Dr. Yongqin Zhang Associate Professor, Director of the Graduate Program Master of Applied Science in Geospatial Information Technologies Department of Biological Science Delta State University Cleveland, MS Tel: 662-846-4251; Fax 662-846-4798 Email: yzhang@deltastate.edu

       Dr. Yongqin Zhang is an Associate Professor in Geospatial Information Technologies (GIT) and the founding Director of the Master of Applied Science in Geospatial Information Technologies (MAS-GIT) program at Delta State University (DSU).  Dr. Zhang developed this master degree program that is now designated a “Signature Program” at DSU.  She has advised many graduates in receiveing the degree and various awards and achievements.  

       Dr. Zhang received her Ph.D. degree from the University of Toronto, Canada. Her Ph.D. research was awarded the National Best Ph. D. Thesis for its significant contribution to applications of cutting-edge geospatial technologies to natural resources. Her bachelor and master degrees were from the Nanjing Institute of Meteorology, China.  She received a nationally prestigious Postdoctoral Fellowship Award of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC PDF) for postdoctoral research.  Then she worked as a research scientist in the Canadian federal government Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada before joining DSU. 

       Dr. Zhang has broad education and research backgrounds, and considerable teaching, research, administration and professional experiences. She has secured various research grants as a PI or co-PI. She established a GIT research program and research lab at DSU. Her research has been internationally recognized with over 70 publications, presentations and book chapters.  Her publications have been cited 575 times by ISI Web of Science.  A number of prestigious awards also recognized her research excellence, i.e., the most highly recognized NSERC PDF award; Graduate Student Research Award from the University of Toronto and Ontario Association of Remote Sensing.  She developed a standard practice of using digital hemispheric photography in vegetation measurements for the North American Carbon Program and Canadian Carbon Program. Dr. Zhang has received numerous research funding from the Ellucian Service, Technology for Higher Education, SunGard Higher Education Solutions etc. to conduct research projects and establish a research program at DSU.  Her academic publications include 28 peer reviewed journal papers on top ranked journals, 36 conference proceedings and posters, 7 book chapters and 8 project reports to governments. 

       Dr. Zhang has broad education and research backgrounds, and considerable teaching, research, administration and service experiences.  She has worked and studied in a range of academic and professional environments that enables her reach out to faculty members and students with diverse backgrounds. Dr. Zhang received several awards in recognition of her teaching excellence at DSU, such as the Connected Educator and Highest Course Evaluation Response Rate Award. She has developed 12 graduate and undergraduate courses in cutting-edge geospatial technologies, hydrology and climatology.  Her teaching is highly evaluated by students, with overall score of 4.2 to 4.8 out of 5.  She has advised over 90 graduate students in research projects and master thesis at DSU, and guided interns and researchers at Canadian government, York University and the University of Toronto. 

       Dr. Zhang has been serving on many professional societies nationally and internationally.  She is a reviewer for several journals in the field, a member of several professional organizations, and a research scientist of the Science and Education Team of the Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program.  She is the chair of MAS-GIT committee and a member of several committees on campus.  She has organized and chaired many international conferences and workshops.

       To learn more detials about Dr. Zhang, read Dr. Zhang's CV here.

       Selected research work of Dr. Zhang and her students, read Research here.  

       Any questions about admission, program, classes, research project, study abroad program and supporting documents etc., please contact her directly.