Manzhu Yu

Manzhu Yu is an Associate Professor of Geography at the Department of Geography, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University. She directs the Geoinformatics and Earth Observation Laboratory and serves as an Associate of the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS). Her research spans spatiotemporal theories, deep learning, and natural hazard mitigation, with a focus on extreme weather events.

• B.Sc. in Remote Sensing, Wuhan University (2012)
• Ph.D. in Earth System and Geoinformation Science, George Mason University (2017)

Yu’s work integrates big data analytics and cloud computing to address challenges in atmospheric modeling, environmental informatics, and sustainability. Her recent publications highlight innovations in PM2.5 forecasting, wildfire dynamics, and Arctic accessibility. She received the E. Willard and Ruby S. Miller Faculty Fellow award for 2022-2027.

Notable scientific awards include:

• Best Paper Competition First Place
• Outstanding Ph.D. Award
• First Place at Robert Raskin Student Competition (2021)

Yu actively advises graduate students (e.g., Arif Masrur) and leads funded projects such as:

• "Forest biodiversity modeling through deep learning" (ICDS Co-PI, 2023)
• "Low-cost sensors for air pollution exposure" (PI, 2022)
• "Single column model for environmental investigations" (Co-PI, 2022)