Dr. He Yin: GLP Featured Scientist Working Group Coordinator Awarded the Media Achievement Award by AAG
Dr. He Yin, Associate Professor of Geography at Kent State University, is honored with the AAG Media Achievement Award for his impactful and globally reaching research on the environmental consequences of armed conflicts and land abandonment. Dr. He Yin successfully translated sophisticated geospatial analysis into actionable insights that guide both humanitarian response and financial decision making.
Dr. Yin’s groundbreaking analyses of war-induced agricultural destruction in Gaza have been featured by some of the world’s most influential outlets—including CNN, BBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, France 24, Deutsche Welle, and Bloomberg. These appearances were substantive and helped governments, humanitarian agencies, and the public grasp the scale of environmental devastation and its humanitarian implications. His work has directly informed policy and humanitarian action. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), leading think tanks and NGOs, such as the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and PAX, have cited his satellite-based damage assessments, while J.P. Morgan referenced his research in its “Eye on the Market” report. His work on land abandonment—highly relevant to biodiversity conservation, food security, and carbon sequestration—has also attracted broad international attention, including coverage in The Guardian, The Hill, and Haaretz.
Dr. Yin has been coordinating the Global Land Programme (GLP) working groups on the topics of agricultural land abandonment, and remote sensing for land system science since 2021. GLP is affiliated with Future Earth.