Professor honored as fellow for pioneering work in geospatial AI, geographic information science

Wenwen Li, professor with the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University, was named a UCGIS Fellow for her “extraordinary record of accomplishments, service and contributions to the advancement of geographic information science and applications.”

The honor was given during the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) Symposium held June 6–9 at Yale University. 

The UCGIS Fellow Program was established in 2010, with the aim to acknowledge individuals “who have contributed to the advancement of geographic information science and technology. The status of UCGIS Fellow is bestowed on the recipient who has had an extraordinary record of accomplishments in any of the spatial disciplines and communities of practice that use spatial information to complement and support their business operations or academic activities.”

“It is a great honor to be elected as a UCGIS Fellow,” Li said. “I am thrilled to be joining the elite group of scholars and look forward to working together to continue advancing GIScience and furthering the mission of UCGIS.”

Li’s research centers on cyberinfrastructure and big data, as well as developing new spatial analysis methods and tools to address pressing real-world problems that threaten the environmental health and sustainable development of the world, including natural disasters, Arctic warming and water access inequality. In recent years, Li has conducted pioneering research and education in artificial intelligence and has facilitated its transdisciplinary expansion to the geospatial world. As a result, she has become widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading scientists responsible for the emergence of GeoAI research. Li’s research also includes developing novel real-time scientific data visualization tools, such as PolarGlobe, to support global climate studies.

This fellow status adds to a growing list of accolades for Li, who has also been awarded the prestigious CAREER and Mid-Career Advancement awards from the National Science Foundation. Earlier this year, she was named as a fellow of the American Association of Geographers and a Max Kade Foundation Visiting Professor to Heidelberg University.