ASU professor to deliver AGU’s 2024 Greg Leptoukh Lecture

Wenwen Li, professor in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University, is being honored by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) to deliver the 2024 Greg Leptoukh Lecture. This prestigious recognition underscores Li’s significant contributions to the fields of Earth and space sciences, particularly in computational and data sciences.

AGU, the world's largest Earth and space science association, honors individuals and teams annually for their transformative research, education, and outreach efforts. The Greg Leptoukh Lecture, presented during AGU's annual meeting, highlights achievements in computational and data science, fostering further innovation in these fields. Li is the second GIS scientist to receive this honor, following Dr. Dawn Wright, ESRI chief scientist, who was honored in 2015.

Expressing her gratitude, Li stated, "I am truly honored and humbled to receive this recognition. My career has been shaped and inspired by many pioneers in Earth and information sciences, particularly where these fields intersect. Through this lecture and my future work, I hope to carry forward Dr. Greg Leptoukh’s legacy by using big data and AI to advance the intelligent digital future of Earth science.”

Li is acclaimed globally for her extensive research and dedication to informatics, computational, and data sciences. She has authored over 100 published journal articles in prominent publications such as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, with over 5,000 citations and an H-index of 41. Her innovative research in cyberinfrastructure, big data and geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI) has earned her notable accolades, including the Early CAREER Award (2015) and the Mid-Career Advancement Award (2021) from the US National Science Foundation (NSF).

As part of her NSF CAREER award, she has dedicated her efforts to advancing cyberinfrastructure research in building a knowledge-driven cyberinfrastructure that connects data silos and enhances the discoverability and usability of distributed big data. Among her notable contributions is spearheading PolarHub, a cyber-search tool she developed with her team. PolarHub facilitates access to and integration of Earth science data, supporting research in polar ecosystems and addressing climate change impacts. It has cataloged nearly 200,000 datasets and 1.7 million unique data layers from 105 countries, serving users in 27 countries. PolarHub is also utilized by communities focused on wildfire, water quality, and biodiversity conservation, contributing to a national-scale open knowledge network for data-driven research and decision-making.

Li’s recent research continues to push boundaries by integrating data science with Earth science through the development of advanced GeoAI methods. Her work is crucial for intelligent, large-scale mapping of Earth’s changing environment, particularly in response to natural disasters and climate change. In collaboration with a multidisciplinary team led by the Woodwell Climate Research Center and funded by a $5 million grant from Google.org, the open-access resource uses satellite data and artificial intelligence technology to make it possible to track Arctic permafrost thaw in near real time. This research aids Arctic communities in understanding environmental changes and developing adaptation strategies to mitigate the effects of Arctic warming, such as infrastructure damage, coastal erosion, and disruptions to ecosystems.

Li’s selection for the Greg Leptoukh Lecture further highlights her exemplary career, adding to her recent honors, including being elected as a Fellow of the American Association of Geographers and the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science. She joins a distinguished group of scientists and leaders recognized by AGU for their significant contributions to advancing science and supporting a sustainable future.

The AGU24 meeting, where Li will be honored, is scheduled for December 9-13, 2024, in Washington, D.C., and online. This event, themed “What’s Next for Science,” will draw over 25,000 attendees globally, celebrating groundbreaking achievements and inspiring continued progress in scientific research and discovery.