Sherry Li

Dr. Sherry Chen Xuexia Li is currently a Visiting Associate Research Scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS) and the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC), University of Maryland. Her research focuses on Earth remote sensing and satellite calibration science. Dr. Li received her B.S. degree in Geography (1997) and M.S. degree in Environmental Science (2000) from Peking University, Beijing, China. She earned her Ph.D. in Atmosphere, Environment, and Water Resources from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, South Dakota, USA, in 2004. With over two decades of experience in Earth observation science, Dr. Li’s expertise spans hyperspectral remote sensing, land cover dynamics, fire ecology, forest biomass and carbon estimation, and satellite radiometric calibration. She specializes in the radiometric, spectral, and geometric calibration and validation of MODIS, VIIRS, CrIS instruments onboard Terra, Aqua, Suomi-NPP, NOAA-20, and NOAA-21 satellites. Her work includes the development and evaluation of on-orbit calibration algorithms, solar diffuser stability monitoring, detector-to-detector consistency assessment. She conducts long-term trending analysis and cross-platform validation analysis involving Landsat TM, IRS-P6 AWiFS, VIIRS, MODIS, AVHRR, IASI, and CrIS. Dr. Li has authored and co-authored peer-reviewed publications in journals, including IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Remote Sensing of Environment, ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Journal of Applied Remote Sensing, and Ecological Indicators. She has received multiple honors, including NASA and NOAA Group Achievement Awards, SSAI Performance and Publication Awards, the LANDFIRE Innovation and Dedication Award, and the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Beyond her scientific research, Dr. Li is actively engaged in STEM education, robotics mentoring, and community service supporting the next generation of scientists and engineers.