Qian Yu

Qian Yu serves as an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director for Geography within the Department of Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences at the School of Earth and Sustainability, University of Massachusetts Amherst. She earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the University of California at Berkeley and maintains active research collaborations with Central Michigan University, UMass-Boston, USGS MA-RI Water Resources Center, and Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory.

Her academic foundation:

• Ph.D. in Environmental Science, University of California at Berkeley

Dr. Yu specializes in environmental geography using GIS, remote sensing, and spatial modeling to investigate complex environmental systems. Her research focuses on riverine carbon export through in situ spectral measurements and hyperspectral remote sensing (collaborating with Yong Tian and Bob Chen), aquatic biomass monitoring with satellite imagery (with USGS), object-based vegetation classification from high-resolution imagery, and greenhouse gas emissions/soil respiration studies (with Jim Tang at Woods Hole). Her methodologies advance understanding of carbon cycling, water quality dynamics, and ecosystem responses to environmental change across coastal and inland waters.

Analysis of her 2021-2025 publications reveals concentrated expertise in blue carbon mapping of Northeast US salt marshes using LiDAR and optical remote sensing, alongside innovative work on suspended particulate matter, dissolved organic carbon, and foliar nutrient concentrations. She integrates multi-sensor satellite data (Landsat, Sentinel, GOES) to develop high-resolution environmental monitoring frameworks applicable to climate change mitigation and resource management.

Scientific recognition is demonstrated through sustained partnerships with major research institutions including USGS and Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory, though specific awards are not documented in available sources.

As Graduate Program Director, Dr. Yu leads geography graduate education while directing research supported by collaborative grants with Central Michigan University, UMass-Boston, USGS, and Woods Hole. Her work involves field campaigns for spectral data collection and algorithm development for environmental monitoring, operating within interdisciplinary frameworks that bridge remote sensing technology and ecological applications.