Process-based modeling of rice agroecosystems
I use the ecosys process-based ecosystem model to simulate rice agroecosystems.
Advised by Professor Kaiyu Guan.
Qi Jia (Jerry) Sun
Ph.D. student in Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
I study ecosystem dynamics using remote sensing, ecological observations, and machine learning. My Ph.D. work will be at the intersection of machine learning and agriculture.
01
Research
My work sits at the intersection of ecology, Earth observation, and quantitative methods.
Current affiliation
Previous affiliations · University of California, Berkeley
Hyperspectral diversity and plant communities
I analyze how hyperspectral diversity metrics—including coefficients of variation and convex-hull volumes—relate to plant lineage, trait, and species diversity. The work uses spectral preprocessing such as Savitzky–Golay filtering and continuum removal.
Advised by Professor Stephanie Pau.
Satellite estimates of rangeland productivity
I compare satellite-derived net primary productivity with in-situ above- and below-ground measurements, using Rangeland Analysis Platform and Planet data to study where remote estimates succeed and where they can improve.
Advised by Professor Laureano A. Gherardi.
Thermal ecology of Aegean wall lizards
I studied orange, yellow, and white color morphs across the Greek Cyclades to understand how thermal physiology and microhabitat variability may help maintain phenotypic diversity under climate change.
Advised by Professor Kinsey Brock.
02
Selected papers
Publication in progress
Shifting the Focus from Invasive Species to Novel Communities with Remote Sensing
Honors thesis · 2024
Using Carbon Fluxes and Spectral Bands to Model Ecosystem Processes in Wetlands
My UC Berkeley senior thesis investigated how carbon-flux observations and spectral measurements can be combined to characterize wetland ecosystem processes.
Advised by Professor Dennis Baldocchi.
Machine learning · 2019
A Machine Learning Analysis of the Features in Deceptive and Credible News
A study of linguistic features that distinguish credible and deceptive news, including a K-nearest-neighbors classifier evaluated on the project dataset.
03
Industry experience
Engineering and quantitative work that complements my research background.
May 2025–August 2026
Software Engineer · Google
Designed configuration systems, validation APIs, and reliable data-sharing workflows for large-scale products.
Summer 2023
Quantitative Trading Intern · Susquehanna International Group
Built tools for analyzing FX variance, correlation, and value decay around macroeconomic events, along with real-time data workflows for traders.
Summer 2022
Software Engineering Intern · Smartsheet
Developed data infrastructure and an internal interface for monitoring blueprint health and reducing system overload.
04
Teaching
UC Berkeley · 2022–2024
Teaching Assistant, CS 188: Artificial Intelligence
Taught weekly sections, developed course materials, and helped prepare assessments for a course serving approximately 900 students.
2020–2026
Co-founder, Canadian Geography Workshops
Created and taught workshops that prepared Team Canada students for the International Geography Olympiad.
2023–present
Problem Writer, Canadian Geography Challenge
Developed national-level geography problems spanning physical, human, and environmental geography.
05
Education & honors
2026–present
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Ph.D. student, Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences
2020–2024
University of California, Berkeley
B.S. Environmental Science with honors and B.A. Computer Science
Selected recognition
- Royal Canadian Geographical Society Fellow2022
- Kara and Josh Fisher CNR Undergraduate Enrichment Fund2024
- UC Berkeley SURF Grant2022
- International Geography Olympiad, Team Canada2019