About Me

Artificial Intelligence · Computer Vision · Digital Agriculture · Precision Sensing Systems

PhD Candidate in Biological Systems Engineering · University of California, Davis

Website UC Davis BAE Digital Ag Lab Scholar ORCID GitHub mnarimani@ucdavis.edu Personal
Remote SensingEarth ObservationMachine LearningComputer VisionHyperspectral ImagingLiDARSatellite DataIoTPlant Phenotyping3D Radiative TransferWildfire Detection
10+Journal Publications
8+Conference Talks
4Mentees (E-SEARCH)
4.0GPA (Ph.D. & M.Sc.)

Education

Ph.D. Candidate of Biological Systems Engineering
University of California, Davis, US
2022-Present
First rank – GPA: 4/4
Thesis: AI-Driven Remote Sensing and Spectral Modeling for Advanced Monitoring of Tomato Crops
M.Sc. of Biosystem Mechanical Engineering
University of Tehran
2019-2021
First rank – GPA: 4/4
Thesis: Designing and Manufacturing an Experimental Smart Greenhouse for High-Throughput Stress Phenotyping and Plant Disease Detection by Implementing Internet of Things System and Machine Learning
B.Sc. of Biosystem Mechanical Engineering
University of Tehran
2015-2019
First rank – GPA: 4/4
Thesis: Design and construction of electric turning machine for urban agriculture

Skills

Remote Sensing Tools
  • Sentinel-2, Landsat-9, EMIT, ECOSTRESS
  • DJI Phantom 4 Multispectral
  • Aerial Pika-L Hyperspectral Sensor
  • Aerial Phoenix LiDAR Systems
Programming Languages
  • Python
  • R
  • MATLAB
  • C++
Amazon Web Services
  • Lambda, S3, App Runner, API Gateway
  • EC2, Elastic Container Registry, SageMaker, Bedrock
  • IAM, CloudFormation, CloudWatch
Techniques
  • Computer Vision & Image Processing
  • Web App Development
  • Internet of Things & Robotics
Libraries
  • Keras, TensorFlow, PyTorch
  • scikit-learn, geemap, rasterio
  • gdal, pandas, NumPy
  • OpenCV, PlantCV, scikit-image
CAD & Engineering
  • CATIA, SolidWorks, AutoCAD
  • Abaqus, Ansys, Keyshot
GIS
  • ArcGIS, QGIS, Google Earth Engine
  • ENVI, Pix4D, Resonon
  • Spatial Explorer, Microstation
  • Terrasolid

Artificial Intelligence

Deep Learning
  • Instance segmentation (Mask R-CNN, YOLO, SAM)
  • Semantic segmentation of images (U-Net, FCN, SegNet, DeepLab)
  • Image classification and object detection
  • Frameworks: PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras
Machine Learning
  • Regression: linear, polynomial, ridge, LASSO, Gaussian process
  • Classification: Random Forest, SVM, XGBoost, logistic regression, k-NN, decision trees, gradient boosting
  • Model selection and validation; scikit-learn
Large Language Models (LLMs)
  • GPT-4, Claude (Anthropic), Llama (Meta)
  • Amazon Bedrock, Kiro
  • Prompt engineering, RAG (retrieval-augmented generation)
  • API integration and deployment

Work Experience

  • Research Assistant at Digital Agriculture Laboratory of the University of California, Davis
    2022-Present
  • Research and Teaching Assistant at the University of Tehran
    2016-2022
  • Teaching Physics at Bonyad Amoozeshi Ghalamchi
    2014-2016
  • Internship at Agricultural Engineering Research Institute of Iran (AERI)
    2017-2022

Research Experience

  • Remote Sensing for Early Detection of Branched Broomrape in Tomato from Leaf to Canopy Level
  • 3D Radiative Transfer Modeling for Specialty Crops
  • Wildfire Detection and Monitoring Using Satellite Imagery and Deep Learning
  • Image semantic segmentation using convolutional neural networks for Agricultural Vision 2021 Competition
  • High-Throughput Wheat Phenotyping for Agricultural Research Institute of Iran

Teaching Experience

  • Applied Statistics in Agricultural Sciences TA – Lab Materials
    UC Davis
  • Environmental Analysis Using GIS TA – Lab Materials
    UC Davis
  • Environmental Monitoring TA
    UC Davis
  • Introduction to Unmanned Aerial Systems for Agriculture & Environmental Science TA
    UC Davis
  • Communications and Computing Technology (IoT in Ag) TA – Lab Materials
    UC Davis
  • Programming with Python and MATLAB TA
    University of Tehran
  • Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence TA
    University of Tehran
  • Industrial drawing with CATIA, SolidWorks and AutoCAD TA
    University of Tehran

Honors and Awards

  • Walter Rosenberg Research Fellowship (GBSE Fellowship), UC Davis
    2026
  • Future Undergraduate Science Educators (FUSE) Program Scholarship from Graduate Studies
    2025-Present
  • Best Presentation Award of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineering Annual International Meeting
    2024
  • Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative Scholarship
    2024
  • Bill And Jane Fischer Vegetation Management Scholarship
    2024
  • Member of SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing
    2024-Present
  • Peter J. Shields and Henry A. Jastro Research Award
    2023
  • Prestigious Dean's Distinguished Graduate Fellowship
    2022
  • Member of ASABE (The most important Biosystem engineering society in the world)
    2021-Present
  • Member of Iranian Elite Foundation (Bonyad Melli Nokhbegan)
    2017-2022
  • First rank prize of Iran Internet of Things and Computer Vision Competition among all Iranian master students
    2020

Leadership and Mentorship

  • Graduate Student Leader, UC Davis Team, Farm Robotic Challenge, UCANR Innovate & AIFS
    2025-Present
  • Vice President of Graduate Student Association of Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department of UC Davis
    2024-Present
  • Representative of Graduate Student Association of Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department of UC Davis
    2023-2024
  • Mentoring Four Undergraduate Students at E-SEARCH Program Scholarship at the University of California, Davis
    2024-Present
  • Mentor, AgTech Workshop (Drone & IoT) – AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems
    2023-Present
  • Mentoring high school students in digital agriculture through engaging lectures and hands-on projects in the Young Scholar Program
    2023
  • Election Committee Member, Graduate Student Association, BAE Department, UC Davis
    2025

Journal Publications

  • Multi-Trait Spectral Modeling for Estimating Grapevine Leaf Traits and Nutrients
    Farajpoor P, Pourreza A, Narimani MR, El‐Kereamy A, Fidelibus M
    Plant Phenomics, 2025
    View Publication
  • Early Detection of Branched Broomrape (Phelipanche Ramosa) Infestation in Tomato Crops by Using Leaf Spectral Analysis and Machine Learning
    Narimani MR, Pourreza A, Moghimi A, Farajpoor P, Jafarbiglu H, Mesgaran B
    IFAC-PapersOnLine, 2025
    View Publication
  • A Review of IoT Applications in Food Processing and Related Fields
    Alimardani R, Adedeji AA, Narimani MR
    Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 2025
    View Publication
  • Branched broomrape detection in tomato farms using satellite imagery and time-series analysis
    Narimani MR, Pourreza A, Moghimi A, Farajpoor P, Jafarbiglu H, Mesgaran B
    SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing 2025
    View Publication
  • Leaf spectral reflectance prediction using multihead attention neural networks
    Farajpoor P, Pourreza A, Narimani MR, El‐Kereamy A, Fidelibus M
    SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing 2024
    View Publication
  • Drone-based multispectral imaging and deep learning for timely detection of branched broomrape in tomato farms
    Narimani MR, Pourreza A, Moghimi A, Mesgaran B, Farajpoor P, Jafarbiglu H
    SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing 2024
    View Publication
  • Dynamic neural network modeling of thermal environments of two adjacent single-span greenhouses with different thermal curtain positions
    Akpenpuun TD, Ogunlowo QO, Na WH, Dutta P, Rabiu A, Adesanya MA, Narimani MR, Zakir E, Kim HT, Lee HW
    Journal of Agricultural Engineering, 2024
    View Publication
  • Developing an aeroponic smart experimental greenhouse for controlling irrigation and plant disease detection using deep learning and IoT
    Narimani MR, Hajiahmad A, Moghimi A, Alimardani R, Rafiee S, Mirzabe AH
    ASABE 2021 Journal
    View Publication
  • Design and construction of electric turning machine for urban agriculture
    Kianmehr M, Elyasi M, Narimani MR
    Journal of Tarbiyat Modares University
    View Publication
  • Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence for smart agriculture: a systematic mapping review of sensors, platforms, connectivity, and machine learning applications (2014-2024)
    Moghadam S, Alimardani R, Narimani MR, Moghimi A
    AgriRxiv, 2026
    View Publication

Conference Presentations

  • Early Detection of Branched Broomrape (Phelipanche Ramosa) Infestation in Tomato Crops by Using Leaf Spectral Analysis and Machine Learning
    Oral Presentation - Sensing - Plant Status Session - 8th IFAC Conference on Sensing, Control and Automation Technologies for Agriculture
    View Conference
  • Drone-based multispectral imaging and deep learning for timely detection of branched broomrape in tomato farms
    Oral Presentation - Machine Learning Session - SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing 2024
    View Presentation
  • Early Detection of Branched Broomrape in Tomato by Hyperspectral Sensing
    Oral Presentation - Hyperspectral Imaging: Advances in Technologies, Analytics, and Applications Session - ASABE 2024
  • Determining the best irrigation strategy for pistachio orchards with saline water and soil
    Jafarbiglu H, Pourreza A, Narimani MR, Sanden B, Marino G, Culumber M, Mehata M, Ferguson L
    Oral Presentation - Sustainability Session - SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing 2024
    View Presentation
  • Remote Sensing of Branched Broomrape in Tomato
    Oral Presentation - 65th Weed Day of the University of California, Davis - 2024
    View Event
  • Wildfire Detection and Monitoring Using Satellite Imagery and Deep Learning
    Machine Learning in Agriculture and Natural Resources Session - ASABE 2023, Lightning Talk
    View Schedule
  • Determining the best irrigation practices for pistachio orchards with saline water and soil
    Jafarbiglu H, Pourreza A, Narimani MR, Williams D, Ferguson L
    ITSC-348 Electromagnetics & Spectroscopy Session - ASABE 2023, Lightning Talk
  • Developing an aeroponic smart experimental greenhouse for controlling irrigation and plant disease detection using deep learning and IoT
    Oral Presentation - ASABE 2021

My Mentees' Posters

  • Deep Learning-Based Snow Monitoring in California Using Sentinel-2 Satellite Data
    Sun VJ, Narimani MR
    Poster – University of California, Davis – ESEARCH Summer Program 2025
    View Program
  • Enhancing Orchard Management with Deep Learning: Tree Segmentation Using Geospatial SAM2 Model
    Kumar S, Narimani MR, Moghimi A, Pourreza A
    Poster – University of California, Davis – ESEARCH Fall Program 2024
    View Program
  • Global Vegetation and Climate Insights Portal (GVCIP)
    Richmond N, Narimani MR, Moghimi A, Pourreza A
    Poster – University of California, Davis – ESEARCH Summer Program 2024
    View Program
  • Enhancing Wildfire Monitoring Through Remote Sensing
    Tran Q, Narimani MR, Moghimi A, Pourreza A
    Poster – University of California, Davis – ESEARCH Spring Program 2024
    View Program

Conference Posters

  • Domain Adaptation Approaches to Improve Leaf Trait Estimation by Reducing Error Propagation in Hybrid Modeling
    Farajpoor P, Pourreza A, Narimani MR
    Poster – AGU 2025
  • Branched broomrape detection in tomato farms using satellite imagery and time-series analysis
    Narimani MR, Pourreza A, Moghimi A, Farajpoor P, Jafarbiglu H, Mesgaran B
    Poster – SPIE Defense+Commercial Sensing 2025
    View Poster
  • Seam Carving for Tree Segmentation in Dense Tree Farms
    Jafarbiglu H, Pourreza A, Narimani MR, Bailey J, Taylor G
    Poster – ASABE 2024
  • Developing an aeroponic smart experimental greenhouse for controlling irrigation and plant disease detection using deep learning and IoT
    Narimani MR, Hajiahmad A, Moghimi A, Alimardani R, Rafiee S, Mirzabe AH
    Poster – ASABE 2021

Editorial and Peer Review Activities

  • Reviewer, Scientific Reports (Springer Nature)
    2024–Present
  • Reviewer, Journal of Agriculture and Food Research (Elsevier)
    2024–Present
  • Reviewer, Journal of Food Science (Wiley)
    2024–Present
  • Reviewer, Smart Agricultural Technology (Elsevier)
    2024–Present
  • Reviewer, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture (Elsevier)
    2024–Present
  • Reviewer, Information Processing in Agriculture (Elsevier)
    2024–Present
  • Reviewer, Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment (Elsevier)
    2024–Present
  • Reviewer, NJAS: Impact in Agricultural and Life Sciences (Taylor & Francis)
    2024–Present

Media Coverage

  • Parasitic Weeds Threaten Tomato Plants on California Farms. UC Davis Teams Utilize Innovative Research Techniques to Battle an Invasive Species
    University of California Newsletter, 2023
    Read Article
  • Parasitic Weeds Threaten Tomato Plants on California Farms. UC Davis Teams Utilize Innovative Research Techniques to Battle an Invasive Species
    UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, 2023
    Read Article
  • Parasitic weeds threaten tomato plants on California farms
    Daily Democrat Newspaper (Woodland Newspaper)
    Read Article
  • Researchers target parasitic weed in tomato fields
    Ag Alert Magazine
    Read Article
  • The enemy underground: California researchers target parasitic weed
    Capital Press Newsletter
    Read Article
  • Researchers fight weeds threatening California tomatoes
    Organic Growers Newsletter
    Read Article
  • Parasitic weeds threaten California tomato farmers
    University of California, Davis, Plant Science Newsletter
    Read Article
  • Broomrape: Parasitic weeds threaten California tomato fields
    Tomato News
    Read Article
  • Parasitic Weeds Threaten Tomato Plants
    California Fruit and Vegetable
    Read Article