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Yuchi Ma

Postdoctoral Scholar, Earth System Science

BioAs a postdoctoral scholar in Earth System Science at Stanford University with a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering and a minor in Machine Learning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison), my research is dedicated to developing and applying precision sensing technologies and Geospatial AI to advance scalable Earth observation, environmental monitoring, and data-driven decision support. My research program develops sensing-to-decision frameworks that connect the physical and computational dimensions of the Earth system. I contribute across three tightly linked areas: (1) remote sensing strategies for fine-scale environmental and agroecosystem observation; (2) GeoAI methods that improve model generalization across space, sensors, and time; and (3) science applications that translate these methods into actionable insights on land management, climate resilience, and sustainability.

My research has resulted in 8 first-authored and 17 co-authored publications in leading journals, including Nature Sustainability and Remote Sensing of Environment. The impact of my work is reflected in 2 first-authored papers recognized as Web of Science Highly Cited Papers (Top 1%) and 1 first-authored paper designated as a Top Cited Paper in Remote Sensing of Environment (2025). Beyond academia, the real-world impact of my research is evident: my models have been adopted by USDA and Google X, demonstrating their practical value to both government and industry.

Besides, I have taught 3 courses, including one semester as the Lecturer of Record in Geography at UW-Madison. For service, I have served as reviewers for over 30 journals and convened agroecosystem- and AI-related sessions at the AGU and AAG meetings. In addition, I have actively secured internal and external funding, serving as PI or Co-PI on multiple awarded projects. These leadership and collaborative roles have allowed me to build enduring connections with top researchers from academic institutions and private sectors, extending my professional network beyond Stanford. More details are listed in my CV.