Sorin Popescu

Dr. Sorin Popescu is a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology (ECCB) at Texas A&M University, affiliated with the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. He serves as Principal Investigator on NASA’s ICESat-2 mission team, focusing on lidar remote sensing of vegetation structure and UAS applications. His research integrates spatial sciences and remote sensing to address environmental challenges like forest biomass estimation, carbon sequestration, and habitat conservation.

Education:

• Bachelor’s in Forest Engineering from Transylvania University, Romania
• PhD in Forestry from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
• Postdoctoral study at Virginia Tech

Research Interests: Remote sensing of vegetation structure, lidar and UAS technologies, forest biophysical parameters (e.g., biomass, tree height), land-use change, and environmental monitoring. He develops algorithms and software tools for multisensor data fusion and lidar analysis.

Recent Research Trends: Articles emphasize ICESat-2 applications in canopy height mapping, biomass estimation, and climate change impacts. Studies include hurricane damage assessment, sea level rise effects on habitats, and agricultural precision technologies.

Awards:

• 2018 Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award
• 2017 ESSM Excellence Award
• 2014 ASPRS Outstanding Workshop Instructor
• 2008 NASA New Investigator Award

Teaching & Advising: Teaches remote sensing courses (ESSM 444/655/656) and co-develops UAS curriculum. Advised 16 graduate students (7 doctoral) since 2003. Active in interdisciplinary research and graduate education.

Labs & Teams: Leads the Lidar Applications for the Study of Ecosystems with Remote Sensing (LASERS) Lab, collaborating on global environmental projects with NASA and international partners.