Synthetic Aperture Radar: Ecosystems

Franz J. Meyer serves as Professor of Remote Sensing at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Chief Scientist of NASA's Alaska Satellite Facility, where he has revolutionized radar remote sensing applications and education. After spending nearly two decades developing processing techniques for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data with space agencies worldwide, he has established himself as a leading authority in radar remote sensing applications for natural hazard monitoring. His research spans surface deformation analysis, including earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, with significant contributions to ionospheric correction methods for SAR data and flood mapping using multi-temporal satellite imagery. As an educator, he has led transformative initiatives including the NASA-funded SAR Capacity Building Center at UAF, developing training materials and workshops focused on communities in Central and South America. His commitment to education earned him the prestigious IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society Education Award in 2024 for significant contributions to geoscience and remote sensing education. Known in the community as the "SAR evangelist," he has trained thousands of students globally through his edX courses in synthetic aperture radar, with nearly 8,000 students completing his three-course SAR series. His work has garnered over 4,300 citations, establishing him as a influential figure in remote sensing research and education while maintaining active collaborations with organizations in Niger, Nepal, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Germany, and France.

Africa Ixmucane Flores-Anderson serves as Research Scientist at the Earth System Science Center, University of Alabama Huntsville, where she leads SERVIR's Land Cover Land Use Change & Ecosystems initiatives. After earning her degree in agricultural engineering from the University of San Carlos, Guatemala, and master's from UAH, she has built an extraordinary career combining satellite technology with environmental protection. Her groundbreaking work includes developing lake forecasting systems to predict harmful algal blooms in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, using artificial intelligence and satellite data. As SERVIR's lead scientist, she helps decision-makers across Latin America, Africa, and Asia address environmental challenges through Earth observation data and geospatial technologies. Her achievements earned her recognition as a National Geographic Explorer and International Changemaker in 2019, while her research spans water quality monitoring, forest change mapping, and ecosystem analysis. Currently pursuing her PhD in Natural Resource Sciences at McGill University, she continues to advance environmental monitoring through projects like the NASA-funded collaboration with SilvaCarbon, which produced a handbook on using synthetic aperture radar for forest monitoring. Her work exemplifies the power of satellite technology to protect natural resources and empower communities, particularly in regions with limited scientific infrastructure.