Chunyuan Diao

+1(217) 300-6959

My research interests lie at the confluence of remote sensing, GIScience, and biogeography. My current research focuses on computational remote sensing of terrestrial ecosystem dynamics at local to global spatial scales, and daily to decadal temporal scales. I am particularly interested in advancing computational remote sensing paradigms in characterizing land surface patterns and processes, underlying mechanisms, and subsequent feedbacks to the atmosphere. My work combines remote sensing, process-based models, field observations, artificial intelligence, high-performance and cloud computing, to study ecosystem structures, functions, and responses to climate change and human activities. My ongoing research traverses varying types of ecosystems, including natural (e.g., forest), human-dominated (e.g., agriculture), and disturbed (e.g., species invasion) ecosystems. Current research foci include computational remote sensing, multi-scale land surface phenology, intelligent agriculture, and invasive species and biodiversity.

• GEOG 477 - Intro to Remote Sensing
• GEOG 478 - Techniques of Remote Sensing
• GEOG 489 - Programming for GIS

2024  AAG Fellow
2024  UIUC I. C. Gunsalus Scholar
2023  UCGIS Early/Mid-Career Research Award
2023  UIUC Teacher Ranked as Excellent
2022  CPGIS Young Scholar Award
2021  NSF CAREER Award
2021  NASA Early Career Investigator Award
2020  AAG Early Career Scholars in Remote Sensing Award
2019  Microsoft AI for Earth Award
2019  UIUC Teacher Ranked as Excellent
2018  UIUC Arnold O. Beckman Research Award
2018  UIUC Teacher Ranked as Excellent
2017  ASPRS Robert N. Colwell Memorial Fellowship