She received a Ph.D. degree in remote sensing and GIS from the University of Mainz, Germany, in 1999, an M.S. degree from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1989, and a B.S. degree from Nanjing University, China, in 1986. Prior to joining the faculty at the Southern Illinois University, she was a Postdoctoral Researcher at University of California, Berkeley and a Research Fellow at University of Mainz. Her current research interest include image classification and feature extraction algorithms, information fusion of multiresolution data, the integration of RS and GIS techniques in environmental studies, and 3D visualization and simulation.