March 17, 2026: One GitHub repository for Rui's research obtaining footprints based on eddy-covariance flux tower data was published via Zenodo, and it could be found at: Gao R., Khan, M., & Viers, J. (2026). flux-footprint-py: A Toolkit for Kljun-based Footprint Modeling (initials). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19076529

March 16, 2026: Rui's work on leaf water potential estimation using machine learning based on high-resolution sUAS imagery published in Irrigation Science is now available online.

March 12, 2026: Rui delivered a presentation at the FEWS lab meeting regarding his research on forecasting evapotranspiration in agricultural regions.

March 5, 2026: One GitHub repository for Rui's research obtaining OpenET values was published via Zenodo, and it could be found at: Rui Gao, Khan, S., & Viers, J. (2026). A lightweight Python package to download OpenET evapotranspiration (ET) time-series data (daily and monthly) using the OpenET API (0.1.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18880781

February 27, 2026:  One GitHub repository for Rui's research was updated and could be found at: Gao, R. (2025). met_gfit: A Python toolkit for comprehensive model evaluation and diagnostic plotting. Version 1.1.3. Zenodo: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18807443

February 16, 2026: The paper led by Rui (A Machine Learning Framework for California Vineyard Water Status Monitoring Using sUAS Imagery and Short-Term Meteorological Data) was accepted for publication in the journal Irrigation Science.

February 4, 2026: Rui is an FAA-certificated Remote Pilot (Part 107) now!

January 19, 2026: Rui built a Python-based repository for calculating the Winkler Index from hourly air temperature records.

January 13, 2026: Rui reviewed one peer-reviewed paper and submitted his comments to the Journal of Hydrology.

December 4, 2025: Rui gave a presentation in the FEWS lab on the topic "Using CIMIS Dataset for Agricultural Water Management Purpose."

Nov 20, 2025: Rui attended and served at the Tulare Basin Watershed Partnership 4th Annual State of the Basin with other FEWS lab members.

Sep 9, 2025: Rui reviewed one peer-reviewed paper and submitted his comments to the International Society for Horticultural Science.

Aug 6, 2025: A Python tool for Altum-PT Sensor Footprint Generation and Georeferencing – Altum_PT_Footprint, is published on the Zenodo platform. The DOI is: 10.5281/zenodo.16755440

Aug 5, 2025: A Python tool for data transferring from the SD card to your field computer – Data_Auto_Transfer, is published on the Zenodo platform. The DOI is: 10.5281/zenodo.16748203

Aug 4, 2025: A Python software that evaluates and visualizes the model performance on GitHub and the Zenodo platform was updated. The DOI is: 10.5281/zenodo.16700596.

July 29, 2025: We published a Python software on Zenodo platform which can provide us a raster and a shapefile output to know the footprint of the Apogee IRT sensor (circular type). The DOI is: 10.5281/zenodo.16581912.

July 28, 2025: Rui reviewed one peer-reviewed paper and submitted his comments to Irrigation Science.

July 22, 2025: Rui worked with Dr. Safeeq Khan and assembled a trailer for research purposes.

July 17, 2025: Rui finished a two-day fieldwork with the FEWS lab and Dr. Hartsough and Dr. Rice in Sierra Nevada forest region.

July 14, 2025: Rui installed an Apogee research grade IRT sensor on the eddy-covariance flux tower and got the corresponding footprint area.

July 2, 2025: Rui visited the Campbell Scientific company at Logan, UT, with Ryan Lennon's guidance.

June 28, 2025: Rui participates in a TSEB workshop at Utah State University, Logan, UT.

April 23, 2025: Rui gives a talk titled "Wake Me Up When Evapotranspiration Starts" at the Forest Ecohydrology & Watershed Systems (FEWS) Lab, at the University of California Merced.

April 15, 2025: Rui plays a guest speaker role in the class called Spatial Analysis and Modeling (ENGR 180) at the University of California Merced.

March 11, 2025:  Rui attended SNRI Early Career Researcher Lightning Talks held at the Conference Center of the University of California Merced with topic "Forecasting Reference ET Using Deep Learning".

February 10, 2025: Rui attended a workshop to learn some basic theories about the Eddy-Covariance (EC) flux tower and some general rules to establish the EC flux tower appropriately.

January 28, 2025: Rui leads a conversation about forecasting short-crop reference evapotranspiration (ETo) with the T-REX and SAWS teams.

December 12, 2024: Rui received the official offer letter to join the Planet's Education and Research (E&R) Program!

November 15, 2024: "Interactions between ecosystem services and their causal relationships with driving factors: A case study of the Tarim River Basin, China," one journal article Rui was involved in was published on Ecological Indicators.

October 28, 2024: Rui accepted the role as a guest editor for the MDPI journal of Drones in the special issue: Drone-enabled smart sensing: challenges and opportunities.

October 1, 2024: Rui reviewed one peer-reviewed paper and submitted his comments to the Journal of Hydrology.

September 24, 2024: Rui was invited to speak to the Secure Water Future (SWF) group at the University of California Merced.

September 3, 2024: Rui starts his work as a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of California at Merced (https://ecohydrology.ucmerced.edu/team/).

August 17, 2024: Rui reviewed one peer-reviewed paper and submitted his comments to the Remote Sensing of Environment.

August 10, 2024: Message Board, a function for recording questions, comments, suggestions, and/or potential cooperation opportunities from my webpage reviewers', has been added.

August 9, 2024: Rui reviewed one peer-reviewed paper and submitted his comments to the OENO One Vine and Wine—Open Access Journal.

August 1, 2024: A research project that Rui has been involved in has one peer-reviewed work published in the Journal of Hydrology Engineering.

July 21, 2024: Rui has been invited to the OENO One Vine and Wine - Open Access Journal as a reviewer.

July 12, 2024: Rui reviewed one peer-reviewed paper and submitted his comments to the Hydrological Processes Journal.

July 9, 2024: Rui has been invited to the Hydrological Processes journal as a reviewer.

June 20, 2024: Rui reviewed one peer-reviewed paper and submitted his comments to the Papers in Applied Geography Journal.

May 21, 2024: Rui has been invited to give a group talk via Microsoft Teams at Colorado State University College of Agricultural Science.

April 17, 2024: Rui has been invited to join the Duzce University Faculty of Agriculture Journal's Scientific Advisory Board.

April 5, 2024: Rui was invited to give a talk at the Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering at Oregon State University. Crop water status and stress monitoring in California vineyards using remote sensing.

March 22, 2024: Rui was invited to give a talk at the Department of Forestry at Mississippi State University on vineyard water status and stress monitoring in California based on remote sensing data and ground measurements.

February 7, 2024: Rui reviewed one peer-reviewed paper and submitted his comments to the Agricultural Water Management Journal.

Jan 28, 2024: Rui gave his oral presentation at the 104th AMS annual conference on estimating 3-m evapotranspiration data using Planet and OpenET data with machine learning techniques.

Dec 11, 2023: Rui presented a poster at the AGU23 Fall conference: Utilizing sUAS and time-series weather data with machine learning for leaf and stem water potential assessment in California vineyards.

November 22, 2023: Rui reviewed one peer-reviewed paper and submitted his comments to the International Journal of Digital Earth.

November 2, 2023: Rui reviewed one peer-reviewed paper and submitted his comments to the Frontiers in Plant Science Journal.

October 30, 2023: Rui reviewed one peer-reviewed paper and submitted his comments to the Remote Sensing of Environment Journal.

October 24, 2023: Rui reviewed one peer-reviewed paper and submitted his comments to the Earth System Science Data Journal.

June 16, 2023: Rui started his work as a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Forestry (room 371) at Mississippi State University.

April 11, 2023: Rui finished his Ph.D. dissertation defense in the 211C room in the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department at Utah State University.

April 2, 2023: Rui reviewed one peer-reviewed paper and submitted his comments to the Remote Sensing of Environment Journal.

December 4, 2022: Rui reviewed one peer-reviewed paper and submitted his comments to the Remote Sensing of Environment Journal.