De Li Liu is a Principal Research Scientist at the NSW Department of Primary Industries and an Adjunct Professor at Charles Sturt University . With over 26 years of experience, his research focuses on crop growth models, climate variability, and climate change impacts on agricultural systems. PhD , University of New England, Australia (1991) B.Sc. , Southwest University (formerly Southwest Agricultural University) (1982) His work involves developing advanced tools like the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Tool (CCAST) and weather generator-based statistical downscaling model (WG_SDSM) to address climate challenges in agriculture. Key projects include modeling climate change effects on water availability and crop production in NSW and Cambodia. He has contributed to over 80 refereed journals, with recent publications exploring climate projections, bias correction in climate models, and soil science applications. Professional affiliations include membership in the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation , Australian Society of Agronomy , and Modelling and Simulation Society of Australian and New Zealand . Dr. Liu's research integrates climate science , agricultural modeling , and GIS technologies to create actionable insights for sustainable farming practices under climate uncertainty.
PD Dr. Laura Dietrich is a Senior Tutor at the Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology , Freie Universität Berlin, and associated with the Austrian Archaeological Institute . Specializes in Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeology across Europe, Anatolia, and the Andes Research focuses on monumentality at Göbekli Tepe Investigates cereal processing and storage systems Studies Andean terrace agriculture and settlement dynamics Examines metal deposition practices and regional cultural paradigms Her recent publications analyze: Early Neolithic seasonality patterns Pedo-geoarchaeological approaches to agricultural terraces Stone tool functionality and use-wear analysis Archaeological interpretation of special buildings Ritual contexts in Balkan and Levantine prehistory
Dr. Surya Gupta is a PostDoc researcher at the University of Basel's Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, working within the FG Alewell research group. He joined the university in April 2022 after completing his Ph.D. at ETH Zurich. His research focuses on the intersection of soil science, hydrology, and remote sensing applications, with particular emphasis on digital soil mapping and the relationship between soil properties and erosion processes. Education: Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences (2018-2021), ETH Zurich M.Tech in Remote Sensing and GIS (2013-2015), Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun B.Tech in Agricultural Engineering (2009-2013), Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana Dr. Gupta's research primarily centers on soil hydraulic properties and their applications in environmental modeling. His work involves developing advanced methods for global and national digital mapping of soil properties, particularly saturated hydraulic conductivity and van Genuchten parameters. He investigates the complex relationship between soil erosion and soil hydraulic properties, examining how incorporating hydraulic properties changes soil erosion modeling outcomes. A significant portion of his research focuses on machine learning applications in soil science, where he works on reducing clustering and overfitting in algorithms while developing Pedo-Transfer Functions (PTFs) and Covariate-based GeoTransfer Functions (CoGTFs). His methodological approach combines extensive field data with remote sensing datasets and sophisticated computational techniques to address critical environmental questions related to soil health and water management. Analysis of Dr. Gupta's recent publications reveals a strong focus on global-scale soil property mapping using machine learning approaches. His research demonstrates increasing sophistication in integrating legacy soil data with modern environmental covariates to produce high-resolution global datasets. A notable trend is his work bridging soil physics with practical applications in erosion modeling and agricultural management, particularly in how soil hydraulic properties influence crop responses to climate variability. His publications span top-tier journals in soil science, hydrology, and environmental modeling, indicating strong recognition within these interdisciplinary fields. Dr. Gupta has demonstrated exceptional productivity with numerous first-author publications in high-impact journals. His collaborative network is extensive, working with researchers across multiple institutions in Switzerland, Europe, and India. While no specific major grants are mentioned in the provided text, his publication record suggests involvement in significant research projects addressing global soil and water challenges. As part of the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Basel, Dr. Gupta contributes to the institution's strong research profile in environmental systems science. His work aligns with the department's focus on understanding complex Earth system processes and human-environment interactions, particularly through the integration of field observations, remote sensing, and computational modeling approaches.
