We are proud to announce that Rufai Omowunmi Balogun, a research assistant at Clark CGA, has been selected as a NASA Lifelines Program Fellow. Rufai is a first–year PhD student at the Graduate School of Geography at Clark University.

As part of his fellowship, Rufai will contribute to the Lifelines’ Programs Workstream, supporting initiatives like “Ready for Impact,” which bridges humanitarian needs with Earth science innovation. He is particularly inspired by Lifelines’ efforts to build a community that fosters collaboration among academics, policymakers, and entrepreneurs. Rufai’s research integrates Earth Observation and AI to develop systems that facilitate anticipatory action and early response to hydrometeorological hazards, directly supporting NASA Lifelines’ goals. 
 
Reflecting on his journey, Rufai emphasizes the importance of collaboration and continuous learning. For students aspiring to similar opportunities, he advises honing their skills, documenting progress, and embracing challenges with curiosity. Rufai’s work at Clark CGA and NASA Lifelines exemplifies the impact of geospatial analytics in addressing humanitarian challenges, offering hope for a future where science and innovation create meaningful change. 
 
Rufai holds a joint master’s degree in Copernicus Digital Earth (specializing in geodata science) from the University of Salzburg and the University of South Brittany, France. His prior work as an Earth Observation Data Science researcher at the European Research Academy (EURAC) included projects like the Alpine Drought Observatory and ESA MOOC Cubes and Clouds. His research interests, spanning Earth Observation, Machine Learning, and hydrometeorological hazards, align closely with NASA Lifelines’ mission to address global crises. 
 
We encourage you to learn more about Rufai’s fellowship here.