Curt H. Davis was born in Kansas City, MO on October 16, 1964. He received the B.S. degree and Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS in 1988 and 1992, respectively. Dr. Davis is presently the Croft Distinguished Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Missouri - Columbia (UMC).
Dr. Davis's research involves the use of satellite, airborne, and ground-based microwave and optical remote sensing systems for applications in the areas of earth observation and science, ice sheet mapping and change detection, and geospatial information extraction. His ice sheet mapping and change detection research has been continuously funded by NASA and/or NSF for more than a decade and has involved experimental systems and measurements, modeling and algorithm development, geophysical parameter estimation, and scientific analyses and interpretation. Dr. Davis is an internationally recognized expert in the measurement of polar ice sheet change using precision satellite altimeters, the influence of climate on these changes, and the impact of these changes on global sea levels. In this regard, Dr. Davis is presently serving as a member of NASA's Interdisciplinary Science Team for global sea level assessment.
Dr. Davis recently founded the Center for Geospatial Intelligence (CGI). The CGI is an interdisciplinary center that involves faculty and researchers in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Geography. The center leverages significant ongoing R&D activities at UMC in the areas of satellite and airborne remote sensing, advanced image processing, automated feature extraction and target recognition, large dataset visualization, high resolution 3D virtual environments, and intelligent database and information retrieval. By leveraging these multi-disciplinary research skills, the center conducts leading-edge research focused on geospatial intelligence needs critical for achieving objectives laid out in the National Security Strategy and Joint Vision 2010. Dr. Davis's CGI research focuses on the automated processing and development of high-resolution geospatial information products over urban areas. Examples include high resolution digital elevation models, image basemaps, urban land cover maps, and automated feature extraction of road networks and building structures.
Dr. Davis's research results have been documented in 30 refereed journal publications and in 45 symposia presentations and proceedings. Dr. Davis's most significant scientific results have been published in top scientific journals like Science, Nature, and the Journal of Geophysical Research, while the majority of his technical contributions to the field of remote sensing have been published in the IEEE Transactions on Geoscience & Remote Sensing. Dr. Davis's research has been frequently cited in top scientific journals like Science and Nature, and his work was also cited in the most recent 5-year summary report from the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
In total, Dr. Davis has directly participated in $12M of funded research (~$6.5M as PI and ~$5.5M as Co-PI) over his academic career. Dr. Davis has accomplished this through a combination of single-investigator efforts and multi-disciplinary research collaborations. Dr. Davis has received numerous awards throughout his career. Examples include the NSF Antarctica Service Medal (1989), UMC COE Teaching and Research Awards (1995, 1996), International Union of Radio Science (URSI) Young Scientist Award (1996), and the NASA New Investigator Program (1996-1999). In 1998, Dr. Davis was elected to IEEE Senior Member grade. In 2002, Dr. Davis received the American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) President's Award for Practical Papers for his publication on high-resolution digital elevation models for urban applications. Dr. Davis recently served as the Technical Program Chairman of the 2004 IEEE Geoscience & Remote Sensing Symposium held in Anchorage, Alaska in September, 2004. Dr. Davis is presently serving on the USGIF's Geospatial Intelligence Academy that is working to establish GeoINT curriculum and certification guidelines.