Catherine Nakalembe uses satellite technology and machine learning to monitor smallholder farming and improve disaster preparedness. As the director of NASA Harvest’s Africa program, she supports millions of farmers while strengthening food security on the continent.
Dr. Catherine Nakalembe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geographical Sciences at the University of Maryland. In her role as the NASA Harvest Africa Lead and Agriculture and Food Security Thematic Lead on NASA's SERVIR Applied Sciences Team, she applies her extensive expertise in satellite remote sensing, AI and machine learning to conduct groundbreaking research and develop applications aimed at advancing agriculture, climate change, supporting food security initiative, mapping land use, facilitating disaster response and humanitarian aid, and enhancing climate resilience with a focus on Africa.
She received her Ph.D. in Geographical Science from the University of Maryland, a Master's in Geography and Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, and a B.Sc. Environmental Science from Makerere University Kampala, Uganda
Dr. Nakalembe has received numerous awards and honors for her work, including the prestigious Al Sumait Prize, the 2022 Golden Jubilee Medal (the highest civilian award in Uganda), the 2020 Africa Food Prize (the preeminent award recognizing an outstanding individual or institution that is leading the effort to change the reality of farming in Africa), and a 2019 GEO Individual Excellence Award for her dedication to improving food security in Africa through the enhanced use of Earth observations.
Areas of Expertise
Agriculture and Food Security, Artificial Intelligence, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Response, Early Warning, Machine Learning, Satellite Earth Observations, Sustainability