Biography

Yuefeng Hao is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he leads the Hydrology, Agriculture, and Optimization (HAO) Lab.

His research integrates earth observation, hydrologic and land-surface modeling, artificial intelligence, and decision optimization to understand and manage climate-related risks across ecosystems, agriculture, water resources, and infrastructure. A central theme of his work is translating complex environmental data and model uncertainty into practical decision-support tools for farmers, agencies, and infrastructure operators.

His current projects examine ecosystem vulnerability, flash droughts and floods, irrigation planning, and freshwater demands associated with data centers and small modular reactors.

Before joining ISE, he served as a Research Assistant Professor and Postdoctoral Research Associate at UT’s Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment. Hao teaches engineering statistics and artificial intelligence for managers and mentors undergraduate researchers through interdisciplinary, application-driven projects.

Education

• PhD, Water Resources Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, 2022
• MS, Water Resources Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, 2019
• BS, Groundwater Engineering, Jilin University, 2017

Courses Taught

• IE 200: Engineering Statistics
• IE 591: AI for Managers

Professional Service

• Associate Editor, Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy (Elsevier)
• Council Representative, Asian Ecology Section, Ecological Society of America

Awards & Recognitions

• Science Education Research Foundation Teacher Award for Excellence in Leadership of Student Science Research at the 74th Annual Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair, 2025