MSI PI Rui Cheng (assistant professor, Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering) is leading a new project sponsored by the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center (MITPPC), “Remotely diagnosing early symptoms of emerald ash borer infestation across an advancing edge of infestation.” The project began in April 2025 and will run through 2028. The researchers are seeking to determine if remote-sensing capabilities will be able to determine the presence of emerald ash borer before the infestation advances beyond where it can be treated.
Professor Cheng uses MSI resources for research involving raw satellite images, using them to detect motions on Earth and to track the variations of these motions over time in response to climate change, natural disturbances, and human activities.