About
Dr. Derek R. Peddle is a Full Professor in the Department of Geography at The University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. He holds a Ph.D. in Geography/Remote Sensing from the University of Waterloo, M.Sc. in Geography from the University of Calgary, and B.Sc. Honours in Computer Science and Geography from Memorial University of Newfoundland. His academic career began in 1996 as an Assistant Professor, advancing to Associate Professor in 1999 and Full Professor in 2006.
Research interests span remote sensing, GIS, and earth system science modeling with applications in global environmental change, forestry, agriculture, water resources, and mountain terrain analysis. Key methodologies include spectral mixture analysis, canopy reflectance modeling, algorithm development, and multi-temporal GIS analysis across scales from centimetres to global coverage.
Major research projects include NASA's BOREAS (Boreal Forest Ecosystem Atmosphere Study), alpine terrain analysis in the Canadian Rockies, precision agriculture studies, and watershed analyses. He has developed specialized software for geomorphometric processing, image texture analysis, and hyperspectral data processing.
Awards and Honors
- Fulbright Senior Fellowship in Environment and Climate Change (1999-2000)
- Canada-U.S. Fulbright Distinguished Visiting Research Chair (2006)
- NASA Visiting Scientist Award at Goddard Space Flight Center (1994)
- National Best Ph.D. Thesis Award in Remote Sensing (1997)
- Alberta Centennial Medal (2005)
- Six Best Paper Awards at international/national symposia
Academic Leadership
- National Past-Chair of Canadian Remote Sensing Society
- Associate Editor, Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing
- NSERC CREATE AMETHYST Program Coordinator
- Faculty representative on University Board of Governors and Senate (2003-2005)
Research Infrastructure
Directs a laboratory equipped with ASD-FR spectroradiometers, hemispherical photography systems, field goniometers, GPS units, and advanced computing resources for PCI, ENVI, and ARC-GIS processing. Manages the NSERC-funded CREATE AMETHYST program for hyperspectral science training.
