I have a PhD in Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing from the University of Tehran (the first ranking in Iran) and a MSc degree in Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing from the same university. 

Currently, I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth Observation Science (EOS) at the Faculty ITC, University of Twente. I have focused on the application of my drone-related expertise with AI to make an impact in Geoinformation science to address the Global challenges, especially in the Global South.

Specifically, I am working on multi-scale data fusion—integrating satellite-, drone-, and ground-based observations—to enhance the detail and accuracy of extracted information. In particular, drones play a crucial role in bridging ground-based and spaceborne observations, helping to fill gaps in low boundary layer measurements.

Education and key qualifications

Current position

Previous positions

Supervision of graduate students

Currently, I am supervising three PhD students (two will defend in early 2025, and one has recently accomplished his qualifier at the University of Twente), two master's students, and two master's internship projects. In addition, I have supervised three graduated PhD students (one has continued as an assistant professor, one is a scientific researcher, and one has just graduated and plans to start a post-doc position after her parental leave). Across my career, I have supervised more than 25 master's and five bachelor's students.

Research achievements

Throughout my career, I have been driven by a passion for leveraging technology to address real-world challenges. My overarching vision is to create innovative solutions that combine and harness the power of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs/drones), data fusion, and artificial intelligence (AI) to advance our understanding of environmental systems and improve societal well-being. This vision has guided my journey, from my early fascination with UAVs and their potential for Earth observation, to my dedication to advancing data fusion and AI techniques. During my PhD, I focused on using UAVs and multi-sensor data fusion, exploring how integrating diverse observations can enhance accuracy and resource utilization. This work resulted in over 10 published articles and laid the foundation for my further research career. My interest in UAVs began 14 years ago at an airshow, where I was captivated by their potential to transform environmental observation. Since then, I have dedicated significant efforts to developing UAV systems, equipping them with innovative sensors, and applying them to variant applications—work that has yielded over 20 publications and numerous successful student theses. I was also involved in a drone based mapping software development team, and the scientific solution I proposed for plant protection at the national level for the first time was greatly applied for pest/stress detection and appreciated by FAO. Six years ago, I began integrating AI into my research as a transformative tool for modelling and information extraction. This interdisciplinary approach has led to significant advancements, with over 10 publications and the guidance of multiple graduate students in applying AI to real-world problems.

Editorial Roles

• Guest Editor: Special issue “Advances in Remote Sensing of Geophysical Surveys Based on UAV,” Remote Sensing Journal
• Topical Advisory Panel Member: “Drones in Agriculture and Forestry,” Drones Journal
• Associate Editor and Editorial Board Member: GIScience Journal

Invited Academic Roles

• External Examiner for PhD Thesis: University of Cape Town, South Africa
• External PhD and Master student Supervisor: SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (USA), Ghent University (Belgium), University of Tehran (Iran)
• External Bachelor Thesis Examiner: TNW Faculty, University of Twente, Netherlands

Recognitions and Invitations

• First Author of a Journal-Featured Paper Selected for Reader Engagement (see paper #5 above)
• Invited Author: Five papers in high-impact journals in Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing with full APC waiver
• Invited Speaker at (1) the 2nd Global Photonics, Optics, and Lasers Conference (GPOLC2025) and (2) the Global Conference on Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (GCMAE2025; included paper registration and accommodation discount)
• Webinar Organizer: “NERF and AI for 3D Modeling”

Consulting and Evaluation

• Consultancy Provided: Research and development projects for industrial companies
• Patent Reviewer and Evaluator

Journal Reviewer: I reviewed over 30 manuscripts for more than 20 prestigious journals, including:

• ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Elsevier
• International Journal of Digital Earth, Taylor & Francis
• Scientific Reports, Springer Nature
• Remote Sensing, MDPI
• Remote Sensing of Environment, Elsevier
• IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, IEEE

Scientific Committee Membership

• ISPRS Geo-Spatial Week (GSW 2025, 2023)
• SEFI Annual Conference 2024
• ISPRS Technical Commission IV Midterm Symposium 2024
• IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium 2024
• International GeoSpatial Conference 2022

Funding and projects

• 2024-current; UAV photogrammetry: online educational landscape, ISPRS educational initiatives; Co-PI
• 2024-current; Strengthening water and health security in Europe’s marginalized communities, NWO Open competition XS; WP leader
• 2022-2023; Challenge-based learning for UAV photogrammetry, ISPRS educational initiatives; PI
• 2022-2023; Challenge-based learning for teaching UAV photogrammetry in food security, ECIU; PI
• 2021- current; ITC faculty, University of Twente, UAV center; Initiator and WP leader
• 2016-2017; UAV-based plant disease monitoring system, Plant protection organization, Tehran; PI
• 2015-2016; Tehran large-scale map generation based on digital aerial imagery, Municipality of Tehran; Co-PI
• 2012-2013; Tehran large-scale map generation based on analog aerial imagery, Municipality of Tehran; Co-PI