People and expertise

Meet the project team

Faculty investigators from computer science and engineering lead the project’s work in AI, data systems, remote sensing, and computational optical imaging.

Project leadership

Principal Investigator

Principal Investigator and Project Director

Manuel Rodriguez-Martinez, Ph.D.

Professor of Computer Science and Engineering

Dr. Manuel Rodríguez Martínez is a professor in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, specializing in Computer Science and Engineering. He has over two decades of academic and research experience at UPRM, where he has contributed to computing, software engineering, and applied research. He holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, College Park, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras. He has received grants from the NSF and NIH to conduct research projects in Artificial Intelligence and Database Systems. His expertise includes distributed databases, cloud computing, Big Data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.

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Research leadership

Co-Principal Investigators

The co-investigators lead complementary research thrusts in remote sensing and computational optical imaging.

Co-Principal Investigator

Emmanuel Arzuaga-Cruz, Ph.D.

Professor of Computer Science and Engineering

Dr. Emmanuel Arzuaga is a professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, holding appointments in Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering. He has over a decade of teaching and research experience at UPRM. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Northeastern University, a master’s degree in Computer Engineering from UPR Mayagüez, and a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from UPRM. His expertise includes cloud computing, computer architecture, virtualization, pattern recognition, remote sensing, and cybersecurity.

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Co-Principal Investigator

Heidy Sierra-Gil, Ph.D.

Professor of Computer Science and Engineering

Dr. Heidy Sierra-Gil is a professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, holding an appointment in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. She has over a decade of teaching and research experience at UPRM. She holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Northeastern University, a master’s degree in Computer Engineering from UPR Mayagüez, and a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Universidad Industrial de Santander. Her expertise includes artificial intelligence, mathematical modeling and simulations, optical imaging, tissue optics, image analysis, and pattern recognition. She has hands-on experience with polarization- and phase-imaging modalities, hyperspectral imaging, multiphoton, fluorescence and reflectance confocal microscopy, image-guided surgery, and laser-therapy technology.

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Research program

Explore the team’s shared project goals

View research thrusts