Dr. Catherine Nakalembe, an assistant professor at the University of Maryland's Department of Geographical Sciences, has been awarded the 2022 Al-Sumait Prize for African Development for her groundbreaking work in improving food security and agricultural livelihoods across Africa.
Dr. Nakalembe's research uses Earth observation data and machine learning to develop methods for monitoring agriculture and enabling early decision-making. As the NASA Harvest Africa Program Director, she collaborates with governments and partners in Eastern and West Africa. This $1 million prize recognizes her dedication and the impactful results of her work, including projects on smallholder agriculture, food security, and disaster assessment.
Dr. Nakalembe has received other prestigious awards like the Africa Food Prize and the Uganda National Heroes Medal. She plans to share the prize money with the African Agricultural Technology Foundation to further support their work. Winning the Al-Sumait Prize motivates her to continue advocating for impactful technology and innovations focused on improving lives worldwide.
