Zhe Zhang
Texas A&M University
Geography
Biography
Dr. Zhe Zhang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at Texas A&M University. Dr. Zhang has served as Chair of the Cyberinfrastructure Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers and was elected to the Board of Directors of the Cartography and Geographic Information Society. She also serves as Chair of the Research Committee of the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science. Her research focuses on developing spatial decision support systems by integrating advanced cyberinfrastructure, geospatial artificial intelligence, and participatory design to address critical challenges in disaster management and sustainability. Dr. Zhang serves as the Co-Principal Investigator of the Texas A&M FASTER High-Performance Supercomputer (over $3 million) and as a Co-Investigator of the Texas A&M ACES Supercomputer (over $12 million), both supported by the NSF. In addition, she serves as Principal Investigator on eight externally funded grants from (NSF, NASA, USDOT, NOAA, and National Geographic Society), totaling over $3 million. Dr. Zhang has been honored to receive both the Pathways Award from Texas A&M Faculty Affairs and the National Science Foundation CAREER Award in recognition of her impactful research.
SRP Project Title
Utilizing NAIRR Pilot Resources for Building Sustainable Blue Economy
NAIRR Project
Utilizing NAIRR Pilot Resources for Building Sustainable Blue Economy
Topical Areas
Educational Sciences; Environmental Biology; Environmental Biotechnology; Environmental Engineering; Other Earth and Environmental Sciences
Abstract
The Gulf of America faces significant challenges for Blue Economy research, including environmental degradation from pollution and overfishing, as well as the impacts of natural disasters. These issues strain marine ecosystems and coastal communities, creating barriers to sustainability. Similarly, the mid-Atlantic region, such as Maryland, suffers from agriculture, urban runoff, and industrial activities that degrade water quality and significantly impact fish populations and the overall health of the fishery. Hawaii, meanwhile, encounters unique challenges due to its geographic isolation and heavy reliance on ocean resources. This project aims to address these challenges by establishing coordinated efforts to improve Blue Economy research in these regions, enhancing funding for innovative research, and strengthening partnerships across sectors to build a Blue Economy research network. This project will bring together students, faculty, and researchers from U.S. institutions, along with participants from broad fields, including GIScience, oceanography, computer science, biology, and civil engineering. The goal is to promote AI education and workforce development in Blue Economy research. Nowadays, AI has transformative potential to enhance blue economy research by providing advanced tools for data analysis, modeling, and decision-making.
Desired Skills
The workshop will offer training opportunities to help research communities effectively navigate NAIRR pilot resources, including learning how to access and use these resources for ocean and coastal sustainability analysis. All workshop and training materials will be made publicly available through a project GitHub repository and website, ensuring broad accessibility and ongoing learning opportunities. Participants will learn skills of cyberinfrastructure and high-performance computing, oceanography, disaster management, and coastal resilience planning.
Lightning Talk Title
Utilizing NAIRR Pilot Resources for Building Sustainable Blue Economy
Keywords
NAIRR, Cyberinfrastructure, Blue Economy, Artificial Intelligence, Oceanography, GIScience