Dr. Yun Zhang

Dr. Yun Zhang, Professor, P.Eng

Fellow of Canadian Academy of Engineering (FCAE)
Canada Research Chair in Advanced Geomatics Image Processing (2008-2019)
MIT Visiting Professor (2015)


Department of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering
University of New Brunswick
15 Dineen Drive, P.O. Box 4400

Fredericton, NB, Canada, E3B 5A3
Phone: 506-453-5140, E-mail: yunzhang@unb.ca

 

With international research experience Dr. Zhang is an inventor of 11 patented technologies (4 with his students), and 7 patent-pending technologies (1 with his student). The research outcomes of his team resulted in 17 technology licenses. One of the technologies was selected by AUTM for the "Technology Transfer Works: 100 Cases from Research to Realization", together with the technologies from MIT, Stanford, Yale, Columbia and other top universities. He and his students authored 90 plus peer-reviewed journal papers and over 170 refereed conference papers. Dr. Zhang is the recipient of the Talbert Abrams Grand Award of ASPRS, John I. Davidson President's Award of ASPRS, NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation, the First Giuseppe Inghilleri Award of ISPRS, and a nominee of the university teaching award.

 

 

Biography

Received his PhD degree from the Free University of Berlin in 1997, Dr. Zhang has been a faculty member of the Department of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering at the University of New Brunswick since 2000. He is an expert in remote sensing, photogrammetry, and computer vision with substantial research experience in image processing, remote sensing and digital photogrammetry.

Prior to his current position, Dr. Zhang gained solid research experience from and made notable contribution to several leading research institutions worldwide, such as the Technical University of Berlin, German Aerospace Center (DLR), University of Calgary, Wuhan University, and Chinese Academy of Surveying and Mapping, Beijing.

Beyond numerous patents, Dr. Zhang and his research group have developed many innovative technologies and licensed the research results to internationally leading imaging and mapping companies, such as PCI Geomatics, DigitalGlobe, and Intermap Technologies. Some are used by leading industry, government, academic and military organizations globally across the five continents, including NASA, NOAA, US Geological Survey, US Department of Agriculture, Google Earth, Natural Resources Canada and Department of National Defence, Canada.

One of the technologies from his lab was selected as one of 9 Canadian outstanding research achievements for "The Better World Project 2006" and reported in the "Technology Transfer Works: 100 Cases from Research to Realization" by the Association of University Technology Managers (a professional association with more than 3,500 intellectual property managers and business executives from nearly 50 countries). Some other technologies were featured by The 20th Anniversary Book of The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) (2017), and many other media outlets such as CBC News, SNERC News, CFI News, The Globe and Mail, and Radio Canada International.

He is a reviewer of 14 prestigious scholarly journals in the areas of remote sensing, photogrammetry, image processing, computer vision, and artificial intelligence.

Dr. Zhang is the recipient of several prestigious, national and international research awards.

 

 

Education

  • Ph.D., Free University of Berlin/Technical University of Berlin, Germany
  • M.Sc., East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
  • B.Sc.E., Wuhan University, China
 

 

Professional Experience

  • Professor, University of New Brunswick, 2009 - present
  • Canada Research Chair, 2008 - 2018
  • Associate Professor, University of New Brunswick, 2004 - 2009
  • Assistant Professor, University of New Brunswick, 2000 - 2004
  • Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Calgary, 1999 - 2000
  • Research Scientist, German Aerospace Center (DLR), 1997 - 1999
 

 

Distinctions