Photo: Assistant Professor Contact info Email: yaping.xu@uga.edu Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Research Interests: My research develops and applies remote sensing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and geospatial technologies to understand agricultural and environmental systems. I am particularly interested in integrating UAV-based imagery, satellite observations, and other geospatial data with AI and spatial-temporal modeling to extract actionable information from complex environmental datasets. My research focuses on crop monitoring and phenotyping, soil health and moisture, precision agriculture, and agro-ecosystem dynamics. I also investigate AI-driven image analysis, computer vision, and emerging geospatial foundation models for environmental applications. More broadly, my work seeks to connect advances in geospatial data science with real-world challenges in sustainable agriculture, environmental change, and land management. Research areas include: UAV and Drone Remote Sensing Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Computer Vision and Image Analysis Geospatial Data Science Precision Agriculture Crop Monitoring and Plant Phenotyping Soil Moisture and Soil Health Agro-ecosystem Modeling Spatio-temporal Modeling https://sites.google.com/view/yapingxu CV: Yaping Xu_CV_V08162026.pdf (403.65 KB) Dr. Yaping Xu is a geographer and remote sensing scientist whose research integrates remote sensing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and GIS to address challenges in agriculture and sustainable land management. He earned his Ph.D. in Geography from Louisiana State University in 2019, where he studied soil moisture mapping using remote sensing data. Following his Ph.D., Dr. Xu conducted postdoctoral research at Arizona State University and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and held an Early Career Fellowship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His research during this period focused on applying UAV-based remote sensing and machine learning to agricultural and bioenergy systems. Before joining the University of Georgia, Dr. Xu was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental and Geosciences at Sam Houston State University, where he taught courses in GIS, cartography, remote sensing, spatial analysis, and UAV remote sensing. He also served as principal investigator of a NASA-funded project advancing geospatial and remote sensing technologies for agricultural applications. Dr. Xu joined the University of Georgia in 2026 as a faculty member in the Department of Geography. His current research develops AI-enabled approaches for extracting information from complex remote sensing and geospatial data, with applications in crop monitoring, soil health, precision agriculture, and agro-ecosystem dynamics. Dr. Xu is a member of the American Association of Geographers and has served as a reviewer, editorial contributor, and federal research grant panelist. Grant Support Grants: NASA MUREP Earth Systems Science Research (ESSR) — FARMGO Principal Investigator | $1.2 million | 2025–2028 Forecasting Agricultural Research and Management Geospatial Operations (FARMGO) develops geospatial and AI-enabled approaches for translating NASA Earth science data into actionable information for agricultural decision-making. The project integrates remote sensing, climate information, artificial intelligence, and geospatial technologies to support agricultural resilience and sustainable land management. U.S. Department of Energy — Center for Bioenergy Innovation Researcher / Early Career Researcher Research on UAV-based remote sensing, machine learning, and plant phenotyping for bioenergy crops, including field-scale characterization of switchgrass traits and biomass-related characteristics. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Researcher Research applying airborne and terrestrial hyperspectral imaging to investigate plant responses to environmental stressors. NASA — Southeast Agriculture Project Team Lead Research applying NASA Earth observations and geospatial technologies to agricultural and environmental monitoring in the southeastern United States.
