Mulligan)
Texas Tech National Wind Institute: Toward a Geospatial Cyberinfrastructure for Enhancement of Community Resilience to Tornado Hazards (2014-2015), $30,500, PI
Texas Tech Transdisciplinary Research Academy: A Big Data Approach for Spatial Environmental Epidemiology (2014-2015), $4,000, PI
USDA: Development of Current Hydrologic Data and Analysis of Water Availability in the Ogallala Aquifer over the Next 50 Years (2014-2016), $40, 679, Co-PI (with PI: K. Mulligan)
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Pilot Research Core: Center of Excellence at Meharry (HDRCOE): “Linking climate, air pollution and housing conditions to develop strategies to reduce racial disparities in infant mortality” (2014-2015), $12,729, Co-PI (with PI: L. Gittner)