This quarter’s I-GUIDE Ascender, Jinzhe Wang, began work with I-GUIDE only last year, working with her academic advisor Eric Shook who co-leads I-GUIDE’s Education and Workforce Development Team. Jinzhe has been playing an important role in supporting the Convergence Curriculum for Geospatial Data Science, activities she also spoke about at this VCO in March 2026.
What at is your current position and institutional affiliation?
I am a PhD student in the department of Geography, Environment & Society at University of Minnesota Twin-Cities.
What is your role in I-GUIDE?
I serve as a student researcher within I-GUIDE, where I help develop and test agent tools for convergence curriculum. I also mentor undergraduate students and occasionally help organize activities.
Did you start your academic career with the same goals and direction as you have now? If not, tell us a little about how and why your direction has changed?
Not exactly. My early interests were more focused on environmental applications, remote sensing, and machine learning for geospatial problems. Over time, I became more interested in foundation models, AI agents, and tool development. My work with I-GUIDE helped me see that these methods are not only useful for analysis, but also for building practical tools. I’m still exploring this direction, but I like that it allows me to connect technical development with geospatial and educational applications.
What inspires you and motivates you to do the work that you do?
I have always been interested in GIS, remote sensing, and AI, but what inspires me is the potential for these methods to go beyond the technical side and help people make sense of complicated problems. I also enjoy the exploratory nature of research. Many times, I do not know the best answer at the beginning, but through testing, adjusting, and improving, the direction gradually becomes clearer. I find that process very motivating.
Do/did you have a Plan B? What do you think you’d be doing if you hadn’t chosen an academic career?
Yes, my Plan B would probably be working as a spatial data scientist. I really enjoy working with spatial data and exploring the patterns and relationships behind it.
What is the next chapter (aspirational or planned) in your career?
The next chapter is still taking shape, but for now my focus is on the PhD and continuing to grow through the work I am doing.
What would you like to be when you grow up?
I hope to become someone who keeps learning and stays curious about the world. I also hope to support the next generation of students and do work that can be helpful to others.