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Geospatial Sciences Center of Excellence

Hankui Zhang

Hankui Zhang

Title

Assistant Professor / Research Scientist

Office Building

Wecota Hall

Office

115

Mailing Address

Wecota Hall 115
Geospatial Science Center of Excellence-Box 0506
University Station
Brookings, SD 57007

Biography

Hankui Zhang (he) is an assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Geospatial Sciences and a scientist at the Geospatial Sciences Center of Excellence (GSCE) at South Dakota State University. He earned his Ph.D. in 2013 from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, with a thesis focusing on satellite image fusion. His current research primarily involves developing global-applicable algorithms to make medium-resolution satellite data (e.g., Landsat and Sentinel-2) ready-for-easy, which includes cloud masking, BRDF correction and compositing. He also conducts research on advancing AI applications for remote sensing, focusing on surface geophysical and biophysical parameter retrieval, as well as land cover mapping for environmental monitoring. He is a Landsat Science Team member. Dr. Zhang has published over 60 SCI papers and serves as an editorial board member for Remote Sensing of Environment (RSE) and Remote Sensing. He has also organized a RSE special issue on deep learning applications.

Education

  • B.S. in geographic information systems | Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China | 2007
  • M.S. in remote sensing | Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China | 2010
  • Ph.D. in geography and resource management | Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China | 2013

Academic Interests

  • Deep learning
  • Land cover mapping and surface dynamics monitoring
  • Analysis ready data
  • Landsat and Sentinel-2

Committees and Professional Memberships

  • NASA and USGS Landsat Science team member
  • NASA review panel
  • Manager guest editor for Remote Sensing of Environment (deep learning) | 2022-2023
  • Editorial board member of Remote Sensing of Environment | 2019-now
  • Guest Editor for Remote Sensing | 2020-2023
  • Editorial board member of Remote Sensing | 2017-now
  • Top 20 reviewers for Remote Sensing of Environment | 2020 and 2022
  • Honorary coach for the ³ÉÈËÊÓƵ football team | 2023

Awards and Honors

  • South Dakota State University Wadsworth research award | 2020-2021
  • South Dakota State University Professional Staff Excellence Award: Excellence in Research and Scholarship | 2016-2017
  • Global Scholarship for Research Excellence of Chinese University of Hong Kong | 2011-2012

Grants

  • (Co-I) Korinek, J., Kovalsky, V., Zhang, H. K., Exploring the potential of anonymization for data-driven innovation in agriculture. USDA National Agricultural Producer Data Cooperative (NAPDC) Convening Award program, 1 year budget $79,702 for Feb. 2024 – Jan. 2025.
  • (PI) Zhang, H. K., Maimaitijiang, M., Zhang, X., Democratic Republic of the Congo swamp and peatland extent mapping demonstration in support of Wildlife Works Carbon LLC Reduction Emission Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) projects. Wildlife Works Carbon LLC, 3 year budget $250,039 for Feb. 2024 – Jan. 2027.
  • (Institutional PI): Zhang, W., Zhang, H. K., Sun, Y., Ball, J., Sustaining maple syrup industry under a changing climate through expanding research and extension. USDA Acer Access and Development Program (FY 2023), 3 year budget $499,280 for Oct. 2023 – Sept. 2026.
  • (Co-I): Fu, K., Zhang, H. K., Spatiotemporal graph attention network for location representation learning. ³ÉÈËÊÓƵ Office of Academic Affairs and Office of Research and Economic Development: Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity (RSCA) Challenge Fund, 1-year budget $10,118 for May 2024 – Aug. 2025.
  • (Co-I): Leigh, L., Zhang, H. K., Pinto C., Kaewmanee M., Optical satellite harmonization and AI construction detection. IARPA Space-based Machine Automated Recognition Technique (SMART) (IARPA-BAA-19-04), 3-year budget $1,412,746, Jan. 2021 - Dec. 2023.
  • (Co-I): Zhang, X., Zhang, H. K., Maimaitijiang, M., Yang, Z., Developing an enhanced geospatial tool for operationally monitoring species-specific crop progress and growth condition in near real time from Geostationary Satellite Observations and Harmonized Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 Time Series. USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) - Foundational and Applied Science Program, 4-year budget $759,272 for Sept. 2023 – Aug. 2027.
  • (Co-I): Zhang, X., Zhang, H. K., Gray, J., Development of near real-time land surface phenology product by fusing geostationary satellite and VIIRS observations in support of agriculture and land management. NASA NNH19ZDA001N - ESROGSS - Earth Science Research from Operational Geostationary Satellite Systems, 3-year budget $521,777 for Aug. 2020 - July 2023.
  • (Institutional PI): Roy, D. P., Zhang, H. K., Egorov, H., Michaelis, A., Nemani, R., Global long-term multi-sensor web-enabled Landsat data record – a continuation request. NASA NNH17ZDA001N-MEASURES - Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments, 3 year budget $570,881 for June 2019 - May 2022.
  • (Co-I): Roy, D. P., Yan, L., Zhang, H. K., Pathfinding near real time moderate resolution land surface monitoring, looking forward to an operational Landsat 9/10 Sentinel 2A/2B era. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) G17PS00256 - Landsat science team, 5 year budget $1,173,581 for Jan. 2018 - June 2023.

Work Experience

  • Assistant professor, August 2019 - now, South Dakota State University, Brookings
  • Assistant research professor, November 2017 - July 2019, Geospatial Sciences Center of Excellence, South Dakota State University, Brookings
  • Postdoctoral fellow, February 2014 - October 2017, Geospatial Sciences Center of Excellence, South Dakota State University, Brookings
  • Research associate, November 2013 - January 2014, Department of Geography and Resource Management, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Department(s)

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