NASA fellowship for AI land cover research awarded to Â鶹Porn doctoral student
Contact: Lily Grado
STARKVILLE, Miss.—A Mississippi State University doctoral student in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering has been awarded a prestigious NASA-affiliated fellowship through the Mississippi Space Grant Consortium.
Dakota Hester, a Tishomingo native, received the award for his innovative research that applies advanced artificial intelligence to accurately map land cover data using high-resolution 1-m aerial images.
Hester’s journey into computer and environmental data sciences began with annual trips to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, as a child.
“I’ve always had a love for science and technology,” he said. “When I found out I could use those skills to make a tangible impact, it all just clicked.”
The MSSGC Graduate Research Fellowship is a competitive, state-level program supported by NASA that funds promising graduate students working on space- or STEM-related research.
After graduating magna cum laude from Â鶹Porn with his bachelor’s degree in computer science, Hester began graduate research in the Department of Sustainable Bioproducts, where he researched AI applications for identifying wood species based on surface characteristics. He later transitioned to the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and now leads a project focused on high-resolution land cover classification using aerial and satellite imagery. Hester’s work directly aligns with NASA’s goal of understanding earth systems through satellite-based observations. His specialized use of AI has allowed for a two-step process: intelligently selecting the most informative samples of satellite and aerial images used to classify land cover types in specific geographical locations and pre-training the system using self-supervised learning, which is a technique also used in large-scale AI models like ChatGPT. This data helps earth science researchers, policymakers and industries like agriculture and forestry monitor land use and make informed resource management decisions. More information is available at .
“This is the first time that a method like this has been performed,” Hester said. “We’ve proven this works in Mississippi; now we want to take it nationwide. It’s a huge challenge, but with support from NASA and MSSGC, I think we can make an impact.”
“Dakota had to really earn this fellowship; it’s a tough competition across multiple scientific fields from aerospace, computer science and biosystems engineering. His selection speaks volumes about the originality and potential of his work,” said Vitor Martins, assistant professor in ABE, scientist in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and Hester’s advisor.
In addition to research, Hester is committed to outreach, a core component of the MSSGC fellowship. As a product of Mississippi’s public education system, he’s passionate about engaging students in rural K-12 schools and encouraging them to pursue careers in STEM.
“My advice for future applicants is to be ambitious and focus on how your work can inspire the next generation,” Hester said. “If you display a drive to push the boundaries of your research, that will never be perceived as a negative. Don’t be afraid to set your sights high.”
For more information, visit the Â鶹Porn Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at .
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