Meet the New Faces of Our Ph.D. Program
We’re excited to introduce the newest cohort of Ph.D. students joining our program!
This group brings perspectives from across the globe, along with a strong foundation of knowledge and a drive to push geographical sciences further.
Meet our incoming scholars:
Xiuyu Cao
Call me: Xiuyu
I'm from: China
My research topic: Modeling Ecological Forest Attributes From Various Data sources
My advisor: John Armston
My educational background: MS Geospatial Data Sciences (University of Michigan); BE Geodesy and Geomatics (Wuhan University)
What attracted me to geographical sciences: Since childhood, I have loved insects, birds and rodents living in the woods. Growing up in the beginning of the 21st century, I witnessed rapid development with increasing disturbances to forests and worsening pollution. These experiences drew me to remote sensing and geospatial data analysis related to forests. During my master’s studies, I came across GEDI data and was impressed by its performance. I hope to work with the GEDI team and contribute to global forest monitoring and conservation.
What I like to do when I am not studying: I like traveling, museums, reading, movies and TV shows.
Michaelmary Chukwu
Call me: Michaelmary
I'm from: Nigeria
My research topic: Spatial Data Science, Human Mobility, Geoai, Urban Informatics, Remote Sensing
My advisor: Taylor Oshan
My educational background: MS Geography (University of Arkansas), BSc Urban and Regional Planning (University of Ilorin, Nigeria)
What attracted me to geographical sciences: I was particularly drawn to the program after attending a webinar hosted by Dr. Oshan, which I discovered through a post on the “X” platform. The session focused on decentralized WebGIS; a topic that deeply resonated with my interests. Motivated to learn more, I looked up Dr. Oshan’s profile on Google Scholar and discovered that he is a faculty member in the Department of Geographical Sciences. Being naturally curious, I explored the department further and found that the GeoG program at UMD is ranked among the top 10 in GIScience and remote sensing. This is in addition to the University of Maryland’s impressive overall ranking, as recognized by U.S. News. I am also particularly attracted to the Department of Geographical Sciences because of the generous funding opportunities available for Ph.D. students.
What I like to do when I am not studying: I enjoy hanging out with friends, playing or watching soccer. I love to socialize and meet new people by random chance, discuss finance and business.
Abhilash Dutta Roy
Call me: Abhilash
I'm from: India
My research topic: Modeling Forest Structure and Biomass Using Gedi and Icesat-2
My advisor: Ralph Dubayah and Laura Duncanson
My educational background: Erasmus Mundus MSc in Mediterranean Forestry (University of Lisbon, Portugal and University of Lleida, Spain); BSc (Hons.) Forestry (Central Agricultural University, India)
What attracted me to geographical sciences: I first came across NASA’s GEDI LiDAR in a study done in the Amazon rainforests through which suddenly we could see global patterns in forest canopy and biomass data with a detail that felt almost impossible before. That curiosity naturally led me to the University of Maryland’s Department of Geographical Sciences, the home of GEDI and the people who built so much of what makes it special. Researchers like Prof. Ralph Dubayah and Laura Duncanson are not just pushing LiDAR science forward, but making it accessible to the global south at zero cost. With newer satellites like NISAR and ESA Biomass now adding even more layers of data to work with, this is a perfect place where exciting and high-impact forestry research is happening every day.
What I like to do when I am not studying: I enjoy cooking, watching bollywood sitcom movies, playing guitar, reading crime thrillers and horror stories. I also love spending time with friends. I am a fan of ’70s classic rock, and I also like exploring personal finance.
Abhishek Kotcharlakota
Call me: Abhishek
I'm from: India
My research topic: Remote Sensing, Croptype Mapping, Yield Prediction
My advisor: Sergii Skakun and Inbal Becker-Reshef (PI)
My educational background: MS Machine Learning (University of Maryland ), B.Tech in Computer Science (GRIET, India)
What attracted me to geographical sciences: I come from a computer science/Machine Learning background where evaluations are all abstract and theroritical. I was attracted to Geographical Science when I realized how therotical frameworks and considerations and have real world practical implications and impact. Another major reason is the solution oriented methology frequenctly used my researchers - where a myriad of different information , such as spatial, temporal, social , economic, biological etc is coalesced together to tackle multifaceted problems. I think NASA Harvest's application of modern technology and expertise to achieve Zero Hunger is a prominent reason for my attraction to UMD Geog.
What I like to do when I am not studying: I enjoy a lot of things: cooking (I often make questionable choices), board games (chess being most frequent), books (fantasy, thrillers with some philosophy sprinkled in every now and then), sports (volleyball, badminton), music (hard rock, heavy metal). I am a social butterfly—as far as I know my social battery never ran out.
Matthew Oke
Call me: Matthew
I'm from: Nigeria
My research topic: Geospatial AI for Agriculture and Food Security
My advisor: Catherine Nakalembe
My educational background: B.Tech Remote Sensing and Geoscience Information Systems
What attracted me to geographical sciences: During my undergraduate studies in Remote Sensing and GIS, I developed a strong interest in how satellite data can be applied to solve real-world challenges in Africa. I began experimenting with machine learning on remote sensing data and quickly realized its potential to improve and transform environmental monitoring. My professional experience in machine learning has furher reinforced this vision which has motivated me to pursue advanced research in Geospatial AI, developing cutting-edge solutions with real-world applications in agriculture and food security.
What I like to do when I am not studying: I enjoy listening to music, watching movies, playing video games and travelling.
Richard Owusu-Ansah
Call me: Richard
I'm from: Ghana
My research topic: Modeling Climate-Carbon Dynamics in Coupled Human-Environment Systems
My advisor: George Hurtt
My educational background: MS Geography and Environment (The George Washington University). BS Geography and Economics (University of Education, Winneba)
What attracted me to geographical sciences: I have always beeen interested in of Geography, which is why I have studied it throughout my academic journey. And I think it's because the things we study and the tools we use to study them put me in a position to contribute to addressing some of the pressing environmental challenges of our time.
What I like to do when I am not studying: I enjoy playing piano and singing along. I also enjoy being on the phone with my family back in Ghana.
Yi Ting Tay
Call me: Tay
I'm from: Malaysia
My research topic: Energy Research/Modeling
My advisor: Kuishuang Feng
My educational background: MSc Ecological Economics (University of Leeds) BSc Economics and International Economics (University of Nottingham Malaysia)
What attracted me to geographical sciences: The Ph.D. program is an ideal fit for my aspirations, particularly due to its emphasis on interdisciplinary research and its alignment with global sustainability challenges. Pursuing a Ph.D. at UMD represents the next step in my journey to contribute meaningfully to global sustainability efforts. Through this program, I aim to deepen my understanding of sustainable energy transitions, decarbonization pathways, and equity in climate policies while developing innovative tools for addressing these challenges. I am confident that UMD’s resources, coupled with the mentorship of its distinguished faculty, will empower me to make a lasting contribution to the global pursuit of sustainability and equity.
What I like to do when I am not studying: I enjoy running, playing netball, photography, cooking and listening to music. When I am on a long holiday and not rushing to meet deadlines, I like to travel around and play Fortnite.
Saiqun Zhou
Call me: Saiqun
I'm from: China
My research topic: Sustainable Development of the Agri-Food System; Energy Transition
My advisor: Laixiang Sun
My educational background: Civil Engineering, Hunan University, MS;Building Environment and Energy Application Engineering, Hunan University, BS
What attracted me to geographical sciences: My undergraduate and master’s studies both centered on building energy–related disciplines. I later worked as a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) engineer at the Shanghai Architectural Design and Research Institute, where I encountered significant barriers to implementing advanced systems—such as the high cost of high-efficiency chillers and the limited adoption of green technologies due to insufficient policy support. These experiences underscored the importance of effective policy incentives and societal engagement in bridging the gap between technological innovation and real-world application, sparking my interest in environmental and energy economics. This motivation led me to transition from a micro-level engineering perspective to macro-level analysis. Under the guidance of Professor Honglin Zhong at Shandong University and Professor Laixiang Sun at the University of Maryland, I developed a strong research interest in the sustainable development of agricultural and food systems, while maintaining a deep enthusiasm for energy transitions in the building sector. UMD’s distinguished reputation, collaborative research environment, and commitment to addressing global sustainability challenges make it the ideal place to pursue my academic and professional goals. I see this program as a pivotal step toward advancing sustainability and delivering impactful environmental solutions.
What I like to do when I am not studying: I enjoy staying active through outdoor activities and dancing, especially jazz and urban dance. I also love cooking, with a particular passion for baking. Whenever I have more free time, I like to travel with friends and explore new places together.
Kaixin Zhu
Call me: Kaixin
I'm from: China
My research topic: Human Dimensions of Global Change - Coupled Human and Natural Systems
My advisor: Kuishuang Feng
My educational background: M.Sc. in Cartography and Geographic Information System, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; B.Sc. in Geographic Information Science, Hohai University
What attracted me to geographical sciences: My educational background in Geographical Information Science (GIS) at both undergraduate and graduate levels has provided me with solid foundations in spatial statistics, image processing, and big data analysis. My research experience focuses on using social media data and computational approaches to study human mobility patterns and psychological responses to policy changes and environmental issues. However, I have recognized important limitations in my current work. My previous research has mainly focused on the human dimension while overlooking other critical components of the Earth System, such as energy, agriculture, and water resources. Additionally, my approaches have been mainly descriptive rather than quantitative or predictive. I am pursuing a Ph.D. to address these gaps and achieve a more comprehensive understanding of coupled human-environment systems. I want to transition from purely data-driven analysis to advanced economic modeling methods that can simulate complex interactions between different Earth System components and predict potential outcomes under various climate change and policy scenarios.
What I like to do when I am not studying: I am into music, jogging and movies. I also love exploring new places, from interesting city spots to beautiful outdoor areas.
Published on Mon, 08/25/2025 - 12:30