Cheng Tao
Prof.
University college London

Prof. Tao Cheng, FAcSS, is Professor of Geoinformatics and Vice-Dean (International) at University College London. She founded the UCL SpaceTimeLab, pioneering Spatio-Temporal AI for insights from urban big data. She is also Theme Lead for Mobility at the Alan Turing Institute and a member of the UK Department for Transport’s College of Experts. Her research on GeoAI, big data, network-complexity and urban analytics has been carried out in partnership with organisations such as Transport for London, the Metropolitan Police, Public Health England and Arup. She has secured more than ￡27 million in research funding, published over 350 papers, and has been listed in Stanford University’s Top 2% Scientists (2021, 2023, 2024, 2025). Tao has been a Board Member and a Regional Coordinator for Europe, as well as a life member of CPGIS. She also co-chaired the CPGIS GeoInformatics Annual Conference in 2023 in London.

Zhang Guiming
Associate Professor
University of Denver

Dr. Guiming Zhang is a lifetime member of CPGIS. Guiming obtained his Ph.D. from the Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison and is currently a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Geography & the Environment at the University of Denver. His research focuses on volunteered geographic information (VGI), geospatial big data, geocomputation and their applications in environmental modeling. Guiming has produced 30+ peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters. Guiming is committed to his service to the CPGIS and other professional communities. He is serving on the UCGIS Research Committee and served as Chair of the AAG CyberInfrastructure Specialty Group. He organized the CPGIS Dinner at the 2023 AAG Meeting, served on the CPGIS Board, chaired the 2024 CPGIS Election Committee, serves on the Conference Site Selection Committee and has reviewed many manuscripts for Annals of GIS. If elected President, Guiming will collaborate with the Board and membership to continue advancing CPGIS mission.

FAN Hongchao
Prof
Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Dr. Hongchao Fan is professor for 3D Geoinformatics at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). He obtained his PhD degree at the Technical University of Munich in 2010. Then he worked as Group Leader for 3D Data Infrastructure at the Heidelberg University in Germany. He was professor at Wuhan University and has been professor at NTNU since 2018. His research interests include 3D city modelling, Photogrammetery, and laser scanning. Professor Fan is the Chair of Working Group “Global Mapping for SDGs” at the ISPRS TC IV. His is the Norwegian national representative at ISPRS. Prof. Fan serves as board members for many international journals including IJGIS, Photogrammetric Record and others. He is currently Associate Editor of Big Earth Data and Geo-Spatial Information Science. He was awarded with the Thousand-Youth Talent Program in China and the Nico Rüpke Prize from Germany.

Hu Xuke
Senior Researcher (Permanent)
German Aerospace Center

Dr. Xuke Hu is a Senior Researcher (permanent) and Scientific Committee Member at the Institute of Data Science, German Aerospace Center (DLR). He received his Ph.D. in Geoinformation from Heidelberg University in 2020. His work focuses on geographic information extraction from text and has appeared in several leading journals, including ACM Computing Surveys (IF: 28), IJGIS, JAG, IP&M, and the IEEE IoT Journal. He has served as Guest Editor for IJGIS, IP&M, and GSIS, and as a Junior Editorial Board Member of 《时空信息学报》. He has chaired international events including the ISPRS–ISDE 2025 Conference and initiated the first four GeoExT workshops. He also serves as Secretary of the ISPRS Technical Commission IV/III Working Group. Mainland Europe remains underrepresented within CPGIS. Based in Germany and collaborating across Europe, Dr. Hu is well positioned to represent his Europe-based colleagues and strengthen CPGIS’s visibility and connections within the European GIS community.

Li Xiao
Assistant Professor
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Dr. Xiao Li is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and an Honorary Research Associate in the Transport Studies Unit (TSU) at the University of Oxford. Before joining PolyU, Dr. Li was a Senior Researcher at the TSU (2022-2025) and a Junior Research Fellow at Linacre College, Oxford (2023-2025). He also worked as an Associate Researcher at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (2020-2022). Dr. Li received his PhD in Geography with a focus on GIS and Transport from Texas A&M University in 2019. His research lies at the intersection of GIS, Spatial Data Science, and Transport Geography, a niche where he explores questions about road safety, the consequences of new technologies and policies, and social inequalities in everyday mobility. Currently, he serves on the TRB Geospatial and Visual Analytics Committee (US) and the RGS-IBG GIScience Research Group (UK).

Lin Binbin
Associate Professor
Lanzhou Jiaotong University

Dr. Binbin Lin is an Associate Professor at Lanzhou Jiaotong University, specializing in health geography and spatial data science. She received her Ph.D. in Geography from Texas A&M University, USA. Her research focuses on integrating hybrid sensing, spatial-temporal modeling, and GeoAI to model and interpret the interactions among human behavior, social environments, and health outcomes. Building on this foundation, she proposed BESH (Behavior-Environment-Society-Health) framework to systematically examine and mitigate health inequalities through data-driven and spatially explicit approaches. She has authored more than 10 journal articles and 2 book chapters. Dr. Lin’s research has been recognized with multiple international honors, including the Excellence in Doctoral Dissertation Award from Texas A&M University, the CaGIS Student Scholarships and Awards, and Second Place in the AAG GISS-SG Student Honors Paper Competition. She also served as Student Representative of the AAG-GISS.

Zhang Qian
Dr.
Lanzhou Jiaotong University

Dr. Qian Zhang is an Associate Professor in the College of Geomatic at Lanzhou Jiaotong University. She earned her Ph.D. in Geography and Environment from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Currently, she serves as the Managing Editor (Editorial Office Director) for the Journal of Geovisualization and Spatial Analysis (JGSA, ESCI indexed, IF: 6.8). With a diverse academic journey bridging the U.S. and China, Dr. Qian Zhang is dedicated to fostering international collaboration in GIScience. Her research interests primarily focus on Transport GIS and Spatial Analysis. She is eager to leverage her editorial and academic experience to serve the CPGIS community as a member of the BOD.

Zhao Qunshan
Professor in Urban Analytics
University of Glasgow

Dr. Qunshan Zhao is a Professor in Urban Analytics and Deputy Director of the Urban Big Data Centre (UBDC) at the University of Glasgow, UK. His research interest focuses on creating a sustainable urban future by using new forms of data and cutting-edge analytical approaches. Qunshan has served as the Board Member of the AAG Spatial Analysis & Modeling specialty group between 2018 to 2021, and secretary of Quantitative Methods Research Group of RGS between 2021 to 2025. Under the current Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity (VUCA) situation in the international relationship, Qunshan’s unique UK and European connection for CPGIS will foster the interactions among global scholars and help CPGIS achieve greater global impacts. Specifically, he plans to assist in organizing CPGIS related academic events, supporting early career researchers’ career development, promoting international communications, and advancing research and teaching collaborations in US, EU/UK, and China.

Zhou Zhiyong
SNSF Postdoc Fellow
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Dr. Zhiyong Zhou is a Postdoc Fellow at the Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a recipient of the SNSF Mobility Fellowship. He earned his Ph.D. degree in GIScience from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, with a deep understanding of human-centered geospatial AI and, particularly, a persistent passion for adaptive spatial techniques for smart mobility and sustainable built environments. In the past 5 years, his academic endeavor has fruited 20+ publications in top-tier journals like IJGIS, ISPRS P&RS, JAG, CEUS, IEEE IoT, and conferences including AGILE, GIScience, etc. Since 2021, Dr. Zhou has joined the CPGIS Membership and Media Committee to actively serve the public good of the global Chinese scholars in GIScience and beyond. He has been an active speaker or panelist in many CPGIS events, such as CPGIS-GISalon 2023. With an ongoing leadership practice as a Vice-Chair of the ICA Commission on LBS, and multiple international workshop organizations.

Zhou Xiran

China University of Mining and Technology

Dr. Xiran Zhou is currently an associate professor at China University of Mining and Technology, and a visiting scholar at Harvard University. He earned his master’s degree from Wuhan University and his Ph.D. from Arizona State University. His research centers on GeoAI for interpreting remote sensing data and fostering sustainable development. His current work focuses on developing innovative GeoAI methods to discover knowledge from big map datasets, and promote sustainable development analysis for minefield and watershed landscapes. Xiran Zhou has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications in GIS-related journals including IPSRS P&RS, IJGIS, etc., as well as three books published in Chinese and English. He teaches cartography, GIS, and spatial analysis at both graduate and undergraduate levels, and serves on the review boards of Remote Sensing journal and has been awarded Innovative and Entrepreneurial Talent of Jiangsu Province and Young Key Faculty Member.

Hou Ce
PhD student
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Ce Hou is a PhD Candidate at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and a Visiting PhD Student at Peking University, supervised by Prof. Fan Zhang. His research focuses on GeoAI (particularly large language models and urban visual intelligence), and he has published articles in leading journals such as Annals of AAG and The Innovation. Beyond his academic research, Ce has served as a dedicated member of the CPGIS media team since 2022. Notably, his memorial article to Professor Yi-Fu Tuan became a highlight article, garnering over 3,300 views. Also, as a former BOD member of GISphere, a non-profit community that collaborates closely with CPGIS, he co-founded and successfully expanded the GISalon and GIStory series which attracted 18,000 subscribers and over 500,000 views, while GIStory has produced 18 interview transcripts by scholars and experts in the field of GIS. Ce is actively committed to community services as a vital bridge between students and faculty.

Hou Shuyang

Wuhan University

Shuyang Hou is a Master–PhD track student at Wuhan University’s State Key Laboratory of Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing Information Engineering, supervised by Prof. Wu Huayi and Prof. Gui Zhipeng. His research focuses on GeoAI and geospatial code generation. He has published 17 papers, including 11 as first/corresponding author in JCR Q1 journals. Shuyang proposed GeoCode-GPT, the world’s first LLM for geospatial code generation, which received over 30 citations in one month and has impacted leading journals and conferences. He also authored the first GIS-focused LLM review in Acta Geodaetica et Cartographica Sinica, ranking No.1 in annual downloads. Shuyang interned at the UN-GGKIC in early 2024. He has received consecutive National Scholarships and the “China Self-Reliant College Student Star” honor. He has led teams to 15 major national awards, showcasing strong leadership. Additionally, he actively contributes as a reviewer for top journals such as IJGIS, JAG, and KBS.

Li Zongrong
Ph.D. student
University of Southern California

Zongrong (Jasper) Li is a Ph.D. student in Geographic Information Systems at Texas A&M University. His research focuses on GeoAI methods to understand human–environment interactions in 3D urban space, using 3D mesh models, street-view imagery, and remote sensing for urban perception and analysis. He received his M.S. in Spatial Data Science from the University of Southern California and a B.Econ. in Finance from Nanjing Audit University. Before starting his Ph.D., he worked as a research assistant at HKUST(GZ) and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and as a data science intern at City of Hope. His work spans urban resilience, urban health inequalities, and explainable spatial AI. As a CPGIS student representative, he hopes to promote student engagement, strengthen connections between early-career researchers and senior scholars, and support activities that enhance the visibility and impact of the CPGIS student community.

Lu Siyu

Texas A&M University

Siyu Lu is a Ph.D. student in Geography at Texas A&M University. Her research interests focus on GeoAI, spatial intelligence, and geospatial data science. With an MS in Control Science and Engineering and a BS in Automation from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, she brings a cross-disciplinary perspective integrating engineering, computer science, and geography. With more than ten peer-reviewed publications in SCI journals, she combines academic with practical impact. She has extensive experience presenting at international academic conferences. Fluent in English and Mandarin, her experience in event organization, student mentorship, and volunteer teaching further strengthens her ability to connect diverse communities. Eager to serve as CPGIS Student Director, she aims to foster cross-field collaboration and student engagement in geospatial science.

Niú Yuán
Phd student
Texas AM University

Yuan Niu is a first-year PhD student in the Department of Geography at Texas A&M University and a CPGIS student member. His research focuses on GeoAI, causal inference, and bias-aware analysis of multi-source spatiotemporal social sensing data (e.g., trajectories, mobile phone records, and service tickets) to support trustworthy urban decision-making. Prior to TAMU, he earned a Master of Urban Planning from Peking University. He has delivered applied geospatial solutions for urban management in Ningbo and Shenzhen, with recommendations adopted by municipal agencies and workflows deployed in practice. He has served as a teaching assistant for spatiotemporal intelligence courses, led a team project at the Texas A&M CyberTraining Summer School, and is a confirmed Student Coordinator for the Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS) Conference. As a Student BOD member, he aims to strengthen student engagement through mentoring, webinars, and cross-institution collaboration.

Tian Hao

Texas A&M University

Hao Tian is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Geography at Texas A&M University. His research focuses on urban human dynamics, human–environment interactions, and spatial modeling, with a particular interest in using multi-source sensing and GeoAI approaches to understand how human activities respond to environmental and climatic stressors. By integrating large-scale data from social, environmental, and seismic sensing, his work seeks to reveal the spatial and temporal patterns of urban resilience and adaptation. Hao has organized and chaired multiple sessions on geospatial data science and community resilience at international conferences. His academic contributions have appeared in international journals and book chapters, and he has been recognized with honors such as the AAG GISS-SG Student Paper Award, AAG SAM-SG Student Travel Award, and the ICA Scholarship. Hao is committed to building interdisciplinary connections, promoting student engagement.

Zhang Shitian
PhD student
University College London

Shitian Zhang is a second-year PhD student at the Bartlett Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA), UCL, supervised by Dr Huanfa Chen and Dr. Andrew MacLachlan. He holds a BEng in Urban and Rural Planning from Peking University and an MSc in Space Syntax: Architecture and Cities from UCL. His research focuses on agent-based modelling and the optimisation of public emergency services using GeoAI. Shitian is committed to contributing to the CPGIS community and social media team with his experience for diverse organisations and academic events. As the 2025 Lead Department Representative for CASA, he established effective communication channels between students and staff and helped resolve more than 30 issues related to teaching, administration, and facilities. In 2021, he also supported online streaming for the Sino-German Cooperation Group on Urbanization and Locality at Peking University, a seminar series that attracted over 1,000 online attendees.