Dr. Chunyuan Diao

Associate Professor

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Biography

Chunyuan Diao is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Illinois. His research interests lie at the intersection of remote sensing, Geographic Information Science (GIScience), and biogeography. Diao's current work focuses on computational remote sensing, studying terrestrial ecosystem dynamics at both local and global spatial scales, as well as daily to decadal temporal scales. He is particularly interested in advancing computational remote sensing paradigms to better characterize land surface patterns and processes, as well as the underlying mechanisms that influence the feedbacks to the atmosphere. Diao integrates remote sensing, process-based modeling, field observations, artificial intelligence, and high-performance cloud computing to investigate ecosystem structure, function, and responses to climate change and human activities. His ongoing research traverses various types of ecosystems, including natural (e.g., forests), human-dominated (e.g., agriculture), and disturbed (e.g., species invasion) ecosystems. Current research focal points include computational remote sensing, multi-scale land surface phenology, intelligent agriculture, and biodiversity of invasive species.

Research Interests

Experience

Associate Professor, Director Graduate Studies

2015-08-01 — Present

University of Illinois • Urbana, IL

Lead and oversee graduate studies in the Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science.

Awards

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AAG Fellow

2024-01-01
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C. Gunsalus Scholar

2024-01-01
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UCGIS Early/Mid-Career Research Award

2023-01-01
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Teacher Ranked Excellent

2023-01-01
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Young Scholar Award

2022-01-01
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NSF CAREER Award

2021-01-01
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Early Career Investigator Award

2021-01-01
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Early Career Scholars Remote Sensing Award

2020-01-01
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Microsoft AI Earth Award

2019-01-01
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CISE CRII Award

2019-01-01
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Teacher Ranked Excellent

2019-01-01
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Arnold O. Beckman Research Award

2018-01-01
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Teacher Ranked Excellent

2018-01-01
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Robert N. Colwell Memorial Fellowship

2017-01-01

Courses

GGIS 477 - Intro Remote Sensing GGIS 478 - Techniques Remote Sensing GGIS 489 - Programming GIS

Requirements for University of Illinois

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
IELTS
Listening
Required:7
Reading
Required:7
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:17
Reading
Required:19
Writing
Required:21
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:103
GRE General
Prerequisites
Mathematical background Linear Algebra Calculus
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • Academic Statement of Purpose
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

GRE is optional for admission to all graduate programs in Statistics. Full status admission requires higher language scores than limited status.