Postdoctoral Research Associate: GeoAI and Remote Sensing for Invasive Species Ecology

The Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) Lab at the University of Florida, led by Dr. Di Yang, is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to join a new, multi-institutional research project focused on the invasive grass Ventenata dubia (VEDU). This project is a collaboration with experts at the University of Montana (Spatial Analysis Lab) and Boise State University. The successful candidate will lead the development and implementation of cutting-edge remote sensing and machine learning techniques to address critical questions about invasive species surveillance and invasion dynamics.

Key Research Themes

Key research themes include:

• 1) characterizing invasion resistance
• 2) assessing the role of phenotypic plasticity in its competitive success
• and 3) developing robust methods for spectral phenotyping using ground, drone, and satellite-based sensors

Core Responsibilities

Core responsibilities include:

• designing data acquisition campaigns across multiple platforms (ground, drone, satellite)
• developing machine learning models for multi-sensor data analysis
• creating analytical workflows for species discrimination
• integrating remote sensing data with ecological field data
• collaborating with partner institutions
• publishing research
• mentoring students within the GeoAI Lab

Required Qualifications

Required qualifications include:

• a Ph.D. (by start date) in Remote Sensing, Geography, Biology, Geospatial Science, Environmental Science, Ecology, or a closely related field
• strong proficiency in programming, particularly Python and Google Earth Engine (GEE) for geospatial analysis and data science

The intended start date is flexible, ideally for the Spring 2026 semester, with a full-time, 12-month appointment. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and continue until the position is filled.