PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Devis Tuia

Devis Tuia is a researcher who applies machine learning and computer vision to Earth observation. He began geography studies at the University of Lausanne in 1999, completed a master's and PhD there, and worked in Valencia, EPFL, Zurich and Wageningen before returning to EPFL in 2020. He coauthored a 2017 review of deep learning for remote sensing, coedited the 2021 book Deep Learning for the Earth Sciences, and became an IEEE Fellow in 2024. Since March 2026, he directs EPFL's Section of Environmental Science and Engineering; he coauthored a Nature study of satellite data for conflict research in September 2026.

Now at
EPFL
Works
584
Citations
18,401
h-index
67
Badges

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 19 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1999

    Studying geography at UNIL

    From Mendrisio in Ticino, he enrolls in a geography bachelor's program at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) in 1999. After earning a master's degree, he stays at UNIL for a PhD in remote sensing.

  2. 2010–2017

    Posts in Valencia, Zurich and Wageningen

    He completes a postdoc at the University of Valencia in 2010 and researches satellite-image processing at EPFL. In 2014, he becomes assistant professor at the University of Zurich; in 2017, he moves to Wageningen University and chairs its Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing Laboratory.

  3. 2017

    Deep learning for remote sensing

    In 2017, he coauthors “Deep learning in remote sensing: a review,” which analyzes the field's challenges, surveys recent advances and provides resources for researchers.

  4. Since September 2020

    Leading EPFL's ECEO lab

    In September 2020, he returns to EPFL as an associate professor and leads the Environmental Computational Science and Earth Observation Laboratory in Sion. The lab studies Earth from above with machine learning and computer vision.

  5. 2021

    Editing an Earth-science book

    In 2021, he coedits Deep Learning for the Earth Sciences, a book that surveys deep-learning methods across environmental science and geoscience.

  6. 2024

    An IEEE Fellowship

    In 2024, he becomes an IEEE Fellow for contributions to artificial intelligence and machine learning applied to Earth-observation data.

  7. Since March 2026

    Directing EPFL's SSIE

    In March 2026, he becomes Director of EPFL's Section of Environmental Science and Engineering and joins the EPFL Executive Board within ENAC. In September 2026, he coauthors a Nature study using satellite data for conflict research and humanitarian response. At an October 2026 ceremony, he presents the SIE Best Teacher award to Professor Fernando Porté-Agel.

Career

  1. Since 2020EPFLAssociate Professor, Director
  2. 2017–2020Wageningen University & ResearchLaboratory Chair
  3. 2014–2017University of ZurichAssistant Professor
  4. Until 2010University of ValenciaPostdoc
  5. 2010–2012Universitat de València
  6. 2006–2011University of Lausanne

Education

  1. From 1999University of LausanneBachelor's in Geography

From the biography and OpenAlex affiliations (the years of papers that list the organization), so some years are approximate.

Most-cited works

  1. DeepGlobe 2018: A Challenge to Parse the Earth through Satellite Images2018 · IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition Workshops (CVPRW) · 1,181 citationsWith Ramesh Raskar
  2. Optimal Transport for Domain Adaptation2016 · IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence · 1,002 citationsWith Rémi Flamary
  3. Advances in Hyperspectral Image Classification: Earth Monitoring with Statistical Learning Methods2013 · IEEE Signal Processing Magazine · 782 citationsWith Gustau Camps-Valls and Lorenzo Bruzzone
  4. Perspectives in machine learning for wildlife conservation2022 · Nature Communications · 730 citationsWith Mackenzie Mathis and Tanya Berger-Wolf
  5. Domain Adaptation for the Classification of Remote Sensing Data: An Overview of Recent Advances2016 · IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine · 674 citationsWith Lorenzo Bruzzone

From OpenAlex, as of 19 October 2026.

  1. The median h-index is 53 at universities and 19 at frontier AI labsIncludes EPFL. The median h-index is 53 at universities and 19 at frontier AI labs. We compare publishing careers, citations and moves to estimate how universities and frontier labs contribute to AI research.
  2. Google has the highest combined h-index among AI organizationsIncludes EPFL. Our estimates of combined and median h-index at AI organizations, using current affiliations and OpenAlex records.
  3. Stanford University trained or employed 20 of the 89 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes EPFL. Stanford University trained or employed 20 of the 89 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and employment links for major-prize and best-paper winners.
  4. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes EPFL. Our estimates of where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led, from education records in cited biographies.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

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  1. “I never imagined I could use math to study nature” - EPFL actu.epfl.ch. Checked 19 October 2026.
  2. EPFL - Devis Tuia people.epfl.ch. Checked 19 October 2026.
  3. IEEE GRSS and IADF School on Computer Vision for Earth Observation iln.ieee.org. Checked 19 October 2026.
  4. Deep learning in remote sensing: a review arxiv.org. Checked 19 October 2026.
  5. L'apprentissage profond au service des sciences de l'environnement - EPFL actu.epfl.ch. Checked 19 October 2026.
  6. Devis Tuia elected IEEE Fellow - EPFL actu.epfl.ch. Checked 19 October 2026.
  7. Professor Devis Tuia new Director of SSIE - EPFL actu.epfl.ch. Checked 19 October 2026.
  8. Comment l'imagerie satellitaire améliore l'analyse des conflits - EPFL actu.epfl.ch. Checked 19 October 2026.
  9. La Section SIE remet 68 diplômes de Master EPFL - EPFL actu.epfl.ch. Checked 19 October 2026.