Indiana State University Newsroom

Three Indiana State University graduate students presented their research in Baltimore last month during the annual conference of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS).

With an average of more than 1,000 international attendees each year, the conference is one of the premier gatherings of researchers in the fields served by ASPRS. These include photogrammetry, remote sensing, geographic information systems and other supporting geospatial technologies. This year's theme of "Confluence by the Bay: A gathering of geospatial insights," focused on advances in geospatial analysis.

ISU students Peng Fu, a graduate student in geography from Henan, China, Yuanfan Zheng, a doctoral student in spatial and earth sciences from Fujian, China and Yitong Jiang, a doctoral student in spatial and earth sciences from Sichuan, China were among more than 300 presenters during the five-day event. All three students are students of Qihao Weng, professor of geography and director of the Center for Urban and Environmental Change at ISU.

"Dr. Weng always encourages us to participate in any possible professional development opportunities. He told us that a presentation in conferences would be quite different from teaching in the classroom," said Jiang.

Fu, a recipient of the Western Great Lake region of ASPRS Student Travel Scholarship, said the presentation was the most exciting part of the trip. Both Fu and Jiang gave presentations related to the impact of urbanization on land surface temperature. Following the presentations, the students received questions from the audience and suggestions for future research.

Zheng presented about the classification of tree species in Indianapolis using lidar and high-resolution IKONOS data.

"By presenting and discussing with the audience, I realized both highlights and limitations of my research," he said. Zheng added that the conference provided an opportunity to learn about current technology trends and research methodology.

Microsoft, Google and several other leading technology companies showcased new products during the exhibition. Also, a scientist from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center introduced the world's longest-running Earth-observing satellite program.

Contributing to the conference in a unique way was Jiang, who was selected to work as a student assistant.

"It is great to be involved and the best way to get involved is serving. I'm honored to have the opportunity," she said.

Their travel was supported by the student research fund from the College of Graduate and Professional Studies, Graduate Student Association and the department of earth and environmental sciences.

Photos:http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/photos/i-tcGsgKB/0/L/i-tcGsgKB-L.jpgPeng Fu presents his research at the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing conference in Baltimore. Courtesy Photo

http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/photos/i-C89Q2RL/0/L/i-C89Q2RL-L.jpg Yitong Jiang, Hua Liu, Peng Fu, and Yuanfan Zheng. Hua Liu studied at Indiana State with Qihao Weng,  professor of geography, and she is now working as an assistant professor at Old Dominion University. Courtesy photo

Contact: Qihao Weng, professor of geography and director for the Center for Urban and Environmental Change at Indiana State University, qweng@indstate.edu or 812-237-2255