Mr. John Uponi

John I. Uponi is a Ph.D. candidate in Geography & Spatial Sciences at the University of Delaware and a Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN) Fellow. His research integrates satellite remote sensing, machine learning, and geospatial analysis to examine relationships among agriculture, climate extremes, land-use change, and food system resilience, with a particular focus on Nigeria. His work includes mapping staple crops and intercropping, investigating associations between crop distributions and deforestation, and contributing to research on water scarcity and sustainable irrigation.

Before beginning his doctoral studies, John worked as a GIS Analyst at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Nigeria. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Geography from the University of Ibadan. Through his research, he develops data and analytical tools to support sustainable resource management and resilient food systems in Africa and beyond.