Directory

NSF CAREER Award Recipient

Dr. Mehmet Kurum received his B.S. degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey, in 2003, followed by his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA, in 2005 and 2009, respectively. He held Postdoctoral and Research Associate positions with the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA. From 2016 to 2022, Dr. Kurum served as an Assistant Professor at Mississippi State University (MSU), and subsequently, he held the position of Associate Professor and the Paul B. Jacob endowed chair until 2023. Currently, he is an Associate Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Georgia, while also serving as an Adjunct Professor at MSU.

Dr. Kurum’s research involves microwave remote sensing from satellite scales to small aerial platforms in environmental sustainability, especially in agriculture. His current research focuses on changing the paradigm of remote sensing methods and developing next-generation technologies and ideas that are more spectrum efficient, more effective and meet the challenges of the present and future spectrum congestion. His portfolio encompasses development of retrieval algorithms and forward EM model simulations in support of the NASA’s SMAP, SNOOPI, NISAR, and CYGNSS satellite missions. He has previously served as the principal investigator on a multitude of research grants funded by federal agencies such as DOD, NASA, NSF, and USDA.